Home recharging: a profitable solution for professionals?

Equip your employees with a home charging station or a connected connected cable are solutions increasingly adopted by companies electrifying their fleets. But is this installation really cost-effective for professionals? Between the initial cost, fuel savings, financial aid and the payback period, several factors come into play. Compared to public charging points or fast-charging stations, does home charging offer a real economic advantage? Here's what you need to know to adopt the best charging solution, while saving money at the same time.

How much does it cost to install a home charging station?

Installing a home charging station represents an initial investment that depends on several factors: the power of the station, the complexity of the electrical work and the choice of installer. For a fleet manager wishing to equip his employees, it is crucial to anticipate these costs in order to assess the profitability of the solution.

Average cost of bollard and installation

The cost of a charging station depends mainly on its power and the type of installation. Here's an overview of prices in 2025:

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👉 A 7.4 kW terminal is generally the most popular choice for a company electric car, offering a balance between cost and recharging speed.

Electrical work and related costs

L’installation d’une borne de recharge nécessite parfois des travaux électriques complémentaires, notamment si le tableau électrique du domicile doit être renforcé. Voici les coûts supplémentaires à prévoir :

• Addition of a dedicated circuit breaker: between €100 and €300.
• Cable pulling (depending on distance): between €200 and €1,000.
• Upgrading the electrical panel between €500 and €1,500.

👉 F or a standard installation, the average budget is between €1,500 and €3,000, before deducting financial aid.

Aids and subsidies available

Fortunately, there are a number of financial schemes that can significantly reduce the initial investment:

• ADVENIR subsidy: up to 50% of installation costs, with a ceiling of €960 per terminal.
• Tax credit: up to €500 reduction for the purchase and installation of a charging station.
• Local and regional subsidies: some local authorities finance up to €1,500 per terminal.

👉 By combining these aids, the real cost of an installation can be halved or even more.

Once installed, it remains to be seen whether home charging will deliver real savings over the long term compared with other solutions.

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Connected cable: a cost-effective alternative to wall terminals

For fleet managers, reducing the cost of installing home charging stations is a major challenge. Connected cables offer a much more economical alternative to wall-mounted charging stations, thanks in particular to the absence of installation and de-installation costs.

Lower acquisition costs

Unlike wall-mounted terminals, which require an investment of up to €2,500 after installation, a connected cable costs between €500 and €1,500 on average. This price difference can be explained by several factors:

• No installation work: no complex wiring, electrical panel upgrades or wall drilling.
• Pas de coût de main-d'œuvre : contrairement à l’installation d’une borne murale qui requiert un électricien IRVE, facturant entre 500 € et 1 500 € selon la configuration électrique du logement.

👉 With an initial cost up to 3 times lower than that of a wall-mounted terminal, connected cable enables businesses to make significant savings.

Zero installation and uninstallation costs

One of the main disadvantages of wall-mounted terminals is that they are fixed and difficult to move. In the event of employee relocation or turnover, the company must take charge of :

• Bollard removal: ~€200 to €500
• A new installation in the next employee's home: ~€1,000 to €2,500

With a connected cable, these costs disappear completely: 

• It can be returned to the company when the employee leaves .
• It can be assigned to a new employee immediately, without delay or additional cost.
• It fits into any household socket and can be used in a variety of environments (home, office, travel).

👉 The absence of dismantling and reinstallation costs represents an additional saving of several hundred euros per employee.

Why choose a connected cable for home recharging?

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The connected cable therefore represents a much more economical solution for companies wishing to equip their employees with home charging. Thanks to its low price, no installation or dismantling costs, and simplified reuse, it enables fleet managers to cut costs considerably, while guaranteeing efficient recharging of electric vehicles.

Home charging vs. public charging: which is more cost-effective?

Pour un gestionnaire de flotte, la rentabilité d’une borne de recharge à domicile se mesure en comparant son coût d’exploitation avec celui des bornes publiques et des stations de recharge rapide. En plus du prix de l’électricité, il faut prendre en compte des facteurs comme le temps passé à recharger et les frais supplémentaires liés aux bornes publiques.

Charging cost comparison

The cost per kWh varies greatly depending on the type of recharge:

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👉 Charging an electric vehicle at home costs up to 6 times less than at a rapid charging station.

On average, an employee travelling 20,000 km per year with a company electric vehicle will spend :

• 408 per year with a home terminal (off-peak hours).
• 850 to €1,700 per year on public terminals.
• 1,700 to €2,700 per year on fast terminals.

Time and flexibility: a plus for home recharging

In addition to financial savings, home recharging saves time and offers greater flexibility. Unlike public charging stations, there's no need to wait for a charging point to become available, or waste time looking for a compatible station.

👉 An employee equipped with a terminal gains autonomy and can optimize his work schedule.

How long does it take to make a home terminal profitable?

Depending on the financial aid available and the savings made on recharging, the return on investment for a home terminal can be calculated as follows:

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👉 A charging station becomes profitable in less than 3 years, a timeframe that can be further reduced with options likesolar self-consumption.

Fleet managers also need to take into account the value of their property, as an installed terminal increases the value of a home- an interesting argument for employee homeowners.

How to maximize the profitability of a home charging station?

While the installation of a home charging station is already an economically advantageous solution, there are several levers that can be used to further optimize its profitability. From intelligent charging management to integration with energy contracts and self-generation via solar panels, companies and fleet managers can go even further in reducing costs.

Take advantage of off-peak times to reduce electricity costs

Off-peak rates halve the cost per kWh compared with peak hours. Employees equipped with a connected charging station can program their recharges to take advantage of the most advantageous rate.

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👉 Potential savings: up to €200 a year on a company vehicle's recharge.

Some energy suppliers even offer special tariffs for electric vehicles, with extended off-peak hours at night.

Couple the terminal with solar panels for virtually free charging

Installing a home charging station to complement solar panels means you can use self-generated electricity to recharge your electric vehicle.

Solar recharging can reduce energy costs by more than 70%, and provide energy autonomy for company vehicles.

What's more, the installation of solar panels benefits from subsidies, which further reduce the investment cost.

Opt to rent a terminal rather than buy one

Rather than buying a charging station, some companies choose to lease the equipment for their employees. Rental of a charging station generally includes :

• Installation and maintenance.
• Remote control of consumption.
• Breakdown support.

👉 Average rental price: €20 to €40/month, i.e. a solution with no initial investment for the company.

This alternative makes it possible toquickly equip employees without incurring major costs, while guaranteeing optimized management of the recharging infrastructure.

Share terminals between several employees

In certain situations (e.g. condominiums or close housing), it may be worthwhile to share a charging station between several employees. A shared charging station reduces installation costs and optimizes the use of recharging infrastructures.

👉 A terminal shared between two users can halve the initial cost and improve its amortization rate.

By combining these different strategies, home recharging becomes not only profitable, but also a lever for financial optimization for fleet managers. But faced with these economic arguments, one final question remains: is home charging the best solution for all professionals?

Is home recharging suitable for all professionals?

While home recharging offers financial and practical advantages, it is not always the ideal solution for all employees. A number of factors need to be taken into account to determine whether this option is viable and cost-effective, depending on the employee's profile and the company's needs.

Housing type: a decisive criterion

Installing a charging station is simpler for employees in single-family homes, but can pose constraints in condominiums or rental accommodation.

• Single-family homes ✅ easy to install, eligible for subsidies.
• Co-ownership ⚠️: you need to obtain approval from the syndic and install an individual or collective charging point. Deadlines may be longer.
• Rental ❌ : depends on the owner's agreement, in case of refusal, the bollard cannot be installed.

👉 An employee renting an apartment will find it more difficult to benefit from a private recharging point, and will have to give preference to recharging at the workplace or at a public recharging point.

Travel habits: a key factor

Not all employees have the same electrical autonomy requirements. For a charging station to be truly cost-effective, you need to analyze :

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👉 The more an employee drives, the faster the investment in a home charging station pays for itself. For occasional use, the installation of a charging station may be less cost-effective than privileged access to public charging stations at the company.

3. Home vs. business recharging: which option is better?

Companies may hesitate between financing the installation of home charging stations or developing on-site charging infrastructures. Each solution has its advantages:

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👉 F or companies with a large fleet, a hybrid approach combining home charging and in-house charging is the most effective.

Verdict: home recharging, proven profitable for professionals?

✅ Profitability guaranteed: With installation costs reduced by subsidies and savings on the price per kWh, a home charging station pays for itself in 2 to 4 years.
✅ Ideal solution for employees living in single-family homes and driving more than 15,000 km/year.
✅ Up to 6 times cheaper than recharging at public rapid charging stations.
✅ Possibility of optimizing costs with solar, off-peak recharging and shared charging stations.
⚠️ Less suitable for tenants or employees who drive very little.

For fleet managers, equipping employees with home charging stations is a winning strategy for optimizing the costs of electric mobility. To simplify this transition, experts like Bump support companies in the installation and management of charging stations to guarantee a rapid return on investment and smooth adoption by employees.

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