EV charger installation
EV charger installation
A home charge point is a dedicated circuit from your consumer unit to a wall-mounted unit, with its own protection and earthing arrangement. The install itself is straightforward. What matters is whether your incoming supply can take it — and that is the part that gets skipped.
The load assessment nobody mentions
A 7.4kW charger draws 32A continuously, often for hours. Add an electric shower, an oven and a hob and a house on an older supply can exceed what the main fuse is rated for. The regulations require a proper maximum-demand assessment before installing, and where the supply is tight the answer is a load-managed charger that backs off when the rest of the house is drawing heavily, rather than an upgraded supply costing hundreds.
I do that assessment before quoting and tell you which of the three situations you are in: fine as is, needs load management, or genuinely needs the DNO to upgrade the supply.
Earthing — the reason some quotes are cheaper
Most houses round here are on a PME (TN-C-S) earthing system, which is not permitted for outdoor charging without protection against the supply's neutral going open-circuit. That is handled either by a charger with built-in PEN-fault detection or by an earth rod. A quote that does not mention earthing at all has not considered it.
What is included
- Survey and maximum-demand assessment
- Dedicated circuit with the correct RCD type (Type A or B depending on the unit)
- Tidy cable routing — agreed with you before a single clip goes in
- Commissioning, app setup and a walk-through of how to actually use it
- Electrical Installation Certificate, and the DNO notified as required
- Building Control registration handled — a charger is a new circuit, so it is notifiable, and I put the building notice in for you
Which charger
I will fit the unit you want. If you have no preference I will recommend one based on your parking, whether a tethered or untethered cable suits you better, and whether you are on a cheap-rate overnight tariff worth scheduling around. The recommendation is based on your house, not on which manufacturer I am signed up to.
Common questions
Can I get a grant?
The main domestic grant closed to most homeowners in 2022. The EV chargepoint grant is still open to people in flats and rented accommodation, and there is a separate scheme for landlords. I will tell you honestly whether you qualify rather than quote as though you do.
How long does installation take?
Most installs are half a day to a day, depending on how far the charger is from the consumer unit and whether the cable run is straightforward.
Do I need my supply upgraded?
Usually not. Most houses take a 7.4kW charger fine, and where they do not, a load-managed unit is nearly always cheaper than a supply upgrade. I assess it properly before quoting rather than after starting.
Can you fit a charger on a shared drive or a flat?
Sometimes, but it depends on cable routing, ownership of the parking space and permission from the freeholder or management company. Worth a conversation before you buy a unit.
Other things I do
Fuse boards & consumer units
Old fuse box swapped for a modern consumer unit with RCBO protection on every circuit, tested and certified in a day.
House rewires
Full and partial rewires, planned around you room by room so you are never left without power or lighting overnight.
EICRs & landlord certificates
Electrical Installation Condition Reports for homeowners, landlords and letting agents — with any remedial work done by the same person who found it.
Want a price?
Tell me a bit about the job and I'll come and look. No charge for the visit, and a fixed price before anything starts.