Home EV charging

A domestic chargepoint connects the car to a dedicated part of the electrical installation. The available supply, vehicle, circuit design and controls determine the charge rate. Parking position, DNO registration and the handover records also need to be settled before the unit is treated as ready for routine use.

Installation guide

The installation guide covers the survey, supply assessment, protection, cable route, DNO process, setup and final records.

Home EV charger installation →

How home AC charging works

The chargepoint, car and property each set a limit. The delivered power is no higher than the lowest limit that applies at the time.

01
The chargepoint supplies AC
A domestic chargepoint controls and protects the connection between the fixed installation and the vehicle. The car’s onboard charger converts the AC supply to DC for the traction battery.
02
The vehicle sets an acceptance limit
The delivered rate cannot exceed the vehicle’s AC charging capability. A 22 kW chargepoint will not make a car with a 7.4 kW single-phase onboard charger accept 22 kW.
03
The installation stays within the supply limit
The circuit, main fuse, existing demand and DNO connection determine the power available at the property. Load management can reduce charging power when other loads are high.

AC charge rate and available supply

Most UK home charging is single-phase AC. A nominal 7 kW chargepoint normally requires a dedicated circuit and a car that can accept the corresponding single-phase current. A nominal 22 kW unit needs three-phase equipment and a vehicle that can use three-phase AC at that rate.

The installer assesses the main fuse, existing maximum demand, consumer unit, cable route and the DNO connection. Where the full charger rating is not always available, dynamic load balancing can reduce charging demand as other household loads rise.

7 kW AC charging 22 kW AC charging Dynamic load balancing

Information needed for the assessment

Supply phase arrangement and service-head details
Main fuse rating and existing large electrical loads
Vehicle AC charging limit and normal parking position
Requested ready time, typical mileage and tariff controls
Solar, battery or planned equipment sharing the connection

Connector, cable and parking position

Most current UK cars use a Type 2 connection for AC charging. A tethered chargepoint stores its cable at the unit. An untethered chargepoint uses a separate cable between its socket and the car.

The useful choice depends on the car’s inlet position, the parked orientation, cable length, storage, trip risk and whether the cable crosses any shared or public space. A wall position that is convenient for one car may be awkward after the vehicle changes.

Tethered chargepoint

The cable is ready at the unit, but its connector, length and route are fixed parts of the installation choice.

Tethered chargepoints →

Untethered chargepoint

The cable can be removed and replaced separately, but it needs dry, secure storage and has to be connected for each charging session.

Untethered sockets →

Electrical design, DNO submission and handover

The finished installation is defined by its circuit as well as the chargepoint model. Protection, the connection route, commissioning results and handover documents complete the technical record.

Circuit and protective devices

The design needs the correct cable, overcurrent protection, RCD arrangement, isolation and any DC residual-current protection not already provided inside the chargepoint.

RCD protection for EV chargers →Consumer unit capacity →

Earthing and open-PEN protection

Outdoor charging on a PME supply needs a compliant earthing and open-PEN design. An advertised protection feature still has to be suitable for the completed installation.

EV charger PEN fault detection →PME earthing systems →

DNO connection record

The installer assesses whether the chargepoint can be connected before notification or needs DNO approval first. The owner should retain the submitted information and response.

Single-phase electricity supply →Head fuse rating →

Commissioning and handover

The final records should identify the chargepoint, circuit, protective devices, test results, DNO submission, app ownership and the settings demonstrated at handover.

EV chargepoint commissioning →Charger cable routes and parking →

Smart charging, tariffs and solar

Charging can be controlled by the chargepoint, vehicle, supplier or a home-energy system. Record which control is authoritative and what happens if its internet or data connection is unavailable.

Scheduled charging

A fixed schedule starts and stops charging at set times. Where the vehicle and chargepoint both contain schedules, the control priority and their combined behaviour need to be defined.

Reference entry →

Supplier-managed charging

A compatible tariff may control the vehicle or chargepoint around a ready-by time. Eligibility, supported hardware, cheap periods and fallback behaviour are tariff-specific.

Reference entry →

Solar surplus charging

Compatible equipment can vary the charging current in response to measured export. The car still has a minimum accepted charging current, so intermittent surplus may pause charging.

Reference entry →

Dynamic load balancing

A meter or CT measurement can reduce chargepoint demand when the home is using more electricity. This manages the installation within a limit; it does not increase the agreed supply capacity.

Reference entry →

EV charging guides