Home charge points (purchase/problems/questions) (See mod note post#1)

Buffman

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121452630#Comment_121452630

Will you get it installed for less than €600? If not, it doesn't matter as the grant will be 'used up' covering installation. If yes and you need to cover the cost, I'd suggest you 'sell' your Zappi to a family member and then 'buy' it back, getting a dated receipt from them of course. Nothing in the grant rules out using a 'second-hand' charger.

Buffman

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121452144#Comment_121452144

The grant will still require 'smart' chargers to get it so there's pretty much no 'basic' new chargers available here wholesale as they killed off that market.

It may become far more attractive alright, especially for people in older houses, to forget the €300 grant and just get a dumb charger installed by a local sparks. Instead of the potential €1000s of remedial work to bring the house wiring up to new standards which maybe required to get the grant, you could be talking €100s for an install instead.

ColemanY2K

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121453076#Comment_121453076

that's true. i've yet to speak to a sparky about what's needed which may indeed up being covered by the grant.

allinthehead

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121453206#Comment_121453206

Upgrades to the house aren't grant specific. These issues found in houses are required to be remedied if the spark is registered and providing a cert.

All I've read on here today is that the general public haven't a clue about what's required and why, and that ignorance always leads to the feeling that we're being screwed.

I mean how many people here realise that double pole surge protection must be fitted with every install (what if there's no space in the board?) or that if the house has a neozed fuse that the rec is required to replace it with an mcb (This must be done live now in most installations as smart meter installs don't come with isolators). All existing rcd's/rcbo's must be tested. Earth rod, main bonding and supplementary bonding must be checked and verified. A check on the tails and neutralisation must be done with results recorded. The rec is also now as the last person to issue a cert responsible if something happens in the installation.

As I said earlier, a bargain for about 400 quid.

Buffman

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121453744#Comment_121453744

I know exactly what's involved in getting a cert with the latest regs, that was the point I was making. That now that it's only a €300 grant people might not be too pushed about getting it certified for the grant and spending the possible €1000s that may be required on older houses if you're talking possible new meter tails, consumer unit, earth rod, hotpress work, etc. (I'm not suggesting in any way that anyone should do anything illegal, just pointing out that the €600 grant was possibly a major factor in people hiring RECs to legitimately carry out the work on the books.)

allinthehead

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121457651#Comment_121457651

Well if people were only making there homes safe to get a 600 euro grant then they're morons.

We had a case in our estate recently where somebody was refused permission by the management company to install home charging infrastructure. There's marked out parking spaces outside his house with a footpath between them and his front door. Was told the footpath was "owned" by the management company and he couldn't make alterations to it. Haven't heard anything about the case since so I'm not sure how he would proceed from here.

liamog

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121458401#Comment_121458401

Is the person a home owner or renting? I had a similar situation. Some managing agents will default to saying no in the hope you go away. If they are an owner in the estate then it's worth talking to the directors of the company and convincing them. If that fails then it's a case of getting elected to the management board and implementing and proper charging installation policy.

Management companies operate on behalf of the communal property owners, it might just take a bit more effort to get where you want to be.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121458466#Comment_121458466

I believe the person is a home owner. There’s quite a few houses in the estate with a similar set up, so something will have to be sorted eventually if more people switch to EVs.

CivilEx

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121436228#Comment_121436228

Ok, just a quick update for anyone wondering how long it's taking to receive the grant after charger installation - I submitted paperwork on 10th Nov and the €600 grant hit my account on 9th December.

Gumbo

Just seen this offer in my socials. If you don’t need PV integration, this seems very good. Supplied and fitted for €395.

Get your grant application in before 31st Dec!

CoBo55

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121478228#Comment_121478228

Great little CP with such good FIT rates it's cheaper to charge your EV on the energia 8c rate.

Marty Bird

Guys I applied for the home ev charger grant last week and was approved, I applied for the grant on a particular charger but I’m looking to go for a Zappi now. Do I just email SEAI and ask them to amend it or start a new application? Thanks.

CivilEx

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121487613#Comment_121487613

I changed from the charger I had originally proposed in the grant application and installed a Zappi in the end. It didn't seem to affect anything for me anyway and I received the grant ok

Marty Bird

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121487695#Comment_121487695

Thanks for that, just on the zappi I read you don’t need to connect to the earth rod was that the same for your install?

CivilEx

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121487715#Comment_121487715

You won't be connecting directly to your earth rod, but your house must have an earth rod to be compliant with the electrical regulations in Ireland as far as I know. The electricians that installed mine insisted on seeing the lid of the green box for the earth rod in my footpath, even though they didn't open it to inspect it. I think what you are reading about maybe is pen fault protection - which the Zappi has.

fido_dido

How long does it take to get the money back in your account after you claim for grant?

CivilEx

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121490161#Comment_121490161

Approx 4 to 5 weeks

ozmo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121478228#Comment_121478228

Hi - We need to install a charger - hopefully before Dec31 for grant purposes...

I was considering this or the Zappi un tethered. Its for a Tesla 3.

Question - with untethered Zapii and the above EO - am I correct in thinking I would need source a cable to connect Tesla to them?

I dont think these or the Tesla come with a cable - is that correct? I would ideally need about 6.5 meters length.

Also - will I have to have that extra switch (the second box in photo above) I see sometimes mounted on the wall? (no electric shower in house if that helps) thanks!

Gumbo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121492050#Comment_121492050

All teslas come with a Type 2 cable. I got a 7.5m one.

With both of the above, you’d need the cable.

You don’t need to install before 31st Dec, just get approved for the grant (which is automated online).

Yes you’ll have the isolator switch. It’s mandatory and has to be within 2m (I think) of the chargepoint.

ozmo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121492110#Comment_121492110

Thanks- was that extra for the longer cable? Tesla.ie site is not clear but says it comes with 6m “mobile” cable?

so if i get that eo offer - thats ill i need? Tesla will connect straight to it? That correct? Thanks- just confused with mentions of teslas not coming with cables anymore (

https://www.autoblog.com/amp/2022/04/18/tesla-charging-cable-costs-extra/?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAE5AoK0G4iI7bg3QtAEVf8RBt07kTctGybgURTOZVwmftZaa0RrvF8Ej53wmP2Vr_-bdNvEJRPhYCTGgMx3UlxC-2xX3k39bdKiUKu9rEo3XYjbarZb4VAS8Tev1Xyu6kTt2TzcxUU4DW2E85scM2bie7cfcN0eLO-CcXtQyGdH_

link)

Gumbo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121492185#Comment_121492185

That’s the granny charger.

You also get the Type 2 cable. Not sure on length though.

CivilEx

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121492050#Comment_121492050

I'm curious as to why you have decided to go for an untethered charger? There have been lots of people posting on this forum who have realised that having to dig a cable out of your frunk in the pouring rain when charging at home gets old fairly quickly...

Gumbo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121492244#Comment_121492244

And loads that realised that untethered works better depending on circumstances. The same rain will get you wet going to the tethered charger, unwinding the cable from around the charger and plugging in. I've had both and no real difference between the 2 IMO.

I have a spare cable, from buying and selling EV's over years, actually have a few, but that's beside the point.

I got untethered Zappi as I can then park both cars in the garden, and the cable can reach them without moving either car. I could also do that with the Tesla Charger as that had a 7.5m tethered cable.

Untethered can look neater and more discrete, especially if they are on the front of your property exposed and visible.

Go with what works best for you.

Cyrus

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121492244#Comment_121492244

For most people it’s once a week, doesn’t rain that much and untethered is a lot neater

CivilEx

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121492422#Comment_121492422

Gumbo, I think the question was posed in the context that the charger is not yet installed and advice was being sought on options....

How can this person go with what works best for them if they don't yet know what will work best?

Gumbo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121492546#Comment_121492546

That’s what they need to figure out I suppose.

ozmo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121492244#Comment_121492244

Its going on the very front of the house- no other placement options. Id rather a simple box than cable coiled up.

be nice to be 6.5m so i have option of not having to always reverse in- which can sometimes be challenging depending on how people park on my road.

CivilEx

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121492869#Comment_121492869

The main suggestion I have is to make sure you are there on the day of installation to make sure the placement of the charger and isolation switch are where you want them.

If you look at the photo I posted earlier, you'll see that there is no cable showing between the isolator and the Zappi, as I asked the electricians to do that wiring in my garage and feed it through the wall twice.

If you aren't there on the day, they are quite likely to surface mount all the cables, which you might not want at the front of the house. There are lots of options for hiding cables within trunking on the inside walls too.

youcancallmeal

I got the EO Mini Pro 2 installed by Fokearn yesterday. They came straight from the meter box as the location of the fuse board in my house would mean having to drill through several walls. Externally on the front of my house is a 40a circuit breaker, isolator switch and then the mini pro itself. The job is neat enough and I've no complaints.

One thing that really put my off going for a tethered unit is when I was out trick or treating with the kids it was crazy the amount of houses I saw with tethered charging cables strewn messily about driveways. I guess they can be neatly wrapped around the charging unit but seems like most people don't bother. The little bit of OCD in me would be driven mad by this. I think if you were going for a EV electricty plan and needed to have the car plugged in every night to avail of the cheap rate then tethered would make more sense.