A home charger is the cheapest and most convenient way to charge an electric car, but it’s a major new load on your electrics. A good installation starts with a few checks. Here’s what to think about before anyone picks up a drill.
Do you have off-street parking?
A home charger needs to be on your own property, with the car parked close to it: a driveway, a garage or a private parking space. Running a cable across a public pavement isn’t permitted without specific local authority arrangements, so if you only have on-street parking, check your council’s options first.
The survey: what we’re looking at
Before quoting, an installer should look at the following (most of it can be done from photos):
- Your main fuse and incoming supply. A 7kW charger draws a lot of current for hours at a time. If your supply is already heavily loaded (electric showers, heat pumps, electric heating), the charger may need load management so it doesn’t overload the main fuse.
- Your consumer unit. The charger needs its own dedicated circuit with suitable protection. Older boards may need upgrading first. See our consumer unit guide.
- Earthing arrangements. Many UK homes have a PME supply, and EV charging points need specific protection measures for this. Modern chargers often have this built in, but the installer must confirm it suits your property.
- The cable route. The distance from the board to the charger, and what it passes through (walls, floors, garage), affects time and cost.
Smart chargers are now standard
Home chargers sold and installed in Great Britain must be smart chargers. They connect to the internet, can be scheduled for off-peak hours, and include a default setting that avoids peak times. In practice that’s good news: pairing a smart charger with an EV electricity tariff can cut the cost of charging considerably.
Where should it go?
- close to where the charging port on the car sits when parked
- out of the way of car doors, bins and walking routes
- where the cable can reach without stretching across a path
- with a good Wi-Fi signal, or room for a signal booster
Telling the network operator
Your installer notifies the local Distribution Network Operator (DNO) about the new charger. In most homes this is a formality, and the work can go ahead first. Where the supply is limited, the DNO may need to approve it in advance or upgrade the supply. A good installer will flag this at survey stage.
How long does installation take?
A straightforward installation is usually done in half a day to a day. You’ll receive an electrical installation certificate, and the work is notified to Building Control.
Thinking about solar or a battery later?
Let your installer know now. Some chargers can use surplus solar power, and planning the cable route and board space with that in mind saves rework later.
Book a survey
Positive Contractors installs home and workplace EV chargers across London and Essex. We’re an NICEIC Approved Contractor based in Chigwell. Send us a photo of your fuse board and where you’d like the charger, and we can usually price it without a visit. See our EV charging service or call 020 8227 0035.
We cover London and Essex, with our own engineers working every day across Chigwell, Loughton, Buckhurst Hill, Woodford, Ilford, Romford, Brentwood and Epping.