What is involved in fitting an EV charger?
A charge point needs its own circuit run from the consumer unit, with the right protective device, and an assessment of whether the existing board and the incoming supply can carry it. It is not a plug-in job, and the assessment is the part that decides whether the installation is any good.
On a typical house that means checking the main fuse rating and the earthing arrangement, looking at what else the board is already carrying, deciding where the unit goes so the cable run is sensible and the lead reaches the car, and then running and clipping the cable neatly inside and out. We test and certify it the same way as any other circuit, and we walk you through using it before we leave.
Can my house take an EV charger?
Most can, but not all can without something changing first. The limits are the capacity of your incoming supply, the state and spare capacity of the consumer unit, and the earthing arrangement at the property.
Older boards often have no spare way, or lack the protection a charge point circuit needs, in which case the board is upgraded first or the charger is fed in a way that does not compromise the rest of the installation. Some properties need the network operator involved before the supply can carry the extra load, which is a separate job with a separate cost that we will tell you about rather than discover halfway through.
This is exactly why we look before quoting. A price given over the phone for an EV charger is a guess, and the guesses that come in low are the ones that turn into a charger that trips out every time the oven is on.
What affects the cost of an EV charger installation?
The distance from the consumer unit to where the charge point goes, what the cable has to pass through to get there, whether the board needs work first, and whether you are supplying the unit or we are.
A charge point on a garage wall a few metres from the board is a straightforward job. One at the far end of a driveway, with a cable that has to be buried or run around the building, is not. Neither is one on a board with no spare capacity. None of that is visible from a photograph, which is why the visit comes first.
We do not publish a price list, because an honest price depends on what is actually there. What we do instead is come and look, then give you a written quote before anything starts, and that quote is the price you pay unless you ask for something different or we find something that could not have been seen beforehand. If we do, we stop and tell you what it means before carrying on.
Can I supply my own charge point?
Yes, and plenty of customers do. We will fit a unit you have bought, with two honest caveats that are set out in our terms as well as here.
First, we will tell you before we start if what you have bought is not suitable or not safe to install on your property, and we will not fit it if it is not. Second, we guarantee our work fitting it, but not the equipment itself: a manufacturing fault in someone else's charge point is theirs, not ours. If it turns out to be faulty or the wrong item and we have to come back, the return visit is chargeable.
If you would rather we advised on the unit, ask. We will tell you what suits the property and how you actually park, which matters more than the specification sheet.
What we cover
- Home charge point installation, tethered or untethered
- Workplace and commercial charging points
- Supply and consumer unit assessed before we quote
- Dedicated circuit with the correct protection
- Cable routed and clipped neatly, inside and out
- Tested, certified and notified
Common questions
Do you fit chargers I have bought myself?
Yes. We will tell you before starting if the unit is not suitable for your property, and we guarantee our work fitting it rather than the equipment itself.
Will fitting a charger mean upgrading my fuse board?
Sometimes. It depends on the spare capacity and the protection already on the board. We check that on the visit and tell you before quoting, so it is not a surprise partway through.
Can you fit a charge point at a business?
Yes, we install workplace and commercial charging points as well as domestic ones. Multiple units and higher loads bring the supply capacity question to the front, so the site visit matters even more.