Best Uk home charging point supplier
- Thread starter RCZWhite
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bishbosh
Well-known member
RCZWhite said:
I went with British Gas and have just been called today by Amy. Made contact about two weeks ago through their website, like you I wasn't holding out much hope so nice suprise today.
Keep calm I'm sure they will be in touch....
I was given three choices all with free survey and install on the same day. If it cant be installed on the same day due to requiring additional work they would come back, or if it couldn't be done then I would be refunded any costs that I'd paid if any.
First choice was normal 16amp charger all free
Second choice 32amp charger at aditional £99 cost or
Third choice was to have a 32amp charger thar would be compatible/ future proof for any EV at £125
I went for the third option and its being done on 4th July, coukd have been sooner but I wasn't ready for it beforehand.
jadnashuanh
Well-known member
FWIW, a 30A and a 32A may in fact charge at the same rate...depends on how they are actually rated. Just like it will depend somewhat on what your mains voltage is from nominal. In the USA, the max charge is 30A, with the same batteries, the way things are rated, they call them 32A units in Europe. If your mains voltage is 220vac verses say 250vac, that could account for the difference regardless of what they call it, and it will certainly be faster than the supplied cord (more so in the USA with 120vac verses 240vac in Europe). The charge point announces the max amount it can supply, and the actual charge rate is determined by the car, and that can be adjusted from the car's menu in case you cannot support the max for some reason. IOW, the car could ask for 30A, but the same unit may only be able to supply 20A. Or, you could tell the car to only ask for 20A, regardless of what the charge point can supply. That might be useful if you were using PV panels to charge things and didn't want to pull from the mains.
Gonville
Well-known member
bishbosh said:
I had BG. They use a subsidiary called PH Jones I think. I posted some pics in another thread. They did good job.
Won't wire it to consumer unit. They like to put it all on the meter board. Some comments that they won't do it unless you have a 100amp isolator switch already. Some have had this installed by their distributor (for £35?) southwest?
The guys who do the work are independent freelancers who are paid a set rate by BG. They are on a pretty mean rate for the work so I guess the work could be variable.
I am not aware of the third option. That sounds like the socketed version? That is really taking the mickey if they have decided to charge extra for that as it is minus the cable. Shocking.
I think the 32amp is the rating of the supply cable. It's the only difference the guy told me. In that he fits the higher spec cable if people pay the £95. It's pretty thick with armoured sleeve which he earths at one end. So I don't think it's anything to do with voltages just the UK regulations for cable safety. He said the cable would probably take 40amps anyway but the breaker protects it. I think he fits a different circuit breaker. I thought that was 30amp. Will check tomorrow. Incidentally they didn't invoice me for that yet.
(£165 from BMW for type 2 connector )
FrancisJeffries
Well-known member
I used ChargeMaster and they fit Polar chargers. (I got in before the UK Government stopped the subsidy for the units 
)
The choices were a free 16-Amp unit or a 30-Amp unit for £95. The 16-Amp unit has a 13-Amp 3-pin socket so you can plug in the i3's supplied mains charger. It may or may not actually draw 16 Amps during charging, but I suspect it'll be less than 13-Amps, because the i3 charger limits the current on a normal mains outlet, which is not rated for 13 Amps continuous load.
I chose a 30-Amp unit, and there were two options at the same price. Either tethered (an attached Type 2 cable, which is OK for the i3 and some other EVs) or socketed, which is universal. The drawback to the latter option is that I'll also have to buy a Type 2 charger cable (£165 from BMW ), but it's future-proofing because the socket is the same as is fitted to public fast (not rapid) charging points for all EVs and you need a cable to use them.
They like to connect the 30-Amp unit to a separate RCB circuit in the consumer unit, and I was lucky to have a spare they could use. They supplied the 32-Amp Circuit breaker and didn't charge, but I'm not sure that is always the case if there isn't a 32-Amp breaker present. But the guy was really helpful, fitted the box where I wanted it, did a really neat job, and it was all fixed up within a week of first calling them.
I unreservedly recommend them.
)The choices were a free 16-Amp unit or a 30-Amp unit for £95. The 16-Amp unit has a 13-Amp 3-pin socket so you can plug in the i3's supplied mains charger. It may or may not actually draw 16 Amps during charging, but I suspect it'll be less than 13-Amps, because the i3 charger limits the current on a normal mains outlet, which is not rated for 13 Amps continuous load.
I chose a 30-Amp unit, and there were two options at the same price. Either tethered (an attached Type 2 cable, which is OK for the i3 and some other EVs) or socketed, which is universal. The drawback to the latter option is that I'll also have to buy a Type 2 charger cable (£165 from BMW
), but it's future-proofing because the socket is the same as is fitted to public fast (not rapid) charging points for all EVs and you need a cable to use them.They like to connect the 30-Amp unit to a separate RCB circuit in the consumer unit, and I was lucky to have a spare they could use. They supplied the 32-Amp Circuit breaker and didn't charge, but I'm not sure that is always the case if there isn't a 32-Amp breaker present. But the guy was really helpful, fitted the box where I wanted it, did a really neat job, and it was all fixed up within a week of first calling them.
I unreservedly recommend them.
MikeS
Well-known member
You may find this thread useful - http://www.mybmwi3.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=612&hilit=+lessons+identified
Gonville
Well-known member
MikeS said:
Also here has my pictures and the following has the 100amp isolator discussion. Can't believe I have managed to spread this over four threads. :shock:
http://www.mybmwi3.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=1056
http://www.mybmwi3.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=678&hilit=British+gas
...and this is what it looks like...
Gonville
Well-known member
This is the other end. The "blue python" at rest.
sithsmith23
Active member
Has anyone gone for BMW charger & their install costs? I had my quote in today..after survey - of course I'm a non-standard so total cost is going to £574 (£315 is std cost from BMW/Schneider)...so extra £260. I will get a 2nd opinion from Chargemaster.....
I get the feeling no one is going for BMW when you can get the same thing Free or circa £100 for 32a from other sources
Any help/guidance would be appreciated from people who have had 'non standard' installs and had to pay extra (either through BMW or other company)
thanks
I get the feeling no one is going for BMW when you can get the same thing Free or circa £100 for 32a from other sources
Any help/guidance would be appreciated from people who have had 'non standard' installs and had to pay extra (either through BMW or other company)
thanks
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