EV charger installation: what actually happens.
A straightforward home installation is usually done in a day: survey the supply, mount the charger, run and connect the cable, test, certify, and show you how it works. Here is each step, and the two things that sometimes add work.
Before the day: the survey.
The install stands or falls on your incoming supply. Before anything is booked we check the size of your main fuse, what else the house draws, and where the charger can sensibly sit. A charger pulling 7kW joins the shower and the hob on a supply that was sized decades ago, so this check is not optional. It is the difference between an installation and a nuisance trip every dinner time.
On the day.
- Mounting. The unit goes where the survey agreed: garage, side wall or a post if the parking is away from the house.
- The cable run. From your consumer unit to the charger, clipped or concealed as agreed. Tidy cable runs are the difference you notice for the next twenty years.
- Protection. The charger gets its own circuit and its own protection at the board. It never shares.
- Testing and certification. The circuit is tested, the charger is commissioned, and you get the certificate. The install also gets notified to the DNO, which is our job, not yours.
The two things that add work.
An undersized supply. Some homes need the main fuse upgraded or a load-management device fitted so the charger backs off while the shower runs. We design for this rather than discovering it later.
A full consumer unit. Older boards sometimes have no space for a new circuit. If yours needs work we say so at survey stage, with a separate price, before you commit to anything.
Asked about this.
How long does a home EV charger installation take?
Usually a day, including testing and commissioning. Longer only where the supply needs upgrading or the cable run is unusually involved, and the survey flags that in advance.
Can I have a charger if my parking is not next to the house?
Usually yes. Chargers can be post-mounted and cable runs can be trenched or routed externally. The survey works out the sensible route and the honest cost of it.
Do you handle the paperwork?
Yes. Testing, certification and DNO notification are part of the installation, and you get copies of everything for the house file.