Getting an EV charger at home: what to expect

7kW or 22kW, cable runs, DNO notification, grants and smart tariffs: the whole home-charging picture before anyone drills a wall.

A home charge point turns every night into a full tank, and for most drivers it is the single biggest quality-of-life upgrade of EV ownership. Here is what installation actually involves, and the questions worth settling before anyone drills a hole in your wall.

7kW is the normal answer

Nearly all UK homes have a single-phase supply, which supports a 7kW charger: roughly 25 to 30 miles of range per hour of charging, so a typical car fills overnight comfortably. 22kW units need a three-phase supply that very few houses have. Faster is rarely the right question at home; reliability and smart features are.

What the install involves

A survey of your consumer unit and earthing. The charger needs a dedicated circuit, and some older boards need attention before one can be added safely.
A cable run from the board to the charging position. Distance and routing are the main variables in any quote.
Fitting, protective devices, testing and commissioning, then setup of the app and charging schedules.
Paperwork: an Electrical Installation Certificate, building control notification, and notification to your electricity network operator, which is required for home charge points.

Smart charging and cheap overnight tariffs

UK regulations require new home charge points to have smart functionality, and it is worth using: paired with an EV tariff, scheduled overnight charging is where the running-cost savings of an EV really come from. We set the schedule up with you as part of commissioning.

Grants

Most owner-occupiers of houses no longer qualify for a charge point grant, but support has existed for flat owners, renters and landlords through the EV chargepoint grant. Schemes change; check the current position on gov.uk or ask us and we will tell you honestly whether anything applies to you.

Which chargers we fit, how long installation takes and how we quote are on our EV charger installation page.

Ready to get it sorted?

Read about the service itself, or get in touch for a free, no-obligation estimate: EV Charger Installation in Essex.

What people say

From customers across Essex.

A handful of the reviews we’ve been left over the years. The full list is on our Google Business profile and the reviews page. We don’t cherry-pick.

★★★★★

I called CG Electrical in to complete the installation of a shower and was so happy with what they did, I have since had them back to change my fuse board and completely rewire a large extension for me. I found Connor to be so helpful and the quality of work was second to none, the price was exactly as quoted on every occasion and everything was left clean and tidy.... Connor even hoovered the carpets before leaving every day! I would have absolutely no hesitation in recommending Connor and CG Electrical to anyone and they are certainly our go to for all our future electrical work. Highly recommended!!

Roger

★★★★★

After having some concerns about quality of the electrical installation to my sheds, I contacted CG Electrical who then sent out an Electrician to me to have a look. He inspected everything and subsequently told me it was unsafe. He talked me through everything that was wrong with it and put it into layman's terms for me so I could clearly understand what the issues were and everything he said made perfect sense. The inspection and quote was no fee and no obligation and as soon as everything was agreed the electrician was back as soon as possible to suit me to get the work done. The work itself went above and beyond my expectations despite him being aware that it was only a shed and I wasn't too fussed on how it looked. The price was definitely more than fair, especially for the job undertaken. Overall, I have no complaints whatsoever and will definitely be contacting CG Electrical with any further electrical needs. Can not recommend these guys enough.

Tyler

★★★★★

Fitted floodlights to property on external walls/outbuilding. 1st floor. Superb job. Highly recommend. The young man completing the job was everything you would hope for in a trusted tradesperson. Highly skilled professional. Understanding of requirements. Knowledgeable. Helpful. Courteous. Friendly. Punctual. Clean and tidy. 11/10. Goes beyond expectations.

Steve Healy

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