Fault Finding

Yes. Car charging uses alot of power, a domestic single phase charger will typically pull 30amps continuously, so this requires a dedicated supply directly from the consumer unit.

We will often need to make improvements to your existing circuit protection in order to accomodate the new EV Charger circuit. It is always strongly recommended to install a surge protection device when fitting a car charger and the circuit itself must be on a Bi-directional Type-A RCBO, in simple terms this means it may be best to replace the existing consumer unit (fusebox) for a new modern unit, alternatively we may put in a smaller stand-alone consumer unit exclusively to feed the new circuit, however this will depend if there is sufficient space near the main supply to the property. Installing a car charger is a good time to consider the overall protection for the circuits in your property and we would always recommend the installation of a replacement fusebox in situations where circuit protection for the rest of the circuits is inadequate.

The installation of the new circuit, the EV charger itself and commissioning typically takes between half a day and a full day depending on the length of run and installation method. If improvements need to be made to the supply, such as a fusebox replacement, this would usually be carried out on a separate day.

Yes, most of our EV Chargers come with a 2-3 year manufacturers warranty as standard, this means that if there is a fault the manufacturer will supply a new charger or replacement parts free of charge. At MK Sparks we believe you should be able to rely on the products we recommend, so if anything does go wrong with your charger, within the manufacturers warranty period, we will not charge labour for any repairs. Note: We do not typically install customer supplied EV chargers, however if you do supply the charger yourself and it developed a fault we would have to charge for any diagnosis/ repair visits.

There are several ways to control EV Chargers: Plug and Play - The EV Charger is always ready to charge and charging is controlled by the vehicle, this is good for people who want to set charging schedules from their car or have a smart tariff linked directly to the car's app. For security the charger can be setup only to charge a specific car to avoid unwanted use by strangers. RFID - Good for businesses, each charger can be controlled by multiple RFID cards, swipe the card to start charging and swipe again to stop, RFID control can also be setup with a charging schedule to avoid unwanted use out of hours. App Controlled - Using your smartphone you can set schedules, boost charge, or handover control of charging completely to your energy supplier on smart tariffs such as Intellegent Octopus, this is the most common method of control.

Yes! Many car chargers now allow for solar integration, this means that the charger will wait until you are exporting excess power generated to the grid and will instead use this to charge your vehicle, this is often done in conjunction with standard overnight charging to make sure that your car reaches your desired charge level by the morning. Our top brand for Solar integration is MyEnergy who make Zappi chargers, their intercompatibility with Solar PV is industry leading.

The industry standard for EV charging in the UK today is Type 2 connection, as seen in the picture below. Almost every vehicle sold in the UK today has Type 2 connection with the exception being some very old EVs and certain Asian/ American imports. If your vehicle has 2 more pins below the main 7 pin port, those are DC ports for fast charging! We only fit Type 2 chargers, however if you do have a vehicle with Type 1 charging you may need an adaptor.

If you want an EV energy tariff you will need a smart meter, these meters provide half-hourly meter readings to your energy company so they know how much to bill you for your offpeak usage.

While a standard electricity tariff in the UK charges you a fixed rate per unit of electricity, an EV tariff provides you with a much cheaper overnight off-peak rate, and a day rate slightly higher than a standard tariff. This means you can charge overnight and run your vehicle for around 2-3p per mile. It is often best to try and take advantage of the lower overnight rate by also scheduling appliances to run when the low rate kicks in. To read more about EV tariffs here are some links to popular EV tariffs in the UK today: https://octopus.energy/smart/go/ https://www.edfenergy.com/electric-cars/ev-tariffs https://www.eonnext.com/tariffs/next-drive

Smart EV tariffs take things a step further than standard off-peak EV energy plans. These tariffs use real-time data and smart technology to automatically decide the best times to charge your electric vehicle - based on when electricity is cheapest and when there’s less demand on the grid. Rather than sticking to set off-peak hours, intelligent tariffs can shift your charging to the cheapest or greenest times available, even if that changes day by day. Your EV charger connects to your supplier or a smart app, so charging starts and stops automatically in the background. This helps you: ✔ Charge your car at the lowest possible price ✔ Reduce strain on the grid during peak times ✔ Make better use of renewable energy when it’s available To benefit from an intelligent tariff, you’ll typically need: A compatible smart EV charger A smart meter An energy supplier that offers intelligent charging plans (e.g. Octopus Intelligent) We can talk you through charger options and help make sure your setup is ready if you want to use this type of tariff. For more info check out Intellegent Octopus Go.

An EV charger is a constant heavy load, so when we install a dedicated EV charger we also install load monitoring, this is a small power monitoring device that monitors the total load on your home supply, if the load exceeds a certain threshold the charger will reduce the charging rate accordingly. Peak loads are usually very rare and there's alot of capacity in your supply for both charging and using other equipment simultaneously without load management needing to kick in. You won't notice the load management and it will have negligible impact on overall charging rate, however it's reassuring to know your main supply is protected and won't go pop halfway through cooking the Christmas dinner!

The cost of a home EV charger installation can vary depending on a few key factors. These include the brand and spec of the charger you choose, the distance between your consumer unit and the charger location (known as the cable run), and whether your existing circuit protection is suitable. As a general guide, most standard domestic EV charger installations fall somewhere between £900 and £1,500. This would typically include the charger unit, cabling, full installation, testing and certification. We’re always happy to provide a tailored quote based on your property, usage needs and any preferences you have regarding charger brand or features.