Home EV charging has become one of the most common electrical upgrade requests in residential projects. The case for installing a home charger is compelling: overnight charging at home is cheaper per mile than any public charging option, and the convenience of starting each day with a full battery is genuinely transformative. The technology is straightforward. Getting the installation right is mostly about asking the right questions upfront.
Charger Types and Speed
There are two practical types of home charger:
3-pin plug (Mode 2). Plugging your EV into a standard 13A socket via the supplied cable. This charges at about 2.3kW, giving roughly 8-10 miles of range per hour of charging. Fine for occasional top-ups or if you drive very little. Not suitable as your primary charging method for any EV with a reasonable battery.
Dedicated home charger (Mode 3). A wall-mounted unit connected to a dedicated circuit from the consumer unit. These typically operate at 7kW (32A on a single-phase supply), giving roughly 25-30 miles of range per hour. A Tesla Model 3 with a depleted 75kWh battery needs about 10-11 hours on a 7kW charger, so overnight charging from most levels of depletion is practical.
3-phase supplies (not common in domestic properties but found in some larger homes and new builds) allow 11kW or 22kW chargers, though most EVs are limited to 7.4kW AC on-board charging anyway.
Electrical Requirements
A 7kW charger needs a dedicated 32A radial circuit from the consumer unit. This is a 6mm2 twin and earth cable (or 10mm2 for runs over approximately 15 metres). The circuit must be protected by a Type B 32A MCB and, under BS7671 18th Edition Amendment 2, RCBO protection is required.
Your consumer unit must have a spare way. If it doesn't, either a larger consumer unit is required or a second consumer unit can be added. Discuss this with your electrician before installation.
From April 2022, all new charger installations in England must comply with the Electric Vehicles (Smart Charge Points) Regulations 2021. These require the charger to be "smart" (able to receive and respond to signals from the grid or from your energy tariff), capable of demand response, and able to randomise start times to avoid grid peaks. In practice, most modern home chargers (Ohme, Zappi, Andersen, Wallbox, Easee) meet these requirements. Check any charger you're considering against the approved products list.
The OZEV Grant
The Electric Vehicle Homecharge Scheme (EVHS) grant provides £350 towards the cost of a home charger installation for eligible homeowners. As of 2025, the grant is available to homeowners who have off-street parking and own or have ordered a new or used eligible electric vehicle.
The grant must be applied for through an OZEV-approved installer, who claims it directly and reduces the installation price. A standard 7kW charger installation (including the charger hardware) costs £700-£1,200 before the grant. After the £350 grant, most straightforward installations cost £350-£850.
Check current eligibility and approved installer lists at gov.uk/electric-vehicle-homecharge-scheme, as the scheme terms have been revised several times.
Smart Charging and Energy Tariffs
The real financial advantage of a home charger comes from pairing it with an EV-specific electricity tariff. Providers including Octopus Energy (Intelligent Octopus), OVO, and others offer overnight EV charging rates of around 7-9p/kWh (as of early 2025 pricing), compared to standard rates of 24p/kWh. Charging a 75kWh battery from empty at 7.5p/kWh costs under £6. The same charge at public rapid charging typically costs £25-£40.
Smart chargers communicate with your tariff provider: your charger schedules charging to run during off-peak periods automatically, without any manual intervention. The Ohme and Zappi chargers have particularly strong integrations with these tariffs. Zappi also integrates with solar PV systems, allowing self-generated solar to be prioritised for EV charging during the day before grid power is used.
If you have or plan to have solar panels, a Zappi or compatible charger is worth the extra cost. The ability to route excess solar generation into the car, rather than exporting it at a lower rate, significantly improves the economics of both the solar and the EV together.
The Installation Process
A straightforward home charger installation takes two to four hours. The electrician runs the cable from the consumer unit to the charger position, fixes the charger to the wall, connects everything, and commissions the unit. The commissioning process involves registering the charger with its associated app and confirming the smart charging setup.
The installation is notifiable electrical work under Part P and must be carried out by a registered electrician who will self-certify or notify building control. Your OZEV-approved installer is typically NICEIC or NAPIT registered and will handle this automatically.
Points to discuss before installation:
- Charger position: ideally on the wall nearest to where you park, minimising cable run length
- Cable routing: how the cable runs from consumer unit to charger (visible surface-mounted trunking or hidden in the wall)
- Earthing: some older properties need an earth electrode installing; discuss with your electrician
- Consumer unit space: confirm a spare way is available
- Future-proofing: are you planning a second EV? A second circuit run now is cheaper than adding it later