What does a home EV charger installation involve?
A wall-mounted smart charger, a dedicated circuit from your fuse board, testing and the paperwork. Most home installations take half a day to a day.
We check your supply, earthing and fuse board first, usually from photos. On the day we mount the charger, run and protect the cable, connect it to its own protective device, test everything and set up the app so you can charge on an off-peak tariff.
- Supply check
- Main fuse, meter, earthing and space in the fuse board.
- Dedicated circuit
- Its own cable and protection, sized for the charger.
- Charger and app
- Mounted, connected to Wi-Fi and set to a charging schedule.
- Paperwork
- Electrical Installation Certificate and DNO notification.
Is my home suitable for an EV charger?
Most houses with off-street parking are suitable. You need somewhere to mount the charger close to where the car parks, and a supply that can take the extra load.
The things that most often add work are an old fuse box with no spare space or protection, a long cable run to a detached garage, or earthing that needs improving. Some older homes, including terraces that share a supply with next door, may need the network operator to separate or upgrade the supply first. Photos of your fuse board, meter and parking spot usually tell us which applies, and we'll explain before you commit to anything.
What rules apply to home EV chargers?
A charger needs its own new circuit, so it is installed to the current Wiring Regulations (BS 7671, 18th Edition) and notified to building control as the law requires.
Since 2022, home chargers sold in Great Britain have had to meet the 2021 smart charge point regulations, which means features like off-peak default charging and randomised start times. We also notify the Distribution Network Operator, which in Leicestershire is National Grid Electricity Distribution. Grants are now mainly aimed at people who rent or live in flats, so check current eligibility on GOV.UK.
Should I replace my old EV charger or repair it?
If an older charger keeps faulting, has lost its app support or isn't a smart model, replacing it is often better value than chasing repairs. A swap is usually quicker than a first installation because the circuit is already there.
We test the existing circuit and protection first. If they're sound and suitable, the new charger goes on the same circuit. If not, we tell you what needs changing and price it before doing anything. Sometimes the fault is in the supply or the fuse board rather than the charger, and our fault finding work can pick that up.
How is an EV charger installation priced?
You get one fixed price that covers the charger, the circuit, the installation and the paperwork.
Things that can add to the price, and that we'll list up front, include a fuse board upgrade, an earth rod, a long or underground cable run, or a main fuse upgrade through the network operator. If something unexpected turns up on the day, we stop, show you and price it separately. Want an outside socket or a light over the drive too? Add it to the same request and it's done on the same visit.