Free Level 2 EV charger from SWTCH, plus $0.11/kWh for charging at home
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SWTCH Energy is giving Canadian homeowners a Level 2 EV charger at no purchase price, then paying them for the electricity their car draws at home. There is no monthly fee and no subscription. You keep the charger.
What you get
- A Level 2 charger with a 25 foot cable, free
- NEMA 14-50 plug at 40A, or hardwired at 48A
- J1772 or NACS/Tesla connector, your choice at checkout
- Lifetime warranty against manufacturing defects, subject to their terms
- $0.03 per kWh for everything you charge at home, rising to $0.11 per kWh after 1,500 kWh
- Earnings paid out in $100 increments
What it actually costs
The charger is free but the programme is not zero cost on day one. You put down a $300 deposit and pay a $30 shipping fee. The deposit comes back in full once you have charged 1,500 kWh through the unit, which SWTCH puts at two to four months of ordinary driving. At that point your rate also jumps from 3 cents to 11 cents per kWh.
So the real arithmetic is $330 out now, $300 back in a few months, and a small ongoing credit against your electricity. Treat the deposit as money parked rather than money spent. If you drive very little, it sits there longer.
The part that is not on the price tag
You still need a 240 volt circuit. If your panel does not have a spare one, or does not have the capacity, that is an electrician’s bill on top of everything above, and it is usually the real cost of moving from a wall outlet to a proper home charger. SWTCH has an FAQ on whether your panel supports it and on derating the charger to a lower amperage if it does not, which is worth reading before you order.
Hardwired units need a licensed electrician in Ontario. A NEMA 14-50 plug still needs the receptacle installed by one if you do not already have it.
How it works
- Order the charger and pick your plug and connector type
- Pay the $300 deposit and $30 shipping
- Get it installed and connect it to the SWTCH Home Charging app
- Charge normally. You earn from day one and the deposit returns at 1,500 kWh
Why it is free
SWTCH covers the hardware through carbon credits. That funding depends on the charging being measured and reported, which is why step three is connecting the unit to their app and why one of their own FAQs is about whether it works without WiFi. If a networked charger that reports your sessions is not something you want in the house, this is not the programme for you. If it does not bother you, it is one of the few offers where the hardware genuinely costs nothing and the electricity earns a little back.
Availability and expiry
Programmes funded this way open and close by province without much warning. SWTCH says all chargers are in stock as of now, and their own customers quoted on the site are in Ontario and Manitoba. Check that your province is served before you pay the deposit.
We checked these terms on 22 September 2026. If they have moved since, let us know and we will update this page.
