Customer Stories: Why Martin Chose Smart Home Charge and Easee

Martin Duggan confidently transitioned to electric driving with the BMW i4 M50 and Easee One charger.

From researching the perfect setup to seamless installation with Smart Home Charge, Martin shares his straightforward, stress-free EV journey.

Why did you choose the BMW i4 M50?

I had a car allowance but wanted to swap back to the company car scheme.

The scheme was very electric vehicle focussed, but I had no concerns about switching to an EV for the first time.

I’ve had electric motorbikes as well as BMWs for many years.

There weren’t any i4s in the UK at the time when I put in the order but I had complete confidence that BMW was going to deliver.

The i4 is definitely the best car I’ve ever had.

It’s the ideal mix of performance and range, which are both really important to me.

What made you get a home charger installed?

I wouldn’t have got an EV if I couldn’t charge it at home.

I still don’t think the infrastructure is at the place to the point where I would be OK with charging it publicly.

I’ve only had to charge it on the public network a couple of times while we were away on holiday.

What made you choose the Easee One?

I didn’t want a tethered option. I feel like they can look a bit scruffy with the cable wrapped up and my charger is right on the front of the house.

I wanted it to look sleek and modern. The Easee One ticked every box.

How have you found using the charger overall?

It’s so simple it’s unbelievable.

I’m in a quite weak area for mobile connectivity so it was important that I could connect through WiFi.

The schedule I’ve been leaving in place for off-peak charging is working well, but I can also interrupt that schedule and “bump charge” if I need to for a bigger trip. The app and the charger are so easy to use, I think even my parents could use it if they had to!

Did you initially find the world of EV charging at home confusing?

I’d driven electric bikes so I was quite familiar with elements of EV ownership before getting the i4.

There were a lot of options in terms of companies and chargers. I probably spent more time looking at chargers than I did at the car!

How have you found the running costs now you’re set up to charge from home?

I’ve been charging overnight with Octopus for off-peak charging rates. It’s been really straightforward.

How did you find Smart Home Charge?

I had shortlisted Smart Home Charge from my own research online, but my colleague had actually used the company before and so that recommendation was worth a lot in terms of solidifying my decision.

I felt confident the company would deliver what I needed.

How was your experience when browsing our website?

All the tools were really easy to use.

There’s a great selection of chargers available and I used the charge point comparison tool to refine my choice.

How did you get on with the online site survey?

It’s really straightforward.

I like the idea that I can go through myself for the survey using my phone.

It’s good that you’re not having to get someone out to do a visit in person and make an unnecessary trip that can be sorted out remotely.

Everything was decided ahead of time, so the installation was pretty straightforward.

We knew from that survey that we’d need a bit of extra cabling to run from the fuse box and the garage to the front of the house.

That was all reflected in the price and there were no surprises on the day.

How would you rate your installer?

Very professional. He didn’t really need a huge amount of input from me to be honest.

Did the installer go the extra mile?

I didn’t have the car at the time, but the installer had a testing unit there with him to help set up the charger and the app.

When the BMW did arrive I just plugged it in and it worked with the Easee One first time with no issues.

What would you say to someone who is considering Smart Home Charge?

They’re tried and tested. The whole process is very simple and efficient.