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Home EV charger: where to start

Four questions to settle before buying anything: capacity, location, model and rebate. In that order, and no other.

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By the master electricians of STM-ÉlectriqueRBQ licence 5815-0137-01Sources checked on September 11, 2026

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In short

Capacity first, the charger second. The reverse is the most common mistake.

Since 2026, the charger’s load must be included in the load calculation.
The location decides a good part of the bill, more than the brand.
The rebate covers the charger, not the electrical work upstream.
Charging on an ordinary outlet is still possible — it’s just very slow.

Jump to a section6

First: can your installation take it
Where to put it
Which model
What it costs and what you get back
The order to follow
Frequently asked questions

First: can your installation take it

The natural sequence, when you buy an electric vehicle, is to choose the charger first. It’s the visible part, the one with colours and an app.

It’s also the wrong sequence. What decides everything is what your house can absorb — and that’s determined before, not after unpacking the charger.

A Level 2 charger requires a dedicated 240 volt circuit, generally sized between 30 and 48 amps. It’s the heaviest addition a homeowner voluntarily makes to their installation.

Since 2026, this load must be included in the load calculation that determines whether your service is enough. It isn’t a cautious electrician’s precaution: it’s what the Code requires.

The calculation gives three outcomes:

Outcome	What it means	How often
It fits as is	We install, period	The most common case on a 200 amp service
It fits with load management	A controller keeps two large loads from running together	Common on a 100 amp service
Capacity has to go up	A second job, to budget separately	Rarer than people fear

Our guides on the 200 amp panel and the 100 amp panel explain in detail what tips an installation one way or the other. If you want an idea before even calling us, start there.

Where to put it

Three criteria, in this order of importance.

The distance to the panel. It’s the first price factor. Every metre means cable, conduit and time. A charger mounted on the wall just on the other side of the panel costs noticeably less than the same charger fifteen metres away.

The side where you park. A charger’s cable has a fixed length. It has to reach the vehicle’s port without crossing the driveway, and without depending on which way you park.

Indoors or outdoors. Both can be done. An outdoor charger requires a model designed for it, a suitable housing and a protected route. In a garage, it’s simpler — but think about the height and what gets stored in front of it.

Which model

Two things to settle here, and only one is a real technical choice.

The amperage. It’s dictated by the load calculation, not by what you’d like. There’s no point buying a 48 amp charger if your installation can only supply 32: you’d have paid more for a charger held back.

Connectivity. It’s no longer an optional comfort: since April 1, 2026, only connected chargers qualify for the rebate, and the model must be on the program’s official list. A non-connected charger is $600 left on the table.

The rest — the brand, the app, the colour — is chosen afterwards. We cover it in our guide which home EV charger to choose.

What it costs and what you get back

At STM-Électrique, the price of an installed FLO charger on a single-family home, charger included, is in the written quote, free of charge.

The Écorecharge rebate is $600, flat, on the price of the charger only: the installation isn’t eligible. You apply after the work, with the invoices — it isn’t deducted from what you pay.

And what it doesn’t cover, you need to know in advance: no panel or service upgrade, no trench to a detached garage, no taxes. If the load calculation says capacity has to go up, that expense is entirely yours.

At the stage of asking for prices?

We look, we price it, and the price is written down before anything begins.

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The order to follow, step by step

#	Step	Who handles it
1	Load calculation and visit	The electrician
2	Choosing the location	You, with the electrician
3	Choosing the model, checked against the program’s list	You
4	Written quote	The electrician
5	Municipal permit	The electrician
6	Installation, half a day	The electrician
7	Rebate application	You, with our invoices

The classic mistake is doing step 3 before step 1. The charger arrives, and you find out the panel has to be dealt with first — or that it isn’t on the program’s list.

Frequently asked questions

Can I charge on an ordinary outlet?

Yes, with the cable supplied with the vehicle, on a 120 V outlet. It works, it’s just very slow: an ordinary outlet supplies a fraction of the power of a Level 2 charger. For many people who don’t drive much, it’s enough for a while. For normal daily use, no.

Is a 200 amp service absolutely needed?

No, and it’s a stubborn misconception. Many houses with 100 amps get a charger, sometimes with load management. The load calculation decides, not the number on the main breaker.

Indoors or outdoors?

Both can be done. The garage is simpler and protects the charger. Outdoors requires a model designed for it and a protected route, but it’s perfectly common in Québec. What matters is that the cable reaches the vehicle’s port where you really park.

How long for a full charge?

It depends on the battery’s capacity, its level at the start and what the vehicle accepts. The order of magnitude that matters: a Level 2 charger recharges overnight what an ordinary outlet would take several days to do.

What if I move?

A charger can be taken down and reinstalled. But apply for the rebate before you leave: at the time of the application, the charger must be installed at your home and you must own the vehicle.

Do I need to notify Hydro-Québec?

For a charger alone on an existing service, no. If the work involves modifying the service — a service upgrade, for example — the contractor takes care of it. You never have a call to make.

What if I have two electric vehicles?

Two chargers at full power weigh heavily, especially in a house heated with electricity. The usual solution is load sharing: the two chargers divide the available power instead of both drawing at full power at the same time. It very often avoids an upgrade.

A charger at home?

We start with the load calculation. If your installation fits as is, we’ll tell you — and if it doesn’t, you’ll know before you’ve bought anything.

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Sources

The figures and requirements cited in this guide come from the official pages below, consulted on September 11, 2026. Programs change: check the page’s update date before committing to any expense.