This is one of the questions we're asked most often. Until recently the answer was "yes, under certain conditions", but the new Israeli Electricity Authority guidelines for EV charging have changed the picture: regular overnight charging at your regular parking spot is not supposed to be done from a regular household socket. A household socket is allowed only for occasional charging, away from your regular parking spot and at up to 10A. Here's what that means in practice.
What the guidelines say
- Regular household socket (SI 32) — only for occasional charging away from your regular parking spot, at up to 10A (Section 12(d)). For example, at your parents' house, at a holiday cabin or on a visit.
- Portable charger for regular use — single-phase only, up to 16A, from an industrial socket (SI 60309) on a dedicated circuit installed by a licensed electrician (Section 12).
- No extension cords, adapters or splitters at the socket (Section 12(c)), and no adapter between the charging cable and the car (Section 9(d)).
- For daily charging at home — a charging station installed by a licensed electrician and checked by a licensed electrical inspector before first use.
What the portable charger does to protect you
A standards-compliant portable charger is not a simple cable. The box in the middle is a control unit that manages the whole process and includes several layers of protection:
- Residual current (leakage) protection, including 6mA DC leakage detection
- Overload and short-circuit protection
- Protection against voltage that is too high or too low
- Temperature sensing in the plug — the charger reduces the current or stops if the connection heats up
- An earthing check before charging starts
In addition, the car itself manages the charging and stops it when the battery is full. The charger doesn't keep pushing electricity into a full battery.
So what is dangerous
The real risk when charging from a socket almost never comes from a standards-compliant charger. It comes from the things around it.
An old or loose socket
A socket in which the plug wobbles, a sooty socket or a socket installed decades ago was not designed to run under a continuous load for hours. This is the number one cause of problems, and it's also one of the reasons the guidelines limit the use of a household socket to occasional charging at 10A.
An extension cord or splitter
This is something you must never do. An extension cord adds connection points that heat up, it is usually undersized for this load, and it undermines the ability of the charger's temperature sensing to protect the actual connection point. The guidelines explicitly prohibit it.
A cheap charger with no standards
Chargers from cheap shopping sites sometimes lack the protections listed above, even if the specifications say otherwise. Look for compliance with IEC 61851 and EN 62752, and make sure there's an importer's warranty in Israel.
Checklist before occasional charging from a household socket
- The plug goes into the socket firmly and securely, with no play and no gap.
- The connection is direct to the socket — no extension cord, no splitter, no adapter.
- The charger is set to 10A at most, as the guidelines require for a household socket. In an old house or when you're not familiar with the socket, you can go down to 8A.
- On a socket you haven't charged from before, check after about 20 minutes that the plug and socket are not warm to the touch.
- Don't cover the control box with a blanket or put it inside a closed bag while charging.
- When parking outdoors — make sure the charger is rated at least IP65, and that the socket is protected from rain.
And what do you do at your regular parking spot?
If the car parks in the same place every night, the solution is a home charging station. The station complies with IEC 61851-1, is installed on a dedicated circuit with a suitable residual current device (Type B, or Type A/F together with 6mA DC leakage detection), and is checked by a licensed electrical inspector before first use. It was built exactly for long, unattended overnight charging, and it also charges faster. See our home charging stations, or leave your details and we'll get back to you about installation.
What about the battery — does this shorten its life?
Slow alternating current (AC) charging at home is the gentlest way to charge, and it's better for the battery than daily use of DC fast-charging stations. A common manufacturer recommendation is to set the car to charge up to about 80% in your daily routine, and to fill up to 100% only before a long trip.
Frequently asked questions
What happens if there's a power outage in the middle of the night?
The charger stops safely. Most chargers and cars resume automatically when the power comes back.
Can I charge in the rain?
With an IP65-rated charger and a proper connection — yes. The system is designed for it. It's still best for the socket connection point to be protected and not standing in water.
How long can the charger run continuously?
Technically, a charger that complies with IEC 61851 is designed for continuous operation. But from a regular household socket the guidelines allow only occasional charging, and for regular charging at home the solution is a charging station.
Looking for a charger for occasional charging on the road? Our 3.5kW portable chargers come with a full set of protections, current selection, an Israeli plug and an importer's warranty in Israel.
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