Charging Your Electric Car: Home vs. Public Charging Stations Explained

Are you thinking about changing your car? Debating switching from diesel or petrol to electric or hybrid? If so, we have the information you need about charging your car at home and in public.

With an estimated 125,000 electric vehicles (EVs) on the road in Ireland in 2024, a sizable proportion of the public are plugging in every day. But is it better to invest in a home charger or use the public network of charging stations?

Let’s dive in to find out.

Charging your car at home

Not every living situation is suitable for charging electric vehicles, but if yours fits the bill, there are lots of reasons to plug in at home: 

• Convenience: There’s no need to wait in queues, check on progress or set a reminder to move your car at home. You can simply plug in overnight and wake up to a fully charged vehicle.
• Cost: Home charging is usually cheaper than using public stations, especially if you opt for off-peak electricity rates or use solar panels to power your charger.
• Availability: It’s a real comfort knowing that you can charge your car at home anytime that suits you, rather than hoping for a free space or working station while out and about.
• Charger choice: By opting for home charging, you can buy your preferred charger type which might include smart features, an interactive design and long-term data insights.
• Grants: The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland will cover €300 of the installation costs of a home charger, while an EV Apartment Charging Grant is available for EV owners without a driveway.

Charging your car in public 

If plugging in your car at home doesn’t work for you, public charging stations offer plenty of benefits too:

• Faster charger speeds:  The chargers at public stations often provide better charging speeds, with some fast chargers boosting energy levels by up to 80% in 30 minutes — ideal if you’re in a hurry.
• National accessibility: With more than 2,500 public charging stations available in Ireland, you don’t have to worry about straying too far from home without finding a place to recharge.
• Better cost control: By choosing to charge your car outside your home, you can control how much you spend on it, rather than see it absorbed into household bills, which might be shared.
• Convenient parking: Quite often, the best urban parking spaces are designated as car charging points, so you can leave your car close to a town or city and shop or run errands while you charge.
• Potentially free charging: Some locations, such as workplaces, hotels or shopping centres may offer free EV charging as a perk to their workers or customers. It might be worth asking your boss!

There’s a lot to consider when you’re thinking about moving to an electric car. But one thing that’s easy, is getting great value car insurance with An Post Insurance.

We’re the forward-thinking Irish Intermediary that provides care as well as cover to all our customers, whether they drive diesel, petrol, hybrid or electric vehicles. That means affordable car insurance, a range of bonus percentages and benefits (depending on the policy provider) and help when you need it most. 

The best part? You could get that new electric car for free! All customers who purchase a new car insurance policy with An Post Insurance between  01^st August 2024 and the 31st January 2025 can enter into a promotion with the opportunity to win a brand- new electric Fiat 500e Icon (terms and conditions apply).  That means you could spend next year driving around in a stylish Italian car worth €32,000. Get a quote now and see if you can make your electric dreams come true.

^{All the information on this blog post is published in good faith and for general information purposes only. While An Post Insurance makes every effort to ensure that the information appearing on this blog is accurate and complete, it does not make any warranties about the completeness, reliability or accuracy of this information, whether express or implied, including but not limited to implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose or non-infringement.   Any action you take upon the information you find on this blog is strictly at your own risk.  An Post Insurance will not be liable for any direct, indirect or consequential losses and/or damages in connection with the use of, or action taken in reliance on information contained in our blog.}