Charging at home
The cheapest and most convenient place for most people to charge their electric vehicle is at home.
What time is best to charge?
The best and cheapest time to charge your car is when the sun is out, especially if you have rooftop solar PV.
Tip: Your solar PV system may be able to automatically charge your EV with excess solar. Talk to your installer to find out if this is available for you.
No solar? Charging in the middle of the day still means you are more likely to be using renewable energy from the grid and creating the least emissions.
The next best time is to charge overnight from about 11pm. You can set this up by:
- setting up a preferred charging time via your EV
- installing a smart charger that can manage this for you
- manually plugging in your EV at the right time of day.
The worst time to charge is in the evening right after you’ve come home from work. This creates problems for the electricity grid, which in the long term, increases electricity prices and creates the most emissions.
Check your electricity plan
Some electricity retailers now offer EV electricity plans or time of use plans which reward you for charging at certain times. Note you will need a smart or interval meter to be eligible for these plans.
Visit Energy Made Easy for free and independent price comparisons on current retailer offerings.
Do I need a dedicated charger?
If you charge regularly at home you might want to consider buying a smart EV charger. Using a dedicated 7 kW at-home charger will top up the typical daily commute in less than one night’s sleep – perfect for charging overnight. See this guide from the Electric Vehicle Council. A list of charging providers can also be found there.
Charging in apartments
You will need to check with your landlord or body corporate on what EV charging is available. Apartment blocks in the Ku-ring-gai local government area can apply for a Smart Unit Rebate for the installation of EV chargers.
Council is currently working on how we can support residents in apartment complexes to improve accessibility to charging infrastructure.
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