Florida Power & Light, commonly known as FPL, has a deal for EV drivers that sounds rather tempting. For just $38 a month, it will install an EV charger at your home and provide unlimited off-peak electricity to charge your car for one low fee. The price includes the cost of the charger, the cost of installation, plus all engineering and permitting costs.
Are there caveats, exclusions, and exceptions? Sure there are. For one thing, to participate in the offer, customers must agree to participate in the program for 10 years. By lightning-like calculation (assisted by my Radio Shack calculator), that means the total cost for an individual will be $4,560. However, if you tend to haunt the reddit EV forum, you will see many reports of people spending $2500 or more to have an electrician install a charger for them. [The scuttlebutt is that some electricians charge a premium for an EV charger installation, but if you tell them the new circuit is for a welder, the price will be cut in half.]
The program is called EVolution Home and it will be available beginning this summer. It applies only to people who own a single family home or townhouse with an attached garage with wifi access near the charger, so that leaves out a lot of Florida residents who live in condominium communities. But let’s focus here on the benefits, not the drawbacks.
FPL says on its website, “With the new FPL EVolution Home — a residential charging program — we will permit, install and maintain a Level 2 charger and the required 240 volt circuit in your garage for a faster and convenient charging experience. There is no upfront cost for equipment or installation. Just plug in and forget it — chargers will be programmed to automatically start charging so you can enjoy the benefits of unlimited weeknights and weekend off-peak charging, all for one low monthly cost.”
If you meet the requirements of the program, this is a sweet deal.
Image credit: FPL
Customers can choose from 2 different plans. If you already have a 240 volt outlet in your garage, the rate is just $31 a month. At the end of the program, the customer gets to keep the EV charger. The company says driving an EV can save over $500 a year in fuel costs, so the EVolution Home program could actually pay for itself and put money back in the customer’s pocket in some cases.
EV charging is simple, cost effective, clean, and convenient, particularly when you are plugged in at home and charging your car while you sleep, FPL says. EVolution Home participants will need to complete a 3-step enrollment and installation process:
1. Confirm eligibility with a brief questionnaire, and accept the program’s price, terms and conditions
2. Complete the home electrical survey to begin the installation and permitting process (if required)
3. A qualified electrician from our trusted network will contact you about next steps and scheduling the installation
Each month, a fixed program charge and off-peak charge, for unlimited weeknights and weekends, will be added to your monthly FPL bill. On-peak rates will apply when charging outside of off peak periods. Here’s the best part. FPL says EVolution Home customers will be charging their electric cars with 100% renewable energy, further reducing their carbon footprint while they drive.
Will there be exceptions, limitations, and restrictions? Sure there will. For instance, what about the person who owns a house that has only 60 amp service? Is FPL going to pay for an expensive electrical upgrade? Maybe not. Contact the company for more details and answers to your specific questions. For those lucky owners who qualify for the EVolution Home program, this may be the best thing to come along since the invention of sliced bread.
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