Full electric and hybrid cars are becoming more common in Finland and around the world. More and more electric car owners purchase a charging point for a home or housing company, so that the car can be conveniently charged at night, for example. It is a good idea to compare different options and available solutions in advance.

Acquisition of a charging point is often done in cooperation with the customer, the electrician or contractor, and the representative of the electricity network. The work starts with a survey and an electrical plan by the electrician, after which calls for tenders are requested from electrical contractors. The electrician will help with issues such as electricity metering for electrical switchboards and electric car charging. For electricity connection issues, you can get support from your own electricity network company, which is Oulun Energia Sähköverkko Oy in Oulu’s city centre, as well as in the areas of Kiiminki, Ii’s Jakkukylä, and Yli-Ii.

The survey examines the conditions for installing the electric car charging point with the existing equipment

The acquisition of an electric car charging point often starts with a survey by an electrician, who examines the capacity of the property's current electrical equipment and what kind of charging points can be connected to it. The survey shows what possible changes may need to be made to the electrical equipment. In a detached house, the implementation of a charging point is usually effortless, as 1–2 charging points are enough. If you live in a housing company, you should start by contacting the building manager, who can identify charging options throughout the housing company.

The surveys are provided both by companies selling charging stations and by electricity planning and consultancy companies. In addition, a number of different manufacturers offer different types of charging devices. Please note that the device itself and its installation will be billed separately. Compare the charging devices for electric cars and tender the installation, if possible. The easiest way is to get both from the same service provider.

Changes to the electricity connection will be made by the network company

If the initial survey of a detached house shows that the fuse size needs to be increased, the network company will charge the difference between the connection fees of the new main fuse size and the current main fuse size. Housing companies may also consider acquiring a new connection, in which case a connection fee corresponding to the main fuse size of the connection will be paid to the network company.

If you are our customer and would like to find out the power of your current electricity connection, or the payment and schedule of the additional fee for upgrading your connection, please contact our technical support.

Select the charging device according to your needs

You should choose a charging device with dynamic load control. Dynamic load control measures the electricity consumption of a property or dwelling and adjusts the charging power of the electric vehicle so that the main fuses do not burn out. If there is more than one charging station, dynamic load control can adjust their charging power as appropriate. The power of the charging device depends on the need: a hybrid needs less power than a full electric car.

Once you have selected the installer of the charging device, let them know about your wishes regarding the location and use of the charger: will the charging point be put up on the garage wall or on a pole? Please note that the distance of the charging point from the main switchboard affects the cost of cabling.

How to purchase an electric car charging point

1. If, for example, a charging point is acquired for a housing company, which means that there are several locations on the connection, determine the power peak of the current electricity connection from your network company. An electrician or consultant can also do this for you. If you live in a detached house, for example, with a single place of use, you can see the details of your network in your network company or electricity sales company’s online system.
2. With the help of an electrician or consultant, find out what charging options you can choose from, and confirm the cost and schedule of the connection with your network company.
3. Order a new electrical connection or a change to your current connection from your network company, in accordance with the aforementioned survey.
4. The electrician will draw up an electrical plan.
5. The work will be put out to tender among electrical contractors.
6. When the construction of the site is sufficiently advanced, the electricity contractor will agree on a new electricity connection or the introduction of a change to the connection with the electricity network company.
7. And you’re done! The charging points are at your disposal.