A Homeowner’s Checklist Before the EV Home Charger Installation Process

Having your own EV charger at home could easily pass as the pinnacle of EV ownership. Financial costs aside, however, there are a few considerations one has to make prior to the actual EV home charger installation. In this article, we ran them down for you in a step-by-step process.

Before you push through with your EV home charger installation, consider first your ownership of the property. Do you own it? Then no need to seek any permission from anyone. Just make sure that you have an off-street parking, either a driveway or a garage, because having one is a requirement for most installs and government grants.

But if you have no off-street parking, you can ask permission from your local council for a cross-pavement charging, where you enclose the charging cable in a gully in your house’s pavement.

Meanwhile, if you are a leaseholder, you must secure a formal written permission from your landlord or the building’s management before starting any EV charger installations. The same goes if you live in a heritage building or a listed property.

The Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV) offers financial support to help cover the cost of an EV home charger installation. Approved applicants under this EV Chargepoint Grant can get either £350 or 75% off the cost to buy and install a socket, whichever amount is lower.

According to GOV.UK, you are eligible for the grant if:

• You live in a flat that you own (this includes flats bought through the shared ownership scheme), or you rent a residential property
• Your home has its own private off-street parking space
• You own or use an eligible vehicle

EV charger installers are often the ones who apply for the grant for their clients, but they have to be an OZEV-authorised installer.

Identify where you want your EV charger installed. Do you park near a wall? Get a wall-mounted EV charger. No worries if not, because you can always have it mounted on a post specifically for it. You might want to consider your future vehicles when deciding on a charging location for ease of use.

Whether it will be put in an open area or in a roofed area, you want to get an EV charger with an IP65 rating, which is ideal for the UK weather. This rating signifies how dust-proof and weather-proof the unit is.

The length of your charging cable matters, of course. The 5-meter option is the standard, but you can have it customised based on your needs. It can be attached to your charging unit permanently, or it can be removable. When choosing between the tethered unit and the untethered one, factor in their convenience, flexibility, and even aesthetic value.

Just a note about the tethered unit: If your charging cable breaks, you might have to get a brand new unit as a whole.

There are certain qualifications you should look for in your EV home charger installer. For one, they should be certified either by the National Association of Professional Inspectors and Testers (NAPIT) or the National Inspection Council for Electrical Installation Contracting (NICEIC). These are government-recognised certifications among such professionals under the Competent Person Scheme.

And if you are planning to apply for a grant, make sure they are authorised by the OZEV too.

But just because they have all these does not automatically mean they provide exceptional service. Search for your installer’s customer reviews and past works, or ask around your inner circle for feedback and recommendations.

Make sure to request a written quote as well, where everything is itemised. This will allow you to manage the financial expectations for your EV home charger installation.

EV charger installations add a significant load to a property’s electrical system. For utmost safety, you must have an electrician double-check your home’s ability to cater to an EV charger.

Commonly, houses run on a single-phase supply, meaning all electrical appliances flow through a single line. This is enough for a 7kW EV charger. However, higher kW home chargers would need a three-phase supply, the upgrade to which can be a bit complex and expensive.

In compliance with BS 7671, EV chargers also need a separate circuit that is duly protected by RCD or RCBO, which automatically cuts down power upon detection of electricity leaks. This is to ensure both the maximum performance of your EV charger and the safety of your household.

If there’s any electrical upgrade needed, inform your Distribution Network Operator (DNO).

Outright, of course, you’d want an EV home charger with high charging performance. Current power rating options are 3.6kW, 7kW, 11kW; choose based on your home’s electrical supply, daily driving needs, and EV compatibility.

Other features you can consider:

• Smart charging: With a smart EV home charger, you can do a multitude of things to manage your energy consumption better. Schedule your charging sessions, conduct load balancing, and even integrate it with solar or battery storage.
• Capacity for multiple EVs: It would not hurt to get an EV home charger that can handle topping up more than one EV. This will save you from installing yet another home charger in the future.
• Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) technology: Aside from charging your EV, a V2G-ready charger is equipped with the kind of technology that allows you to either power your home or sell this stored energy to the grid.

Don’t know where to look? EcoFlow’s Power Pulse 2 is all these and more. Through itsEnergy Management System (EMS)and app, you can control your EV charging sessions right at your fingertips and get data that will be useful for cost-efficient use.

So you want to inquire about an EV home charger installation. Or maybe you did already. Typically, the timeline would look like this after the fact:

1. Agree to a site survey
2. Receive your quotation; again, make sure it is an all-inclusive written quotation
3. Start ofthe grant application by the installer, if you are eligible
4. Installation day
5. Unit testing
6. Secure your Electrical Installation Certificate (EIC)

Do not let your installer leave without giving you an EIC. This is your official proof that your EV home charger complies with the existing standard regulations and is therefore a safe addition to your home.

When having a 7kW EV home charger installed, you can expect to pay around £1,110, funding options excluded. Still, even if you have your quotation already, do not be surprised if you have to cover additional expenses.

As with any EV charger installation, instances of cable runs, groundworks, and fuse upgrades are a possibility.

Apart from the EIC, keep photos of the day of the installation too—these will be handy for any situation needing proof of your home’s safety, possibly during potential grant disputes.

But while an EIC indeed verifies the safety of your EV home charger installation, it is crucial to remain proactive to uphold the continued safety of your household and your area.

Check your unit regularly for any damage or changes and keep it clean. If yours is a smart charger, make sure its firmware and software are always up-to-date. Most important of all, have a professional regularly conduct electricity tests too.

If your provider does not cover EV charger installations, book an installation service in advance so you can have your EV home charger installed the soon as possible.

During installation, make sure that your charger is directly connected to its dedicated fuse box and not through extension leads, which are not built to handle EV chargers. Otherwise, you risk overheating.

And if you are planning on a solar panel and battery storage integration in the future, commit to the idea already and get yourself an EV home charger that is up to it, so you do not have to buy a new one if it happens.

With the kind of smart features EcoFlow Power Pulse 2 has, you can integrate this EV home charger seamlessly with solar energy solutions that will make your life more convenient. For one, it can be paired with a solar battery.

What happens is you store solar energy in your battery pack, such as the EcoFlow PowerOcean, and during power outages or peak electricity tariffs, you connect it to your PowerPulse 2 or any compatible EV home charger and top up your EV without worrying about electricity costs.

To install an EV charger at home is an investment; if you’re up to it, make sure yours can work just fine with the finest of today’s technology, for your own benefit. Consult with us today and explore the features of EcoFlow PowerPulse 2 and the innovative technology of home EV charging.

First things first: An off-street parking space and an electrical supply compatible with an EV charger.

No. You need a qualified installer to do it, especially if you’re applying for a grant.

In your driveway or garage, where you normally park your EV.

It would not likely match your car and your home’s single-phase supply. A 7kW EV home charger is already ideal.

There’s no standard, but the farther it is, the more expensive it will be.