New Tesla Owner Checklist: Everything to Do in Your First Week (2026)

Congratulations — Here's What to Do Next

You've done it. Whether you've just collected your Model 3 from a Tesla delivery centre or you're counting down the days until your Model Y arrives, buying a Tesla is one of the most exciting purchases you'll make. It's also the start of a completely different way of running a car — cheaper, simpler, and far less time spent at petrol stations.

This checklist covers everything you need to do in your first week of Tesla ownership, in priority order. Some of these will save you hundreds of pounds a year. Others are just nice to know. We've flagged which is which.

1. Set Up Home Charging (The Single Biggest Money Saver)

This is the most important thing on this entire list, and it's not close. Home charging is what makes running a Tesla so absurdly cheap compared to a petrol car. Get this right and you'll spend roughly £200 per year on fuel instead of £1,600.

Here's how the costs break down per mile:

• Home charging (off-peak tariff): 2–3p/mile
• Home charging (standard tariff): 7–8p/mile
• Tesla Supercharger: ~12p/mile
• Petrol (equivalent car): 16–18p/mile

Three things to do, in this order:

Step 1: Switch to an EV Electricity Tariff

This is free, takes five minutes, and saves you hundreds of pounds a year. An EV-specific tariff gives you cheap off-peak electricity overnight — typically 7–8.5p/kWh compared to the standard rate of ~28p/kWh. That's a 75% reduction in your charging costs.

Octopus Intelligent Go is the most popular choice among Tesla owners because it talks directly to your car's API and schedules charging automatically. But there are several strong alternatives.

Read our guide to the best EV tariffs for a full breakdown, or jump straight to the tariff comparison page to see rates side by side.

Step 2: Get a Home Charger Installed

A dedicated home charger (7 kW) will fully charge your Tesla overnight. You can technically charge from a standard 3-pin plug, but it's painfully slow — roughly 8 miles of range per hour (here's why) versus 30 miles per hour from a proper charger. For daily driving, a home charger is essential.

Expect to pay £800–1,200 fully installed (charger unit plus labour). That investment pays for itself within 6–12 months through cheaper charging costs.

You don't need the official Tesla charger either — any Type 2 home charger works perfectly. See our full charger comparison to find the right one, or get free installation quotes from certified installers.

Step 3: Check If You Qualify for the OZEV Grant

If you rent your home or own a flat, you may be eligible for the £500 OZEV government grant towards installation costs. The scheme has been extended to 31 March 2027, and increases to £500 from April 2026.

Use our savings calculator to see exactly how much you'll save per year based on your mileage and tariff.

Don't wait — home charging pays for itself within a year. Compare chargers | Get free quotes

2. Download the Essential Apps

Four apps will cover nearly everything you need as a new Tesla owner:

• Tesla app — Controls your car, monitors charging, preconditions the cabin, and handles software updates. You almost certainly have this already.
• Your energy provider's app (e.g. Octopus Energy) — Track your electricity usage and costs per charging session. Essential if you're on a smart tariff.
• Zap-Map — The best app for finding public chargers across the UK. Covers every network, shows real-time availability, and lets you filter by connector type and speed. Invaluable for longer trips and when you're away from home.
• A Better Route Planner (ABRP) — Plans long journeys with charging stops factored in. It knows your Tesla's real-world efficiency, accounts for weather and elevation, and tells you exactly where to stop and for how long. Tesla's built-in navigation does this too, but ABRP gives you more control and lets you plan trips in advance from your phone.

3. Learn the Charging Basics

A few habits will keep your battery healthy and your costs down:

• Charge to 80% for daily driving. Tesla recommends this, and it's better for long-term battery health. Only charge to 100% before a long trip where you need the full range.
• Plug in whenever you're at home. Little and often is better than running the battery down and doing a big charge. The battery management system works best when the car is plugged in regularly.
• Don't worry about charging speed at home. A 7 kW charger adds about 30 miles of range per hour. For most people, that means plugging in after dinner and waking up to a full battery. You don't need fast charging at home.
• You don't need a Tesla-branded charger. Any Type 2 home charger is fully compatible with every Tesla sold in the UK. The Tesla Wall Connector is excellent, but so are alternatives like the Ohme Home Pro and myenergi Zappi. See our guide on Tesla vs third-party chargers for a full comparison.

For model-specific detail, see our Tesla Model 3 home charging guide or Tesla Model Y home charging guide.

4. Understand Your Running Costs

Here's what 10,000 miles per year actually costs, depending on how you charge:

The gap between a standard tariff and an off-peak EV tariff is roughly £600 per year — and switching tariff is completely free. There's no reason not to do it.

For a full cost breakdown by Tesla model, see our detailed charging cost analysis.

5. Sort Your Insurance

A quick heads-up: Tesla insurance premiums can be higher than you'd expect, especially for the Performance variants. The insurance group ratings for Tesla models tend to sit in groups 48–50 (out of 50), which pushes up quotes.

A few tips to keep costs down:

• Shop around using comparison sites — don't just accept your renewal. Prices vary wildly between insurers for EVs.
• Consider specialist EV insurers — companies like By Miles and Zixty offer pay-per-mile policies that suit lower-mileage drivers.
• Higher voluntary excess can bring the premium down significantly on high-group cars.

This isn't the most exciting item on the list, but sorting it early avoids nasty surprises.

6. Explore the Tesla Ecosystem

Once the essentials are covered, there's plenty more to discover:

• Tesla Supercharger network — Over 1,400 Supercharger stalls across the UK. Charging is pay-as-you-go via your Tesla account, no apps or RFID cards needed.
• Software updates — Tesla pushes over-the-air updates regularly, adding new features and improvements. These install overnight via Wi-Fi.
• Sentry Mode — Built-in security camera system that records when it detects threats near your parked car. Enable it in the Tesla app.
• Dashcam — Sentry Mode doubles as a dashcam. You'll need a USB drive formatted and plugged into the glovebox USB port (or use the car's built-in storage on newer models).
• Tesla referral programme — Share your referral link with friends buying a Tesla for bonus benefits. Details change periodically, so check the Tesla app for current offers.

Your First Week Checklist

Here's everything above in a quick-reference list:

• Switch to an EV electricity tariff — free, saves £600+/year (compare tariffs)
• Order a home charger — £800–1,200 installed, pays for itself in under a year (compare chargers)
• Pick up charging accessories — cable holder, cable bag, and weather cover keep your setup tidy (best accessories on Amazon)
• Check OZEV grant eligibility — £500 off if you rent or own a flat (grant guide)
• Download the Tesla app, your energy provider's app, Zap-Map, and ABRP
• Set your daily charge limit to 80% in the Tesla app
• Shop around for insurance — don't accept the first quote
• Set up Sentry Mode and dashcam storage
• Plug in your USB drive for dashcam recordings
• Explore your car's settings — there's a lot in there

The most impactful thing on this list? Getting a home charger. Everything else is nice to have — home charging is transformational. It turns your car into something that refuels itself overnight for a few pounds, and it changes the entire economics of driving.

Compare chargers | Get free quotes | Best Tesla home charger guide | UK EV Charging Cost Index