Are cable covers essential for charging my EV at home?

With rapidly increasing numbers of electric vehicles (EVs) on our UK roads and a charging infrastructure not yet able to keep up, many are turning to home charging. 

In this instance, drivers are having to pass EV chargers from their home sockets through windows and run them across pavements to reach their cars, which as you will imagine, can cause trip and slip hazards for people using the areas near the car. 

In an attempt to make this safer and protect pedestrians, drivers are using, attention-grabbing cable covers to cover the Type 2 to 3-pin charging cables they lay across the pavement.

But are cable covers essential to charging safely using the domestic 3-pin electricity supply? 

The experts at EV Cable Shop are here to tell you everything you need to know. 

Is it legal to lay charging cables across pavements?

The legality of trailing EV charging cables across public pavements to recharge electric vehicles is, as of yet, not fully clear.  

When asked for comment, the Local Government Association (LGA) told the publication This is Money that there is ‘no legislation that it is aware of’ that makes laying charging cables across pavements illegal but that EV owners intending to charge this way should check with their local council for location-specific advice. 

They do advise, however, that drivers should always remove the cable when it is not in use as a way of reducing the likelihood of accidents and should use cable covers to further decrease the risk when in use.

Until charging infrastructure develops and gives EV owners without a driveway another option, many have no choice but to use Type 2 to 3-pin charging cables and lay them across public pavements. 

As such then, cable covers are probably the safest, most affordable solution until proper legislation comes into play. 

Benefits of cable covers

For the third of households in the UK that do not have off-street parking, cable covers are the go-to solution to trailing charging cables, thanks to their simplicity and affordability. 

A user-friendly alternative

The key benefit of cable covers is the ease of use. EV owners simply need to ensure that the whole of the cable is contained within the cable cover’s groove or channel and that it sits flush with the pavement. 

Cable covers are constructed from durable materials like rubber and often feature a striped design, to allow cable protectors to take the continued weight of footfall over many months without becoming damaged and can help catch the eye of pavement users – helping them to avoid the trip hazard. 

It can also stop animal interference, including chewing, tugging, and movement. Repeated exposure to such behaviours could move it out of place, potentially causing a hazard, while also damaging the cable and reducing its effectiveness.

To be effective and safe, cable covers shouldn’t:

• Be used on or around puddle-prone areas
• Allow cables to peek out from underneath
• Lie unevenly – if the cable cover is not flush with the ground it can become ineffective and dangerous
• Continue to be used if damaged

A cost-effective solution

Cable covers are an economical solution for electric car drivers due to their low cost. 

If you purchase a standard pavement protector, prices start at around £25.00 per meter, with heavy-duty models coming in at around £50.00 per meter- giving consumers plentiful options for every type of pavement. 

Use Type 2 to 3-pin charging cables for your electric car

As we wait for the charging infrastructure to rise alongside demand, there is no doubt that EV owners will continue to charge with their domestic energy supply using Type 2 to 3-pin charging cables. 

To do this safely, using simple and durable cable covers remain the most accessible option for many, and will likely continue to be popular long into the future.