Car charging points

Future-proof your property with a dedicated electric vehicle charge point. Power your future of emission-free driving from home – or find out where you can charge on-the-go!

Do you install electric car charging units? Let us know your details for the directory

Important

Register your Electric Car Charging Point

Thinking about installing a home charging point? This is a great idea for you and your home, and will affect the amount of electricity your property demands from the network. Therefore it’s important to inform Guernsey Electricity of your intentions. 

Click on one of the links below to register or apply

Up to 3.6kW charger

Most homes only need a charger up to 3.6kW. This means you just need to register your car charging point with Guernsey Electricity

Click to register →

Faster charging points

Depending on your lifestyle, you may need a faster charger. Guernsey Electricity will need to assess the network capacity serving your home which will require an Additional Load application.

Please be aware that although uncommon, these applications can sometimes be refused.

Apply for a New Supply →

Public charging

Local charge points are appearing in more and more public spaces to help more people keep their electric vehicles charged – especially if they can’t charge from home. 

Often these are Fast or Rapid chargers that feed a Direct Current (DC) directly into the car battery.

To find the closest charging point, the best option is to download an App for your smartphone or use a desktop map such as this provided by Zap Map. This will also help you find the public charging points  available if you take your car away on holiday. 

Home charging points

As driving electric becomes more mainstream, more and more people are choosing to have a home charging unit installed at their property.

A good option for most customers is a 3.6kW charger. This works by feeding an Alternating Current (AC) into the vehicle’s onboard charging system which then converts the AC to the DC needed for the battery.

These can be used during off-peak electricity periods such as overnight and will get your car ready for the week ahead. It’s simple to set the charging start time to coincide with your off-peak electricity rate using the car’s on-board charging timer. 

This charger point just needs a simple registration to Guernsey Electricity with no need to submit a request for additional electricity load.

In need of a faster charge? Some people use their car so regularly that they need it to be charged within a few hours. These chargers need an application to Guernsey Electricity to make sure there is enough capacity on the electricity network to support the higher electricity load a 7kW or larger charger needs.

How much will it cost you to drive electric?

Network infrastructure

Guernsey Electricity has been making substantial changes to meet the growing demand for electricity as more people switch to electrical solutions such as electric vehicles.  

Electricity substations and fusing points across the island are being replaced, upgraded and modernised. Where necessary, areas are also being supplemented with additional substations to make sure they’re ready to meet the future demand.

Charging speeds explained

Tip: the best time to charge an electric vehicle is between 11pm and 5am. Find out why

Faster car charging units place a big demand on your local electricity network as they need a lot of electricity to power up quickly. Rapid car chargers aren’t necessary for the majority of homes as most people choose to charge the car’s battery more slowly and cheaply during off-peak overnight tariffs.

Public chargers are usually Fast or Rapid chargers that provide a top-up to customers at a destination while you stop, eat or explore. Similar to a fuel tank, electric car batteries don’t need to be full and can be topped up while you’re busy doing something else.

Actual charging speeds will vary depending on the type of car you have, its age and the battery capacity.

Applications will need to be made to Guernsey Electricity for all property’s that request Fast or Rapid charging units.

For example, a 40kW battery with 30% charge will need 28kW of charging to reach full capacity. Remember that in Guernsey, most people will only need to fully charge their car once a week.

Will you need more electrical load to power your new car charging point?

The answer is likely to be yes.

This means an application must be sent to Guernsey Electricity to find out if the current network cables supplying your property have enough capacity to power your new product(s). 

However, if the charging point is 3.6kW or less, you will only need to register the installation with Guernsey Electricity. 

Often the easiest and cheapest option for a customer is to upgrade their electricity supply during a property renovation. If you think you’ll be using an electric vehicle in the future, it’s worth preparing your home in advance. 

What’s the best charger for my home?

The charging speed of your electric vehicle depends on the vehicle model and the type of charger you use. 

Home charging points

Many people use Home Charger points that are up to 3.6kW and can take around 8 hours on average to charge a vehicle.

This is usually done overnight during the off-peak electricity tariff and means a customer can charge their battery slowly, cheaply, and using 100% renewable electricity if charged between 11pm and 5am. 

Most drivers in Guernsey only need to charge once or maybe twice a week as our distances are so short. 

Simply register this home charger point with Guernsey Electricity and you’re ready to go!

Fast and Rapid Charging Points

If your lifestyle means you need your car to be charged at home more quickly, a Fast or Rapid Charger may be more suitable.

Important: please read before purchasing a Fast or Rapid charger

These are more expensive to have installed and will require an ‘additional load application’ to Guernsey electricity prior to the installation. These larger charging units will place a big demand on the network and Guernsey Electricity will need to assess the underground cable infrastructure around your property to make sure you’re able to get the power you need. 

 

How much does it cost to run an electric vehicle?

Electric vehicles are the cheapest vehicles to drive on our roads today.

Use this calculator to see for yourself 

I can’t have a home charging point at home. Where could I charge an electric vehicle?

If you have an electric vehicle, it’s definitely worth downloading a free App for your smartphone which will tell you where public charging points are located, if they’re available or in use, and how to charge your car. 

Zap Map provides an up-to-date map which is also available on your desktop.

Many of the local supermarkets, hotels and restaurants now also provide public charging for electric vehicles.

Does fast charging damage the car batteries?

If most charging is done at home using a 3.6kW home charger, the occasional fast charge in places such as supermarkets or motorway stations is unlikely to damage your battery. Most home chargers work together with vehicle’s onboard charging system converting an Alternating Current (AC) to DC.

Faster car charging units rely on DC (Direct Current) electricity to charge the car rapidly. Provided the DC charging is not the main source of your electric vehicle’s charging – which is unlikely for the average driver – it should have little impact on your battery’s lifespan.

If I take my electric car away, how can I be sure it’ll have enough charge?

It’s a common misconception is that electric vehicles will run out of charge quickly on longer journeys, often known as range anxiety. 

In the UK and Europe there are plenty of Fast and Rapid car charging points available. It’s always worth planning your journey ahead and finding charging stop-off points by using map software such as Zap Map. This will pinpoint where to find the closest charging point on your journey. 

Faster charging points available in many forecourts mean that you can stop for lunch on your journey and quickly charge your car. Some off-island forecourts now provide 350kW charging points which means subject to your car’s compatibility, you can be charged and ready to go within 20 minutes – just enough time for a coffee! 

Find your EV Charging Point Installer

It pays to plan ahead. Electrical installations are an investment and can take time to complete. Contact your preferred installer as early as possible for a quote and to find out what you need to do.

Find an installer