Can you fit a home EV charger on a Thurnby or Scraptoft driveway?
Usually, yes. Many homes here have off-street parking, which is the main thing a home charger needs. Before giving a price, we check that your supply and fuse box can take the extra load and work out the cable route from the board to where the car parks.
We fit smart chargers that meet the 2021 smart charge point regulations and notify National Grid Electricity Distribution, the local network operator, as required. Send photos of the fuse box, the meter and the spot on the drive or garage wall.
- Main fuse and meter
- Shows whether the supply can take a charger.
- Fuse box with the cover off
- Shows whether there is room for a new circuit.
- Where the car parks
- Lets us plan the shortest, neatest cable run.
Can you put lighting and power into the garden?
Yes. Larger gardens are common here, and outdoor lighting, an outside socket or power to a shed or garden room is a regular request.
Outdoor circuits need RCD protection, weatherproof fittings and cable that is either buried at a safe depth in armoured cable or fixed securely along walls and fences. A new circuit to a garden room is notifiable, so it is notified to building control as the law requires. Path lights, wall lights and an outdoor socket for the mower can usually go in on the same visit as an EV charger.
Is air conditioning worth it for a home office or garden room?
Often, yes. Garden rooms and loft or box-room offices can get uncomfortably hot in summer, and a wall-mounted split unit cools the room quietly. Most units also heat, which helps a garden room stay usable in winter.
Many air conditioning units can be installed without planning permission, within limits, but if your home is listed or in a conservation area, check with Harborough District Council first. Send photos of the room and the outside wall, or we can arrange a survey visit.
Does an older house in the village need a rewire?
Not always, but it's worth checking. Alongside the newer estates, the older parts of Thurnby, Bushby and Scraptoft have houses that have been extended and updated over many years, and some still have wiring from decades ago.
Signs to look for include an old fuse box, round-pin sockets, rubber or fabric-covered cable and too few sockets in modern rooms. A rewire is always priced after a survey visit. We can often work room by room so you can stay living in the house, and if only part of the house needs it, a partial rewire may be enough.
How does it work this far out from the city?
The same way as anywhere else. We're about 7 miles away, which is close enough that a short list of jobs is well worth one trip, and when we can, we come out the same day for something urgent. Travel is included in your fixed price; distance is simply one of the things that shapes it, along with the job itself.
The best value comes from putting several jobs on one request. An EV charger, a few garden lights and a dripping outside tap can all go on one fixed price and, usually, one visit.