Electric Vehicle Charger Incentives

Although SHELD does not provide an EV charger, SHELD does offer a $300 rebate towards the purchase of a ChargePoint charger, if you also sign up for our Connected Homes Program. Learn more about this program by visiting this link, https://www.sheld.org/pages/forms/the-helps-connected-homes-program/ . Once you enroll in the Connected Home Program, SHELD will send an e-mail confirming that the rebate has been approved, and the $300 check will be issued.

Since EV charging can increase the load on the power grid, we encourage customers to charge at off-peak hours. The Connected Homes Program allows SHELD (through MMWEC) to reduce the charge rate at peak times. There is a $10 monthly incentive for each month you participate. In each month there is typically 3-5 days in which an event will occur for 3 hours between 4 PM and 7 PM. It is typically during the winter months. The Connected Homes incentive checks are mailed out quarterly.

It is required that you have a licensed contractor install the charger. The electrician will likely need to pull a permit from the Town Hall for the work, and the Wiring Inspector will need to approve it. No inspections are required from SHELD.

Typically, EV come with a Level 1 charger that can be plugged into a normal wall outlet. However, the charge rate is very low, and it will take a long time to charge your car. Most residential customers install a Level 2 charger that will be connected at 240 volts, and usually on a 40 amp breaker.

Many of the EV charger manufacturers highlight a Federal tax credit of 30% of the cost up to $1000 for the purchase and installation of a home EV charger. Below is additional information on this topic. As always, we recommend that you consult with your tax advisor to verify eligibility.

EV Charging 101 (PDF)
Enel-X-Smart-Charging-for-Dummies – Smart Charging 101
South Hadley 3 Reason – 3 Reasons to Enroll in Connected Homes
IRS 8911 – Federal Tax Credit Information