Integrating an electric vehicle into a residential property involves far more than simply bolting a standard charger onto the garage wall. Without deliberate hardware coordination, an EV acts as a massive unmanaged electrical load that can easily disrupt your property's energy balance and force unexpected extra costs when buying power from the grid. When properly engineered alongside a high-capacity solar and storage array, your vehicle becomes an integrated component of a highly efficient domestic microgrid.
It allows for dynamic load balancing and scheduling to make sure your getting your EV charged as cheap as possibly
Relying on public EV charging infrastructure is an expensive operational model. Public rapid-charging stations throughout Western Australia typically cost between 50c and 60c per kilowatt-hour (kWh).When you bring that infrastructure home and pair it with a solar and batter system, the numbers change completely:
| Charging Option | Cost per kWh | Operational Context |
|---|---|---|
| Public Fast Charging | 50c – 60c/kWh | High-cost commercial chargers throughout WA |
| Midday Saver Off Peak | 8.85c/kWh | Best value using Super Off-Peak rates |
| EV Add-On Tariff (Night) Requires Midday Saver Tarif | 19.91c/kWh | Synergy dedicated overnight window (11:00 PM – 6:00 AM) |
| Home Plan A1 (Flat Rate) | 33.26c/kWh | Standard grid import tariff without load management |
Off Peak- (9am-3pm): Charging your vehicle at home during the day using your own rooftop solar generation or power purchased from the grid costs an equivalent of just 8.85c/kWh
Overnight EV addon Charging: Utilizing a dedicated overnight EV tariff window (such as the 19.91c/kWh EV Add-On rate between 11:00 PM and 6:00 AM) allows you to charge at a fraction of public infrastructure costs while you sleep.
To make use of the midday saver and ev addon tariffs it is important to note a home battery system is critical as a downside of the variable rate tariffs is the super peak 3pm-9pm of around 53c per kWh, a home battery needs to be big enough to get you through this period and avoid the high tariffs.
The ultimate step in energy efficiency involves utilizing a dedicated home battery system to act as a primary energy buffer. Instead of drawing power directly from the Western Power grid at night, a properly sized home battery allows you to store excess, cheap off-peak power captured during the day and transfer that energy directly to your vehicle as required overnight. This advanced configuration completely eliminates the need for high-cost grid imports during charging cycles, turning your home into a self-sustaining fuelling station.