Plugging in an electric car at home sounds simple. The wiring behind the wall is where it gets interesting. We'll tell you exactly what your home can handle, what it might cost, and whether to wire for what's coming next.
Most home chargers are one of two types. The numbers below assume an average mid-size EV. Your car may charge a bit faster or slower, but the gap between Level 1 and Level 2 stays roughly the same.
Plugs into a regular wall outlet. No install needed.
Dedicated 240-volt circuit. The standard home setup.
A Level 2 charger is one of the biggest loads in most houses. Whether it drops in cleanly or triggers a panel upgrade depends on five things — and we walk through all of them on a screenshare before anyone climbs a ladder.
Book a remote consult →Most home EV charger projects land in one of these buckets. The variable is almost always the wiring run and whether the panel needs work.
the NEMA 14-50 plug allows you to plug and unplug your car charger to change models or install in conjunction with other projects to prepare for a future EV.
A dedicated circuit for your EV. There is a range of product options and architectures to choose from. Your home and use case will tell us what your best option is.
Pairing EV Charger installation with distribution panel upgrades, running new service lines, etc. Reach out for a custom quote.
Ranges include the charger, materials, labor, and permitting. They reflect actual pricing in the WattsUp service area. Your exact number depends on your panel, your run length, and your charger choice. We'll quote the real number on the consult.
A typical EV driver covers about 12,000 miles a year. At average efficiency, or roughly 3,600 kWh per year. Preparing for this load in advance can you help optimize your savings with both solar and EV.
Utilities allow a lot of ways to take advantage of EVs. Charging during specific hours or while solar is shining can supercharge your returns. Reach out if you want to understand how to optimize for the programs available at your home.
If you drive less than 30 miles on a typical day and you can leave the car plugged in most nights, Level 1 may be all you need. If you do longer days, run two EVs, or hate thinking about charging, Level 2 is the answer. The consult includes a five-minute look at your driving pattern so we can recommend the right one — not the more expensive one.
Most 200-amp services can. Most 100-amp services struggle, especially if you already have central air, electric water heating, or are planning a heat pump. We do a load calculation during the consult and tell you exactly where you stand — and what your options are if the panel is tight.
An easy install is one day, usually a half-day on site. A longer wiring run or a panel upgrade can stretch into a second day. We give you a real schedule before you sign anything, including how long the town will take to issue and inspect the permit.
A plug-in unit is portable and easy to swap, which is nice if you move or change cars. A hardwired unit supports higher amperage, looks cleaner on the wall, and is required in some setups. Neither is better — they fit different situations. We pick together on the consult.
There's no rule here. Some homeowners do the charger first because they need it for a new car. Others wait so the panel work, solar, and charger all happen in one trip. Either order can be the right one — it depends on your timeline, your panel, and what's already in place. That's the whole point of the consult: we map the sequence to your house.
Our primary area is a roughly 70-mile circle around Greater Boston, southern New Hampshire up to Concord, and southern Maine up to Portland. If you're outside that circle — Cape Cod, western Massachusetts, northern New England, Vermont — reach out anyway. We'll see if we can work with you. We install in MA, NH, VT, and ME.
It's a remote screenshare video call. You join from your laptop or phone, we share our screen, and we walk through your panel photos, your driving pattern, and the install options together. No one is at your house. Most calls run about 30 to 45 minutes. You leave with a real number and a recommendation in writing — no pressure, no countdown.
Book a remote consultation with one of our energy experts. It's a screenshare video call where we walk through the numbers together — your panel, your wiring run, and the right-sized charger for your home.
Book a remote consult →