What to know before installing a home EV charger

Do you need a dedicated charger?

You can charge an electric car from an ordinary three-pin socket, but it's slow, and a socket isn't designed for long, regular charging sessions. A dedicated home charge point is faster and is built for the job.

Most home chargers are rated at around 7kW. The Energy Saving Trust says that, as a rule of thumb, you can expect roughly 7 miles of range for every 20 minutes your car is plugged into a 7kW charger, and a full charge on a standard home charger takes five and a half to 11 hours, depending on the car. For most people that means plugging in overnight and waking up to a charged car.

Faster 22kW chargers exist, but they need a three-phase electricity supply, which most UK homes don't have.

How much cheaper is charging at home?

The Energy Saving Trust compared the average cost of a full 220-mile charge:

Source: Energy Saving Trust. Your costs will depend on your car, your tariff and when you charge.

An off-peak or EV tariff can bring home charging costs down further. These tariffs typically need a smart meter.

What your home needs

Off-street parking

You'll need a driveway, garage or private parking space where the charger can be mounted close to where you park. If you only have on-street parking, ask your council whether it allows cross-pavement charging solutions, which a separate grant can help pay for (see Grants).

A suitable electricity supply

A charger draws a lot of power for hours at a time. Your installer should check your main fuse, consumer unit and earthing arrangements, and notify your local electricity network where needed. Occasionally the network operator needs to upgrade your supply first, which can add time.

A sensible cable route

The further the charger is from your consumer unit, and the more walls, paving or outbuildings the cable has to pass, the more the installation is likely to cost.

A connection for smart features

Home chargers connect to Wi-Fi or a mobile network so you can schedule charging and use smart tariffs. A weak signal where the charger goes is worth mentioning to installers.

Smart charging rules

Since 30 June 2022, home chargers sold in Great Britain have had to be smart. Under the Electric Vehicles (Smart Charge Points) Regulations 2021, they must be able to change when and how fast they charge, come with pre-set off-peak charging hours that you can keep, change or remove, include a randomised delay feature and, since 30 December 2022, meet security requirements.

In practice, this means a new charger can work with smart tariffs and charge your car when electricity is cheaper.

What it costs to install

Installer price guides, such as Heatable's, put a standard 7kW home charger, including fitting, at around £800 to £1,200. Costs rise if the job needs:

• a long cable run, or cable routed under paving or through several walls
• an upgrade to your consumer unit or other electrical work
• extra arrangements for shared or allocated parking

Grants

The government's EV chargepoint grant offers up to £500 towards a home charger if you own and live in a flat, or rent any residential property, and you have private off-street parking. There's no grant for owner-occupiers of houses with off-street parking. If you own or rent a home with only on-street parking, a separate grant of up to £500 is available towards a chargepoint installed with an approved cross-pavement solution, such as a charging gully. The government has extended its chargepoint grants for a final year, until 31 March 2027, so check GOV.UK for current eligibility before you apply.

Choosing a charger

• Tethered or untethered. A tethered charger has a cable permanently attached. An untethered one has a socket, so you use your own cable.
• The app and scheduling. Check that it's easy to set charging times and that it works with the tariffs you're considering.
• Solar compatibility. If you have or plan solar panels, some chargers can prioritise charging from your own solar electricity.
• Warranty. Compare the length of the warranty on the charger and on the installation.

Planning permission

Most home chargers fitted to a house with its own driveway don't need planning permission. Listed buildings, conservation areas and flats can have extra requirements, so check with your local council, and with your landlord or freeholder if you don't own the property outright.

Questions to ask an installer

1. Have you checked my main fuse, consumer unit and earthing, and is any extra work needed?
2. Will you notify the network operator, and could my supply need upgrading?
3. Where will the charger go, and how will the cable reach it?
4. Which charger are you recommending, and does it work with the tariffs I'm considering?
5. Can you help with a grant application if I'm eligible?
6. What warranties come with the charger and the installation?