Need some help folks - Home charge unit research UK

[Fendoch]

So yes if you can find a contact to sell you a unit at a reasonable price then get your own electrician to install it this will solve all your problems

Yep, so who wants to sell me one? And, do the ones with the SIM cards work without a card in them? Or do I have to have one without the SIM card if I want to get it fitted myself?

As far as I know you only require the sim/meter unit over and above the charging unit installed if you got one of the discounted units, as this sends info back for that unit so that they are aware of the amount of units you are using on your vehicle from that charger.
If however you get a unit through another source i.e. Not through the normal installers then you only need to install the charging unit as there is no need to send info anywhere so no SIM card needed
I can check with my contact and see if he could help you if you want

 

[user 422]

So yes if you can find a contact to sell you a unit at a reasonable price then get your own electrician to install it this will solve all your problems

Yep, so who wants to sell me one? And, do the ones with the SIM cards work without a card in them? Or do I have to have one without the SIM card if I want to get it fitted myself?

If you click on the button labelled "compare EV Chargers" at the top of THIS forum page you will find a list of charge points and they are listed via AMAZON...

 

[Regulo]

Fendoch, PM sent.

 

[rgilyead]

Well folks, after ordering my charger from Pod Point the wait began. Nearly 9 weeks later and I am hoping it will be installed on Friday. It has been a catalogue of duplicate emails, lost application forms and site photos, and inexplicable delays. My faith in the installation is pretty much rock bottom so I hope it goes smoothly on the day.

Is it an unusual installation? I had no site visits or photos - just asked Chargemaster to do it, an engineer arrived a couple of weeks later with a van full of tools and charge points and three hours later (plus a couple of cups of tea), I was the owner of an installed charging point

As far as I can tell it should be completely straightforward. The mains connections are in the garage and the charger is to be installed on the wall outside. Pod Point have a policy of asking the customer to do their own site survey and take photos. They have twice "lost" my form and photos in their filing systems and failed to send them on to the actual installer. I assume that is why the whole process has been so protracted.

 

[rgilyead]

My Pod Point saga continues. First, the electrician didn't turn up and nobody contacted me to tell me why. Turns out he was off sick. Rearranged for the following week. Didn't turn up again and nobody contacted me. I emailed to find the electrician had suffered a family bereavement. Obviously sorry for the guy but why couldn't the installation company let me know what was going on? Poor customer service. Now rearranged for next week. It will be almost exactly 11 weeks since I ordered the charger from Pod Point. IF it is installed. I have zero confidence.

 

[maby]

My Pod Point saga continues. First, the electrician didn't turn up and nobody contacted me to tell me why. Turns out he was off sick. Rearranged for the following week. Didn't turn up again and nobody contacted me. I emailed to find the electrician had suffered a family bereavement. Obviously sorry for the guy but why couldn't the installation company let me know what was going on? Poor customer service. Now rearranged for next week. It will be almost exactly 11 weeks since I ordered the charger from Pod Point. IF it is installed. I have zero confidence.

Looking at their web site, I get the impression that they are a franchise and probably have relatively little control over the installers - other than disenfranchising them. I suspect that they just take your order and mail it to a local franchised electrician.

 

[Ozukus]

If you haven't signed anything or paid anything then you can always call ChargeMaster and get them to do the install. I like most on this forum who have used them found their service timely and extremely good, plus 16Amp unit free of charge, you can't complain.

 

[rgilyead]

If you haven't signed anything or paid anything then you can always call ChargeMaster and get them to do the install. I like most on this forum who have used them found their service timely and extremely good, plus 16Amp unit free of charge, you can't complain.

This is their last chance. Three strikes and you're out.

 

[Cymro]

If I get a ChargeMaster un-tethered 16amp installation does it include a cable or do I need to purchase that in addition?

I assume un-tethered is good option so you don't need to change units if you change vehicles, or am I wrong ?

Cymro.

 

[maby]

If I get a ChargeMaster un-tethered 16amp installation does it include a cable or do I need to purchase that in addition?

I assume un-tethered is good option so you don't need to change units if you change vehicles, or am I wrong ?

Cymro.

ChargeMaster certainly do not supply cables with their untethered units. Mitsubishi will sell you one at an inflated price. I went to https://evconnectors.com/ who sold me a good quality cable for £100 less than Mitsubishi wanted - you can find even cheaper on eBay, but quality may be uncertain.

I think untethered makes the most sense - it does give you some degree of future-proofing. You are likely to want the cable anyway in order to be able to plug up to public charging points.

 

[Ozukus]

Interestingly enough the two main adapters seem to be split between European build and Japanese build

J1772 - Japanese

62196 - European

So if you are only going to buy Japanese in the future you are probably future proofed with a tethered option.

Unless they act like Apple and change their connectors from model to model, wasting all that investment in docking stations!

 

[Cymro]

ChargeMaster certainly do not supply cables with their untethered units. Mitsubishi will sell you one at an inflated price. I went to https://evconnectors.com/ who sold me a good quality cable for £100 less than Mitsubishi wanted - you can find even cheaper on eBay, but quality may be uncertain.

I think untethered makes the most sense - it does give you some degree of future-proofing. You are likely to want the cable anyway in order to be able to plug up to public charging points.

presumably not worth paying the extra for 32A cable if the car only charges at 16A ?

 

[Fendoch]

ChargeMaster certainly do not supply cables with their untethered units. Mitsubishi will sell you one at an inflated price. I went to https://evconnectors.com/ who sold me a good quality cable for £100 less than Mitsubishi wanted - you can find even cheaper on eBay, but quality may be uncertain.

I think untethered makes the most sense - it does give you some degree of future-proofing. You are likely to want the cable anyway in order to be able to plug up to public charging points.

presumably not worth paying the extra for 32A cable if the car only charges at 16A ?

Hi M8

I think what people are saying m8 is for FUTURE proofing. Our PHEV only charge at 16A but most of the new cars are 32A, so therefore if you get a 32A charge master not tethered in other wards with a socket, then you need to buy a 7 pin to 5 pin cable so that you can charge the PHEV, but in future when you change your car to a 7 pin then no need to change your charging station.....GOT US NOW !!!!

 

[steve2001]

I have applied for both Chargemaster and Rolec free chargers. Need my car's VIN to progress to survey stage will get that info shortly. Presently I would favour 32amp for futureproofing (free with Rolec) . But I'm thinking tethered to save costs as untethered I would need to buy a cable? However I am about to start a 2yrs lease so tethered is a bit of gamble if I then go for another PHEV? I bet there will be a facelift model around 2016 but would Mitsu really change connector type in the next few years?

Anyway I intend to ask the surveyors a lot of questions when they visit my home before I decide which installers and what charger type to go for.

(It's harder than planning to land a space probe on a comet this is )

 

[greendwarf]

I have applied for both Chargemaster and Rolec free chargers. Need my car's VIN to progress to survey stage will get that info shortly. Presently I would favour 32amp for futureproofing (free with Rolec) . But I'm thinking tethered to save costs as untethered I would need to buy a cable? However I am about to start a 2yrs lease so tethered is a bit of gamble if I then go for another PHEV? I bet there will be a facelift model around 2016 but would Mitsu really change connector type in the next few years?

Anyway I intend to ask the surveyors a lot of questions when they visit my home before I decide which installers and what charger type to go for.

(It's harder than planning to land a space probe on a comet this is )

I'm still not convinced of the need for a charge point at all. I've just plugged in using the supplied 3 pin 13amp lead. The car says it needs 5.5 hours as it was almost "flat". I'm using my overnight cheap rate. How would the "faster" charge benefit me? I'm going to bed soon and will leave it plugged in until the morning, so whether it could be finished in less time is irrelevant.

As most users will be similarly charging overnight (at cheap rate?) then surely the question is also irrelevant to them as well?

 

[steve2001]

good point greendwarf there is always the 3 pin plug option it may suit many folks just fine.

The attraction of a dedicated charger professionally installed at no cost is quite tempting for me. I'm from Yorkshire we like a bargain here! The OLEC grant is bound to run out at some point fairly soon I imagine.

Also it would be installed on my outside wall near where I park, so no fumbling with garage doors and plugging/running/stowing the 3 pin cable every day.

 

[MHS]

good point greendwarf there is always the 3 pin plug option it may suit many folks just fine.

The attraction of a dedicated charger professionally installed at no cost is quite tempting for me. I'm from Yorkshire we like a bargain here! The OLEC grant is bound to run out at some point fairly soon I imagine.

Also it would be installed on my outside wall near where I park, so no fumbling with garage doors and plugging/running/stowing the 3 pin cable every day.

Just had British gas install my charging point today. As you said, saves a lot of faffing about with extension leads and garage doors. Also in Yorkshire, so £115 fitted is a bargain. Great bloke fitted it, nothing too much trouble.

P.S. Is C-Crosser some sort of Cockney rhyming slang?

 

[maby]

If you have a convenient 13A socket available, then I don't think the case for the dedicated charge point is that strong. I went for a free Charge Master installation because I didn't have a 13A socket in a suitable place - and, since it was free, why not go for it? The purpose built points are weatherproof and the connectors are quick and easy to use. With the socket right next to the car, I don't have to worry about opening the garage door or a window to run the cable through - particularly important in the winter on these dark, cold, wet nights. I know that I could have had a weatherproof 13A socket installed outside the garage, but that would not have been eligible for the subsidy.

 

[pheverish]

I have applied for both Chargemaster and Rolec free chargers. Need my car's VIN to progress to survey stage will get that info shortly. Presently I would favour 32amp for futureproofing (free with Rolec) . But I'm thinking tethered to save costs as untethered I would need to buy a cable? However I am about to start a 2yrs lease so tethered is a bit of gamble if I then go for another PHEV? I bet there will be a facelift model around 2016 but would Mitsu really change connector type in the next few years?

Anyway I intend to ask the surveyors a lot of questions when they visit my home before I decide which installers and what charger type to go for.

(It's harder than planning to land a space probe on a comet this is )

I'm still not convinced of the need for a charge point at all. I've just plugged in using the supplied 3 pin 13amp lead. The car says it needs 5.5 hours as it was almost "flat". I'm using my overnight cheap rate. How would the "faster" charge benefit me? I'm going to bed soon and will leave it plugged in until the morning, so whether it could be finished in less time is irrelevant.

As most users will be similarly charging overnight (at cheap rate?) then surely the question is also irrelevant to them as well?

Not all users charge once a night.
particularly at weekends, I may run several errands, and go out in the evening, and want to be fully charged in the shortest time to maximise the effectiveness of the car.
Hence, this is why a faster charging point is useful.

 

[greendwarf]

I understand different users will have different requirements and I am lucky to have a 3 sided double car port with my meter cupboard in it where there is a socket for the vacuum cleaning system and the door has a gap at the bottom for ventilation where I can run the cable. However, if you don't have such a facility already, wouldn't the installation of a standard exterior socket give you greater flexibility (and future proofing) at a relatively moderate cost (<£200?) - certainly nothing like the £1k being charged to the taxpayer for the dedicated EV ones?

If the EV socket came with a 3 pin, as well, then I could see the advantage. Just to raise an Orwellian warning - might the Gov't be able in future to charge extra for the energy used for the EV because they can see your usage via the mandatory datalink