Charging your car at home: a practical guide for e-drivers
What do you need to do to charge your electric car if you live in an apartment building? How to get tax relief and how much does electricity cost? Here are the answers.
Over the course of the day, drivers can ‘refuel’ their electric cars at public charging stations or at private stations for public use (in shopping centres, hotels, etc).
But what are the options for domestic charging, using power from your own home? Installing a charging point in an independent house is simple and immediate, but when it comes to apartment buildings there are different possible scenarios. Motus-E analysed several situations, creating a guide with practical information for those looking to buy a zero-emissions car.
Garage or private space

If you have a garage or a private space, two different options could be available depending on the way power is supplied. You can install an electricity meter registered under a single tenant: in this case you need to submit a written notification to the apartment building’s administrator. Since no specific authorisation is required, their role is limited to acknowledging your decision. Obviously the work must be carried out according to regulations.
If, however, you use a connection from the apartment block’s power line, the administrator is required to employ a technician in order to carry out all the necessary checks. Upon completion, the administrator will need to establish the cost and the share of the total to be paid. A power consumption meter will then be installed on the junction box of the private electric line, to charge the costs to the individual residence using it.
Shared space
A charging point can also be placed in an apartment building’s shared space. In this case a written request presented to the administration will need to be accompanied by a detailed design that will then require the authorisation by members of the apartment building’s assembly.
As charging points are considered a “preferential innovation”, the assembly has to meet its quorum for resolution to approve it: in other words, the majority of participants, whose share represents at least half of the building’s value. In any case, those residences who don’t intend to use the charging point are not required to make any contribution to its cost. However, even residences that did not initially contribute to the installation expenses can subsequently change their mind and decide to use the charging point, paying what is owed, and therefore contributing to maintenance and running costs, set at their current value.
Shared asset
If the whole apartment building agrees on the installation, it becomes a shared asset belonging to the building. Otherwise, even if the building’s assembly has approved the installation, the charging points are owned only by those tenants who contributed to the installation costs. In the latter case, all purchase and installation costs (including the building works) will be paid for by the individual tenant or by the group of tenants concerned.
If the assembly says no
If the apartment building assembly does not give its authorisation within three months of the written request, the individual tenant (or group of tenants) can go ahead and install the equipment at its own expense, as long as the new system does not damage common areas, alter the safety or the appearance of the building, or present any obstacle to the use of common areas by other owners. In the latter case, the area where the charging point is installed can not be reserved for the exclusive use of owners of electric cars.
Tax relief

The Italian government has introduced a tax deduction of 50% until 31 December 2021 on expenses incurred for the purchase and installation of electric charging infrastructure, including the costs of applying for additional power up to a maximum of 7 kW (par. 1039, art. 1 of the 2019 Budget Law).
The deduction is calculated on expenditure up to a total amount of maximum € 3,000, meaning that the tax deduction can be as high as € 1,500 euros, to be divided among those entitled to it. In order to receive the deduction, the infrastructure must be equipped with at least one standard-power charging point not accessible to the public.
How much does it cost to recharge your car at home?
The average reported cost of electric power used in a domestic setting in Italy in 2019 was between € 0.16 and € 0.22 per kWh. A quick calculation shows that “filling up” an electric car with a 50 kWh battery pack on a private basis costs between € 8 and € 11.
Assuming an average consumption of around 6 km per kWh, the cost of driving 100 km comes to between € 2.70 and € 3.70. If a photovoltaic system is available, to which the charging point can be connected, it becomes even cheaper.
New buildings
Finally, some information not everyone may be aware of: Italian Legislative Decree no. 257/2016 made it compulsory to prearrange the installation of charging points for electric vehicles in new homes. The obligation applies to newly constructed buildings (or those subject to major renovations) with at least 10 residential units.
Source: MOTUS-E