SPX - Blink EVSE Quote in Houston

[kylemcooper]

Has anyone in Houston taken part in the DOE/SPX/Blink installation? I just got my quote back from SPX for the Blink EVSE install and it came to $2959!!! or $1759 AFTER the DOE incentive. The garage where this will be located is detached from the main house where the panel is, but it is only 30 feet away with easy path for conduit and no special runs outside of that. The math just doesn't add up to me, considering you could buy a $500 Voltec L2 charger and pay a local electrician $400 to install it with breaker, cable, and conduit.

Any input on your quotes/experience with the same program would be appreciated.

[rmtoberman]

I am in Southern California, but I just got my quote as $1650 for the install which includes $250 for the permit. So my out of pocket cost is $450 since DOE will pick up the $1200. Also, my Air Quality Board will pay up to $800 toward a charger, so I will have no out of pocket expenses. My panel is attached to the garage. My L2 Charger will be around 30 foot from the panel also though. This seems real expensive, you might check to see if there are any other incentives from the city or state also. The Air Quality rebate was something I found out about by chance.

Has anyone in Houston taken part in the DOE/SPX/Blink installation? I just got my quote back from SPX for the Blink EVSE install and it came to $2959!!! or $1759 AFTER the DOE incentive. The garage where this will be located is detached from the main house where the panel is, but it is only 30 feet away with easy path for conduit and no special runs outside of that. The math just doesn't add up to me, considering you could buy a $500 Voltec L2 charger and pay a local electrician $400 to install it with breaker, cable, and conduit.

Any input on your quotes/experience with the same program would be appreciated.

[enpowers]

My quote was $1,200 for just the installation, despite the fact that the 'authorized' electrician said it would be an 'easy install' when he did a site survey. Basically a breaker and 20 feet of conduit inside the garage. I called SPX and they said, 'it is what it is'. So I called my usual electrician. He looked at the manuals, looked at the garage, and estimate about $250. I ordered the unit and he installed it for $285. Works great.

Sure, you only have a one year warranty, but I figure with the $900 I saved I could buy two new units (one per year) after the one year warranty is over and still break even!

The SPX install program is a HUGE rip-off.

[pKIO3]

Im in the Clear Lake area - Had my Blink installed last November. ~30 ft of cabling and a breaker. Their authorixed electrician indicated it couldn't be any easier unless the breaker box was right next to it. Ended up costing me $257 out of pocket and numerous head aches getting the inspections done. SPX was indicating that the permits to do the job were almost $500. A little hard to believe but its in and works. The SPX quotes (at least in Houston) seem way high. They originally indicated it was a "free" charger and $1200 toward the installation. They buried the cost of the charger in the install.

[sdmackenzie]

Yes, this is nothing new. The SPX quote for running a branch circuit 40 ft to my garage was three times that my own electrician charged me. Its kind of sad, this is our tax money being used. SPX has a total right to make a profit on this, but it looks like the DOE subsidy budget could cover 2 or 3 times as many installs if SPX took a more reasonable markup.

[drbruns]

I just had the Blink installed in my external garage. After reviewing several posts here, I decided to have my local electrician run power to my garage. Once this was done, I went and entered my preinstallation survey on the SPX web site and asked for the "simple installation". This meant basically that they would provide the Blink, mount it in the garage and connect it to the junction box my local contractor left for them.

This quote came in under the $1200 incentive, so this part was no additional charge to me. I can't imagine what their quote would have been to install the subpanel I needed and run the line through my yard to get to the garage. Their markup is pretty high, so I just went with my local guy who is reliable and reasonably priced.

The only issue I had was with the network connectivity since my router is in the basement on the other side of the house from the external garage. SPX ended up giving me a second router that we put in the guest bedroom closest to the garage which had the range to talk to the Blink. SPX included the new router in the quote.

[Nopreference]

I spoke candidly with my CA electrician that SPX referred. He has done over 25 installs and said they mark up every one of his estimates at least 35-40%. He told me his quote was $590 but after SPX marked it up they sent me the estimate as $1150 which was a %50 markup. Sad that they take advantage of people and the government that is funding the infrastructure.

[daryllafferty]

I got my quote about a week ago. I will require about 70 feet of trenching and conduit and wire of that length, but nothing else major (that's enough!).

The electrician estimated around $1000 for his cost. The first quote came from SPX for nearly $2500, leaving me with a $1300 bill after the $1200 DOE credit (plus tax).

That was too much. I decided to buy a $500 charger and install it myself, sharing the clothes dryer's 240 volt outlet. Switches and wires might cost $100 more.

But SPX came back about a week later and announced that they were offering a special, and lowered the price to around $2000, including the $80 city permit. That makes $800 out of my pocket, so it's within $200 of my do-it-yourself project, with a dedicated line and 3 year warranty, so I accepted it.

Still waiting for city approval to schedule it, but hopefully no longer than a couple more weeks.

SPX has been pretty responsive when I have asked questions. Their price is high but otherwise I don't have any complaints. Yet...

[kylemcooper]

Depending upon what I hear back from SPX (they said they would review the quote with the electrician again), I may go the same route you did.

I just had the Blink installed in my external garage. After reviewing several posts here, I decided to have my local electrician run power to my garage. Once this was done, I went and entered my preinstallation survey on the SPX web site and asked for the "simple installation". This meant basically that they would provide the Blink, mount it in the garage and connect it to the junction box my local contractor left for them.

This quote came in under the $1200 incentive, so this part was no additional charge to me. I can't imagine what their quote would have been to install the subpanel I needed and run the line through my yard to get to the garage. Their markup is pretty high, so I just went with my local guy who is reliable and reasonably priced.

The only issue I had was with the network connectivity since my router is in the basement on the other side of the house from the external garage. SPX ended up giving me a second router that we put in the guest bedroom closest to the garage which had the range to talk to the Blink. SPX included the new router in the quote.

[SolarExec]

Has anyone in Houston taken part in the DOE/SPX/Blink installation? I just got my quote back from SPX for the Blink EVSE install and it came to $2959!!! or $1759 AFTER the DOE incentive. The garage where this will be located is detached from the main house where the panel is, but it is only 30 feet away with easy path for conduit and no special runs outside of that. The math just doesn't add up to me, considering you could buy a $500 Voltec L2 charger and pay a local electrician $400 to install it with breaker, cable, and conduit.

Any input on your quotes/experience with the same program would be appreciated.

That is totally ridiculous. SPX is running an awful scam at the expense of taxpayers and you (I assume they are still exclusive with Access Electric?) I did my detached garage in Houston with zero out of pocket and a total install quote of $690. There is a breaker box in the garage. I was beyond disgusted when I had AV put in a charger and ask for $721 to install. I got a $100 discount. It took about an hour.

Just get any electrician to wire a regular 240V circuit and plug with a 30 amp or 40 amp breaker you then have numerous EVSE options to choose from including several that you can simply plug in (like the GE, the SPX unit, or the Blink) or remove the plug and hard wire at the outlet for any of the others. Given your configuration it should not cost more than $400 including a permit. I would get 1-2 written quotes (happy to pass along the names of a couple of electricians if you need them) and then send the information back to SPX and cc your Volt Advisor and the DOE. You will be amazed at how the price drops with SPX and you will be doing a public service by calling them out on price gouging.

PS the Blink unit is fine but is nothing special. It has very flaky wireless connectivity and it requires an internet connection to meet DOE contract requirements. It offers very little useful information that the Volt itself does not provide. If you have a detached garage you may find Blink emailing you regularly with messages about problems connecting (we had loads of problems with this and required an additiona wireless router at my expense to fix it). You might want to look at the options from Home Depot. If all you want is to charge the Volt then the Voltec unit is the best deal. If you want to do a bit more future proofing, then one of the 30A units like Schneider are a better deal $799 at Home Depot. Also look at the cord length. The Blink is about 4 feet shorter than the AeroVironment unit in our garage. The AV unit easily covers two bays but the blink only one. The Legrand at HD has 22 ft.

But sounds like you are getting gouged based on your description.