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Installing a home EV charger is more involved than fixing a unit to the wall and connecting a cable. In most cases, the installer needs to assess the property's electrical supply, consumer unit, earthing arrangements and available capacity before deciding how the charger should be connected.
From an electrician's perspective, the important question is not simply whether somebody is qualified to carry out electrical work. It is whether they are competent to assess and install EV charging equipment correctly.
The Short Answer From an Electrician
You should use a suitably qualified and competent electrician who understands EV charging installations.
A typical home charger requires a dedicated electrical supply and specific protection. The work needs to comply with the relevant requirements of BS 7671, including those applying specifically to electric vehicle charging equipment.
Where installation involves adding a new circuit to a dwelling in England, the work is generally notifiable under Part P of the Building Regulations. That is why we would not recommend choosing an installer simply because they carry out general electrical work.
What We Check Before Installing an EV Charger
One of the biggest misconceptions is that choosing the charger is the main decision. From our point of view, the condition and capacity of the electrical installation come first. Before fitting a charger, an electrician needs to consider several key factors:
Your Existing Consumer Unit: We need to establish whether the consumer unit and protective devices are suitable for the additional circuit. An older consumer unit does not automatically mean it needs replacing. Equally, fitting a charger without checking the existing installation properly is not a sensible approach.
Your Available Electrical Capacity: An EV charger can represent a substantial additional electrical load, particularly when the home is already using equipment such as electric showers, ovens, immersion heaters or heat pumps. The installer therefore needs to assess the property's supply and how the additional demand will be managed. In some installations, load management can be used to prevent exceeding the available supply.
Earthing & Electrical Protection: EV charging has specific electrical safety considerations because the vehicle is normally outside and connected to the property's electrical installation. The earthing arrangement and required protective measures need to be considered as part of the design rather than treated as an afterthought. Government guidance requires qualifying installations to follow BS 7671, BS EN 61851 and the IET Code of Practice for Electric Vehicle Charging Equipment Installation.
Why EV Charger Experience Matters
An electrician can be highly competent in areas such as rewiring, lighting or fault finding without regularly working with EV charging equipment.
Our view is that an EV charger electrician should understand the installation as a complete system. That includes:
- Assessing the existing electrical supply
- Checking the consumer unit and protective equipment
- Selecting an appropriate cable and circuit arrangement
- Considering load management where necessary
- Assessing earthing requirements
- Installing suitable electrical protection
- Testing the completed circuit
- Providing the relevant electrical certification
- Completing any required notification or network procedures
This is also why a very simple quote based only on the make of your car and a photograph of the driveway may not always tell the whole story.
Sometimes the most important part of the job is discovering what needs to happen before the charger is installed.
Does Every Home Need Electrical Upgrades First?
No. Many properties can accommodate an EV charger without major changes to the existing installation.
However, an assessment can identify issues that should be dealt with first. For example, an electrician may find that the existing consumer unit needs attention, the proposed cable route is unsuitable or the available electrical capacity needs further consideration.
We would rather identify those issues before installation than discover them after equipment has been purchased and work has started.
For homeowners already concerned about the condition of their electrics, our domestic electrical services cover inspection, testing, consumer unit upgrades and other electrical work alongside EV charging installations.
What About OZEV Approval and EV Charger Grants?
This is where the answer becomes slightly more specific.
Being competent to install an EV charger and being authorised to complete an installation under an Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV) grant scheme are not exactly the same thing.
If you are applying for an eligible government EV chargepoint grant, GOV.UK states that you need to use an OZEV-authorised installer. Only authorised installers can claim the grant on behalf of an eligible customer.
Grant schemes and eligibility can change, so we recommend checking the current GOV.UK guidance before arranging work if funding is part of your decision.
Questions We Would Ask Before You Book an Installer
Before choosing an installer, we would suggest asking:
- Will you assess my existing electrical supply first?
- Will the charger have its own correctly designed circuit?
- Have you considered the property's earthing arrangement?
- Will you check whether the supply can accommodate the additional load?
- What testing will be carried out after installation?
- What electrical certification will I receive?
- Will the installation be notified where required?
- If I am using a grant, are you authorised for that scheme?
A competent installer should be comfortable explaining these points in straightforward language.
Frequently Asked Questions
Our Advice Before Installing a Home EV Charger
Treat the charger as an addition to your home's electrical system, not simply as another accessory for the car.
A properly planned installation starts with the property: its supply, consumer unit, electrical capacity, earthing and the route to the charging point. Once those factors are understood, choosing and installing the right equipment becomes much more straightforward.
Haras Electrical Services is NICEIC approved and has been carrying out domestic electrical work since 1990. If you are considering an EV charger and would like an electrician to assess what your home requires, speak to us or call 07973 891 663.