It is best not to. A plug-in timer or smart plug is a small switch built for lamps and appliances, while an EV charger pulls its full rated current for hours — a load electrical codes treat as continuous. Every extra plug connection in the path is a contact that can work loose and heat up. The scheduling you want already exists — cars and many chargers have timers built in, and those switch the session, not the supply.
Key Takeaways
- Do not schedule EV charging with a timer or smart plug; the load is heavy and runs for hours.
- EV charging is a continuous load in the electrical code, and extra plug contacts are extra heat risks.
- Schedule inside the car or the charger instead — that times the session without switching the supply.
- If a fixed install truly needs timed switching, a licensed electrician can fit equipment rated for it.
Why Drivers Reach for a Timer
The usual goal is a cheap electricity window. Many tariffs price power lower overnight, and a portable charger on a normal socket has no scheduling of its own, so a timer plug looks like an easy fix. The goal is sound — our guide to smart charging and time-of-use tariffs shows the saving comes simply from when the energy is drawn. The weak point is the gadget doing the switching.
Where a Timer Plug Falls Short
- The load runs for hours, not minutes. Under the National Electrical Code, EV charging is a continuous load, and circuits are sized at 125% of the charger’s current for that reason (32 A charging sits on a 40 A breaker). A household timer is built for loads that cycle on and off, not for holding full current all night.
- It adds two more plug contacts. Timer into the socket, charger into the timer. Each contact is a place where a loose fit turns into heat over a long session — the same reason our portable charger safety guide warns against extension cords and adapters in the charging path.
- It cuts power instead of ending the session. A normal session ends when the car signals it is done. A timer simply removes the supply, and behaviour when power returns varies — some setups do not restart cleanly on their own, so you can wake to a car that charged less than planned.
- The rating is easy to misread. A timer’s headline rating may assume short or partial loads. Any switching device used with a charger has to be rated for its full current across the whole session, every night.
Scheduling Methods Built for the Load
| Method | How it works | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| The car’s own schedule | The car starts and stops the session itself; the supply is never switched | Available on most EVs; nothing extra to buy |
| The charger’s app or timer | The charger delays or times the session internally | Standard on app-controlled wallboxes |
| A lower current setting | A slower, longer session that finishes inside the cheap window | Adjustable portable chargers offer this with no switching at all |
| An electrician-fitted timer or contactor | Rated switching equipment wired into a dedicated circuit | The fixed-installation route — a job for a licensed electrician, not a plug-in gadget |
Chargers With the Timing Built In
The EVDANCE EV-ACT3204PE 22 kW wallbox includes app control and RFID, so sessions can be scheduled inside an off-peak window and end when the car is full. If you charge from a socket, the EVDANCE EV-ACS3210E 32A Type 2 portable charger adjusts from 10 A to 32 A in six steps: set a lower rate and an evening plug-in can run gently through the cheap hours instead of finishing before they start. Both keep the switching inside equipment designed for it — the same principle behind charging from a normal socket safely.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a heavy-duty smart plug OK for a slow portable charger?
Still not recommended. Even at a low setting, the draw runs for many hours, the extra contacts stay in the path, and the session ends by power cut rather than by the car’s signal. Use the car’s schedule or the charger’s own controls instead.
Will a timer plug save me money on off-peak electricity?
The saving comes from when the energy is drawn, not from the timing device. Built-in scheduling in the car or charger captures the same cheap window, so a timer plug adds risk without adding savings.
My charger has no app. How do I charge off-peak?
Use the car’s charging schedule or departure timer — most EVs have one. Failing that, a lower current setting stretches the session into the window, and a licensed electrician can advise on rated switching equipment for a fixed install.
Related Reading
- Smart Charging and Time-of-Use Tariffs: How Scheduling Cuts EV Charging Costs
- Portable EV Charger Safety Guide 2026: NEC Rules, Extension Cords, and What to Avoid
- Can I Charge an Electric Car From a Normal Socket?
- Can I Leave a Level 1 Charger Plugged In All the Time?
