EV Charger Installation

• Power: Most home chargers are typically 7 kW on a normal single-phase supply. Faster chargers (typically 11 kW or 22 kW) need a three-phase supply, which few homes have.
• Tethered or untethered: A tethered charger has the cable permanently attached, so you just plug in. An untethered charger has a socket, so you use your own cable; it looks neater and suits households with more than one type of car.
• Connector: Most current cars use a Type 2 connector for home charging; we check your car before you order.
• Solar-compatible chargers: Some, such as the Zappi, can use surplus solar electricity (see below).

Under the Electric Vehicles (Smart Charge Points) Regulations 2021, new home and workplace charge points sold for installation in Great Britain must have smart functionality. The charger must be able to send and receive information, respond to signals to change when or how fast it charges, meet security requirements, and come with default settings that avoid peak times, which you can override. We set up the app and your charging schedule at handover.

The charger is usually mounted on an outside wall beside the driveway or in a garage, where the cable reaches the car's charging port without stretching. We also consider the cable route, wifi signal and cable storage.

You need off-street parking. Trailing a charging cable across a public pavement creates a trip hazard and is not allowed unless the council has approved a scheme, such as cable channels, for your street. If you have the space for a driveway but no off-street parking yet, our driveways service can build one; a dropped kerb needs approval from your council.

Usually not, for a house with off-street parking. A wall-mounted charger or charging post in an off-street parking area is normally permitted development in England, within limits on size and position. However:

• Listed buildings: Listed building consent is normally needed.
• Conservation areas and Article 4 areas: Extra limits can apply, so check with the council.
• Flats and rented homes: You need permission from the freeholder or landlord, and the parking space must be yours to use.

The DNO must still be notified, and the circuit must meet the building regulations.

There are government grants for EV chargepoints, but they are aimed at specific groups: renters and flat owners with off-street parking, landlords, and businesses installing workplace chargers. The grant for most homeowners living in houses closed in 2022. The schemes are run by the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV), and the grant is claimed through an installer authorised under the scheme, not by you.

Eligibility changes, so check the current schemes on GOV.UK, and ask us before you order whether your installation can be made under a grant scheme.

For offices, shops, car parks and blocks of flats, EV charging point installation usually means several chargers on a shared, often three-phase, supply, with load management and access controls. Larger sites may need a supply upgrade from the DNO. The electrical side of a site fit-out is covered by our commercial electrical installation service.

If you have, or plan, solar panel installation, a solar-compatible charger can top up the car with electricity you would otherwise export, and the wiring and DNO paperwork can be planned together.