See all Motoring AdviceBattery-electric vehicles made up more than eight per cent of total new car sales in Ireland in 2021, a rise of 115 per cent in one year and a figure that’s only set to grow further. These numbers are strongly indicative of the fact that running an electric car is becoming more viable by the week with an expanding line-up of models available and infrastructure that is growing all the time, albeit slowly. Because public charging infrastructure isn’t yet as good as it could be though, most EV owners will still opt to use a home charger.
Home charger installations throw up a lot of questions in their own right such as whether a particular home’s electricity supply is compatible with home charging and, if any, what additional electrical requirements are needed to install a home charger safely.
The SEAI currently provides a grant of up to €600 towards the installation of a home charger in Ireland, though this must be approved in advance and the installer must be paid before the SEAI will reimburse the homeowner. Typically, the cheapest home charger installations cost €200-€300 on top of the €600 grant and, while some car companies (Volkswagen, for example) offer to provide installations, it’s still worth shopping around. Some EV owners will opt to buy a home charger separately and have it installed by a local electrician, which can sometimes be a cost-effective option.
If buyers are still confused by the technical end of things, there are, thankfully, a whole range of companies in Ireland that provide home charger installations, registered with Safe Electric Ireland and which can advise on the best options for owners. Here are some of them.
Actavo HomeCharge
Actavo offer a competitively priced range of fast, smart electric vehicle (EV) chargers, supplied and installed by their In-Home team of highly experienced electricians nationwide. See actavo.com/homecharge
WattCharger
WattCharger is Irelands one stop shop for electric vehicle charging (Zappi Only Installer) and solar panel installations. They sell home EV chargers on their webstore, provide nationwide installation services via a team of local electricians & offer robust grant support as a value add to customers. See wattcharger.com
EV Power Ireland
EV Power Ireland provides a range of home charger options and installations from basic chargers to advanced smart-charging systems. All products and installations are covered by a three-year warranty. See evpowerireland.ie
Electric Ireland
Electric Ireland offering the Sync EV Smart Charger for just €699. Both tethered and socket versions are available at the same great price and all installs include auto load balancing as standard. The latest Sync EV charger is the most discrete on the market and is packed full of smart features. See electricireland.ie
e-station:
e-station supply, install, commission and support Electric Vehicle Charging Solutions for Residential, Commercial and Public Sector clients. They provide a wide range of equipment and software services designed to meet the varied needs of these clients, from simple “Plug & Play” solutions to more sophisticated networked systems. These systems can be metered and managed by software accessed by PC, tablet or smartphone and allow for the consumption of electricity to be both managed and monetized. See e-station.ie
Car Charger
Car Charger has teams in Dublin, Cork and Belfast providing home charger installations and offers a number of charger options including the Wallbox Pulsar, available for around €400 inclusive of the SEAI grant. See carcharger.ie
Phoenix Electrical Services
Phoenix Electrical Services based in South Dublin sells home chargers from MyEnergi (Zappi) and Rolec and offers installation too. See electriccarcharger.ie
EV Ready
EV Ready provides Zappi, Andersen and EV Box chargers as well as offering an installation-only service for those who’ve bought their own chargers elsewhere. See evready.ie
Powerwise
Based in Kildare, Powerwise sells a range of chargers from Zappi, EO, EV Box and Wallbox and also provides an installation-only service for €375 excluding VAT for those who have bought their chargers separately. See powerwise.ie
DM Electrical and Solar
Located in South Wexford, DM Electrical and Solar will fit and install Zappi chargers for €1,400-€1,450 (depending on whether the charger is tethered or untethered) excluding the SEAI grant. See dmelectrical.ie
This is just a small selection of the businesses that sell and install home chargers in Ireland. Wherever you are in the country, it’s worth checking if there are any local providers as it may be helpful to work with someone closer to home in the event of any technical issues that may need to be resolved. Speaking to local EV owners can also be helpful in locating an installer that does quality work at a fair price.
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