Most home EV chargers are 7 kW units, which draw around 32 amps continuously for hours at a time. That is more than a cooker, and it’s why a charger needs its own dedicated circuit from the consumer unit rather than being added to something that already exists. The charger itself costs a few hundred pounds; the questions that decide the rest of the quote are about what it’s being connected to.
The first thing we check is the main fuse. Older houses around Andover often have a 60 amp cut-out, and adding 32 amps of charging on top of a shower, cooker and immersion heater can push a household over it. The distribution network operator will usually upgrade a main fuse to 80 or 100 amps at no charge, but it has to be applied for and it takes a few weeks, so it’s worth knowing early.
Next is the consumer unit. A charger circuit needs the right type of RCD protection, and a lot of boards from before about 2010 either have no spare way or the wrong type of device. Sometimes a small additional enclosure next to the existing board is enough; sometimes it’s the right moment to replace the board altogether.
Then earthing. Many houses on the newer estates use the supplier’s earth via the incoming cable, which for an outdoor charger needs either a charger with built-in protection against the specific fault this creates, or an earth rod in the garden. The charger you choose affects which route is cheaper, which is why we’d rather look before you buy one.
Finally, the cable route from the board to the charger’s position, the distance involved, and where the car will actually park. A charger on the wrong wall with a tethered cable that doesn’t reach is a common and avoidable mistake.
Once fitted, the installation is certified, the DNO is notified, and the charger’s app is set up so you can schedule charging on an off-peak tariff, which for most people is where the real saving is. If you’re in Hampshire, Wiltshire or west Berkshire and thinking about a charger, send us a photo of your consumer unit and your electricity meter and we’ll tell you what’s involved before anyone comes out.