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CAN I CHARGE MY ELECTRIC CAR USING A THREE-PIN PLUG?
Gavin Braithwaite-Smith
6 March 2024
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Every electric car comes with a cable – sometimes referred to as a ‘granny
cable‘ – that is designed for a domestic plug socket. So the short answer to
this question is yes – you can charge your EV using a three-pin plug.
However, this method of charging should be reserved for occasional or emergency
use only. It’s fine if you’re staying overnight with friends who don’t have a
dedicated EV charger, but you don’t want to rely on it.
We’d recommend keeping the granny cable in your car as a back-up. However, there
are several reasons why using a dedicated home wallbox is a much better way to
charge your electric car. Let’s run through them.
CHARGER-TO-CAR COMMUNICATION
A proper EV charging wallbox will communicate directly with the vehicle, which
makes it safer than using a three-pin socket. With a smart wallbox that can
automatically charge when energy is cheapest, you can also take advantage of
lower electricity tariffs. These usually apply late at night, when supply is
high and demand is low.
A smart wallbox also allows you to control charging remotely, such as via your
smartphone. It’s ideal if you want to ‘fill up’ during the cheaper off-peak
periods.
FASTER CHARGING TIMES
Using a domestic plug socket is by far the slowest way to charge an electric
car. Fitting a wallbox will replenish your car’s battery around three times
faster, depending on the vehicle.
With a wallbox, most EVs can easily be recharged from empty to full while you
sleep. Using a three-pin plug, even an overnight charge (with a generous lie-in
in the morning) won’t be enough to full charge the batteries.
ADVICE FOR CHARGING AT HOME
The charity Electrical Safety First has the following advice for charging an EV
at home:
* Never use a domestic multi-socket extension lead. If you MUST use an
extension lead, make sure it is suitable for outdoor use.
* Never ‘daisy-chain’ extension leads by linking them together. This increases
the risk of an electrical fire or an electric shock.
* Always buy a charging cable from a reputable retailer or use the cable
supplied by the car manufacturer. If you’ve bought a used electric car and
the cable is missing, contact your local dealership for that car brand.
* Regularly check the charging cable for wear and tear.
* Ensure the wiring in your property has been checked. Old wiring may not be
able to cope with the demand from charging an electric car
If in doubt, fit a wallbox. A 3kW box – which is equivalent to a domestic socket
– will cost between £300 and £500. A 7kW unit will set you back between £500 and
£1,000, but will deliver far quicker charging times.
UK residents who live in flats or rented properties can claim back up to 75
percent of the cost of a fitted home charge point – up to a maximum of £350.
However, you must own an electric car on the approved list and have an
off-street parking space. And if you have a house or a mortgage, you can’t
apply.
If your property doesn’t have off-street parking, it may be time to ask the
local council to install some charging points. Your local authority can apply
for help with the cost of fitting on-street points for residential use using the
Residential Chargepoint Scheme.
ALSO READ:
Should you buy a plug-in hybrid or an electric car?
How much road tax will I pay for an electric car?
What happened to the Plug-in Car Grant for electric cars?
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Gavin Braithwaite-Smith
10 COMMENTS
1. Alan Edmunds 19 September 2021 At 3:40 pm
How do the interior heaters work? For instance if one is caught in a
motorway accident, which may last for several hours, how do you keep warm?
Presumably the battery will not keep the vehicle interior temperature at
around 20 degrees for several hours. Many cars will run out of battery
charge and leave the occupants in peril of hypothermia?
I have seen the preconditioning comment below which will not help in the
situation above.
Reply
* Richard Aucock 20 September 2021 At 1:42 pm
We have a piece coming out soon on this, Alan. EVs use heat pumps for
climate control, which these days are far more efficient than first-gen
vehicles. A rule of thumb today is 4kW of heat for 1kW battery
consumption.
Our explainer will be published in the next week or so – but in short, you
should be safe, even if the traffic jam is a couple of hours.
Reply
2. Thomas Dick 6 May 2023 At 9:04 pm
Living in the wilds of N Norfolk a electric car would be virtually
impossible to own since there are virtually no public charging points. The
management company for my apartment has had an estimate for fitting a
charging point for 10 chargers – £121,000!! Why can’t the Government accept
that a self charging hybrid is a reasonable alternative. I own a new Yaris
hybrid which according to the Toyota is running as an EV for 65-69% of the
time in town driving and returning over 70 mpg. If all cars were self
charging hybrids we would move very well to lower total urban emissions .
Reply
* Peter 26 July 2023 At 10:46 am
What are the specs your management company asked for these chargers? Or
maybe the contractor tried to screw people over, since the tech is still
pretty new and people don’t know what it should cost.
Reply
3. Peter 26 July 2023 At 10:53 am
The article states “A proper EV charging wallbox will communicate directly
with the car, which makes it safer than using a three-pin socket.”.
Please watch this brilliant video on wall boxes:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RMxB7zA-e4Y . The short answer is that a
wallbox does this communication in order to charge FASTER in a safe way. The
slowest way, which the car uses in case no wallbox is present, is always
safe. Presuming your home wiring is not defective, that is. In the latter
case, just installing a wallbox on the existing wires is just as dangerous
as using the granny cable.
Reply
4. RON 10 October 2023 At 10:35 am
EV`S SOUND GOOD BUT WHAT ABOUT THE HEATING OF THE CAR DURING WINTER, AND HOW
IS THE WINDSCREEN DEMISTED, SURELY YHIS MUST DRAIN THE BATTERY FASTER?
Reply
* MR MICHAEL BAX 19 January 2024 At 10:44 am
I have just demisted heated and de-iced my frozen car over a 15 minute
period while sitting indoors drinking coffee. My car was fully charged to
207 mile range and at the end of the heating etc used 9 miles of range.
This was done remotely via my mobile from the comfort of my armchair. My
other petrol car parked in the next bay is still covered in ice. First
time I have used this facility but won’t be the last !
Reply
5. What is ICEing and why does it infuriate electric car owners? 11 December
2023 At 8:59 am
[…] charging bays unless you have the capacity – and the intention – to
charge your car. EV owners need that plug more than you […]
Reply
6. New Mini Electric buyers can claim a FREE home charger 11 December 2023 At
12:41 pm
[…] a dedicated wallbox for charging is faster than a domestic three-pin
plug socket. It also allows Mini owners to access the Pod Point smartphone
[…]
Reply
7. Paul 15 March 2024 At 10:12 am
While you can use a domestic socket to charge your EV, in the UK you
shouldn’t unless its been installed or verified with that in mind by a fully
qualified and competent electrician. It contravenes the IET wiring
Regulations to do otherwise which might void your home insurance should the
worst occurs e.g. your house burns down. Watch the video entitled ‘Can You
Charge an Electric Vehicle From a 13A Socket?’ by eFIXX on YouTube for a
full explanation. The direct link to that video is
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-F02_fXd8c It’s not hard to comply so why
risk it.
Reply
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