Kernow has a tethered Chargemaster 7.4kW that cost £350 to install.
Provide your overall rating for the charging unit.
Which company installed it and would you recommend them?
Chargemaster – the installation was tidy and efficient though now that they are part of bp pulse I can’t testify if it would be the same, better or worse today.
Why did you purchase the Chargemaster home charging unit?
The charger was linked to the purchase of our first EV, a BMW i3 and all the paperwork was handled by the BMW dealer. All I had to do was provide photographs to show our consumer unit (fuse board), its location and route to the preferred charge point location. It was easy and we got the full grant.
List 3 or more points that you like about the charging unit.
- Simplicity
- tidiness
- lack of fuss.
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List 3 or more points that you don’t like about the charging unit.
- It is not operated by an app so can’t help schedule charging. As a result I need to rely on the car’s timing systems (OK for BMW, work in progress with Skoda) or operate manually.
Outline any faults you have experienced with the unit.
None.
Tell us about your home charging routine.
We charge our cars when they drop to 25 – 40% SOC or if we need a full battery on the following day. Typically this means one charge per car per week overnight to use the cheaper Economy 7 tariff. It’s great getting in to the fully charged car in the morning that has been pre-conditioned (heated/cooled) from the mains before departing.
If you were buying a new charging unit now, what would you buy and why?
I would need to check which operate via wi-fi as we are in a poor mobile phone signal area. Otherwise, I view home chargers as a pretty generic box and don’t get too excited about them.
Tell us about your electricity provider and tariff. Would you recommend them?
Shell Economy 7. They have been good so far but as we revert to the cap rate in a few months I will see what they do with the Economy 7 rate and review if I still like them then!
Are you part of a charger-sharing scheme for those who don’t have their own charger?
Not yet.
See other home charging reports here