Why would being at home help? Unless something has changed, the device won't power up from mains if there's a dead battery installed at the time
Home is where I keep my mains power cable.
Of course it powers up when you plug a mains charger in. Otherwise the instant you let the battery go flat, you would have to buy a new battery, or find an external charger; both of which are obviously ludicrous.
You can *always* charge from the mains, but only charge from USB if it has enough juice to boot up first.
If your device can't charge a flat battery, even connected through the mains charger, then I'd be tempted to ask E.D. about your unit, as it would seem faulty to me