Domestic EV Charger Installation: The Full Process Step by Step

Summary

EV charger installation looks simple from the outside — fit a box on the wall, run a cable, done. In practice it's a design job with several decision points that materially affect cost, compliance, and safety: what type of earthing does the supply use, is the consumer unit fit for another 32A continuous load, does the cable route need to go underground, and does the installation need DNO notification before work starts. Skipping the survey and quoting a flat price is the single most common way electricians lose money on EV work — hidden costs (PME treatment, consumer unit upgrade, long or obstructed cable runs) are common and expensive if discovered mid-job rather than at quote stage.

This guide walks through the process end to end, from first customer enquiry to handover, referencing the specific BS 7671 Chapter 722 requirements, DNO notification rules, and OZEV grant administration that apply at each stage. It assumes a standard single-phase 7.4kW (32A) domestic installation, which covers the large majority of UK residential EV charging work.

The process matters because EV chargepoints are a continuous high-current load left unattended for hours at a time, often outdoors, on a supply system (PME) that has a specific known failure mode for exactly this application. Getting the sequence right — survey before quote, design before installation, full commissioning before handover — is what separates a compliant, insurable installation from a liability.

Key Facts

• Standard domestic chargepoint — 7.4kW (32A single-phase); adds roughly 25–30 miles of range per hour of charging
• Dedicated circuit requirement — BS 7671 Chapter 722 requires the EV chargepoint on its own final circuit, never shared with other loads
• PME earthing risk — most UK domestic supplies are PME (TN-C-S); Regulation 722.411.4.1 requires either a TT earth electrode or a PEN fault detection device on the EV circuit
• RCD type — Type A or Type B RCD/RCBO required (not Type AC), since EV chargers can introduce DC leakage current components
• DNO notification — Engineering Recommendation G100: single-phase loads above 3.68kW (16A) require DNO notification before energising; most DNOs have a fast-track process for standard 7.4kW domestic installs
• Smart charging mandate — the Electric Vehicles (Smart Charge Points) Regulations 2021 (SI 2021/1467) require all chargepoints installed from 30 June 2022 to have smart functionality (scheduling, randomised start delay, demand response capability)
• OZEV EV Chargepoint Grant — currently up to £500 per socket (raised from £350 from 1 April 2026) for eligible renters and flat owners in flats/apartments — the homeowner route closed in April 2022 and is no longer available; requires an OZEV-registered installer and an OZEV-approved chargepoint model
• Part P — the new circuit is notifiable electrical work; a registered competent person (NICEIC, NAPIT, ELECSA) self-certifies without separate building control notification
• Cable sizing — 6mm² twin-and-earth (or SWA underground) suits runs up to roughly 20m for a 32A circuit; longer runs need 10mm² to control volt drop
• Underground cable depth — minimum 600mm under driveways/paths, 500mm under garden/soft ground per BS 7671 Table 52.2
• Documentation required at handover — Electrical Installation Certificate (EIC), chargepoint manufacturer documentation, smart app registration confirmation, and (for grant jobs) the OZEV claim submission
• Vehicle onboard charger limit — the vehicle's own onboard charger (OBC), not the chargepoint, often limits real-world charge rate; check before recommending a 22kW three-phase unit for a vehicle limited to 7.4kW AC

Quick Reference Table: Installation Stages

Detailed Guidance

Stage 1: Initial enquiry — what to establish before quoting

Before booking a survey, gather:

• Vehicle make/model — confirms connector type (Type 2 for virtually all current UK EVs) and the vehicle's maximum AC onboard charger rate, which determines whether 7.4kW or 22kW is worthwhile (see ev charger installation types)
• Parking arrangement — off-street parking is generally required for OZEV grant eligibility; on-street parking with a private space may qualify under specific conditions
• Approximate cable route — ask the customer to describe where the consumer unit is relative to the parking space; this flags likely complexity before the visit
• Property type — owner-occupied house, rented, flat/apartment (communal parking has separate considerations — see ev charging flats communal)

Stage 2: Site survey

The survey is not optional and should never be skipped in favour of a phone-quoted flat price. At survey, establish:

1. Consumer unit condition and location — modern dual-RCD/RCBO board with a spare way (straightforward), older board needing assessment, or an old fuse-wire board requiring full replacement before EV work can proceed
2. Earthing system — inspect the meter/cut-out or contact the DNO to confirm TN-S, TN-C-S (PME), or TT. This single fact drives the earthing design (see pme earthing ev charging). Most UK domestic supplies are PME.
3. Cable route — measure the distance and identify the route type: surface-clipped externally, chased into a wall, routed through a loft/floor void, or requiring underground duct across a driveway or garden
4. Surface types along the route — tarmac, concrete, block paving, or soft ground each carry different reinstatement costs if underground work is needed
5. Chargepoint mounting location — wall-mounted (adjacent to parking) or post-mounted (freestanding, where parking is away from any wall)
6. Supply capacity — confirm the main fuse rating (typically 60A, 80A, or 100A) and whether load management (a CT clamp) is needed to prevent the chargepoint contributing to a main fuse overload — see ct clamp load management

Stage 3: Design and quote

With survey information gathered, finalise the design:

• Circuit design — dedicated 32A radial circuit, 6mm² or 10mm² cable depending on run length and volt drop calculation, Type A or Type B RCBO
• Earthing solution — TT earth electrode (most common, straightforward where ground access allows) or a chargepoint with integral PEN fault detection (where an electrode isn't practical, e.g. flats or heavily paved sites)
• Chargepoint selection — confirm OZEV-approved status if the grant applies; confirm smart charging compliance (mandatory regardless of grant); tethered vs untethered per customer preference
• DNO notification requirement — confirm whether G100 notification is needed (it is, for any 7.4kW/32A single-phase install) and submit early, since some DNOs take up to 28 days to respond, though most confirm faster or operate an accept-by-default fast track for standard domestic loads

Present the customer with an itemised quote covering hardware, labour, any consumer unit work, earthing treatment, and — where eligible — the OZEV grant deduction shown separately so the customer sees both gross and net cost.

Stage 4: DNO notification

Engineering Recommendation G100 governs notification of EV chargepoints (and other loads) to the Distribution Network Operator:

• Single-phase loads up to 3.68kW (16A) — no notification required
• Single-phase loads 3.68kW–7.36kW (16A–32A), which covers all standard 7.4kW domestic chargers — DNO notification required before commissioning
• Loads above this, or any three-phase installation — may require a full technical assessment by the DNO

Most major DNOs (UK Power Networks, Northern Powergrid, National Grid Electricity Distribution, SP Energy Networks, Electricity North West) provide a simplified online notification form for standard domestic EV installs and either confirm acceptance quickly or apply a fast-track "install and notify" process for single chargepoints in areas without known capacity constraints. Submit the notification as part of the design stage, not on the day of installation — a delayed DNO response should not hold up a booked installation slot if the fast-track route applies, but check your local DNO's current process.

Stage 5: OZEV grant application (where eligible)

If the customer qualifies for the EV Chargepoint Grant:

1. The customer applies via the OZEV portal before installation and receives a grant voucher
2. The chargepoint must be from the OZEV-approved product list
3. The installer must be OZEV-registered (see ozev approved installer)
4. After installation, the installer submits the claim via the OZEV portal with the chargepoint serial number, installation address, EIC reference, and evidence photos
5. OZEV pays the grant value to the installer, who has already deducted it from the customer's invoice

Grant eligibility rules change periodically — confirm current amounts and eligibility (renters, flat owners, off-street parking requirements) at the OZEV portal before quoting a net price to the customer.

Stage 6: Installation day

First fix:

• Isolate the supply; install the new 32A RCBO/MCB in the consumer unit (or complete consumer unit upgrade if the survey identified this as necessary)
• Run the cable from the consumer unit to the chargepoint location, following the agreed route — surface-clipped, chased, or underground in duct
• For underground runs: excavate to the correct depth (600mm under trafficked surfaces, 500mm under soft ground), lay duct, pull cable, install warning tape, backfill, and reinstate the surface
• Install the TT earth electrode if this is the chosen earthing solution, driven at the chargepoint location or connected by earth cable from a suitable nearby position

Second fix:

• Mount the chargepoint (wall bracket or post/bollard with concrete foundation)
• Terminate the cable at the chargepoint and at the consumer unit
• Confirm all cable entries are correctly glanded/gasketed for the chargepoint's IP rating (IP54 minimum outdoor, IP65 for exposed locations)

Stage 7: Testing and commissioning

Full BS 7671 test sequence, documented on the Electrical Installation Certificate:

1. Visual inspection — cable entries, connections, no exposed live parts, correct labelling
2. Continuity and polarity — confirm correct L/N/E termination at both ends; disconnect chargepoint electronics before applying test voltages
3. Insulation resistance — 500V DC test between conductors and earth; expect readings well above the 1MΩ minimum
4. Earth loop impedance (Zs) — measured at the chargepoint terminals with electronics reconnected; must be within the maximum value for the protective device (approximately 0.5–1.44Ω depending on device type and rating — check the tabulated values for the specific RCBO used)
5. RCD test — 30mA test current, trip within 300ms at both 0° and 180° phase angles, plus a 5× (150mA) test tripping within 40ms; test both the consumer unit RCBO and any integral RCD within the chargepoint
6. EVSE function test — using an EVSE tester (or a real vehicle) to confirm the control pilot (CP) signal is present and correctly communicating available current to the vehicle side
7. Functional charge test — connect a real EV where possible and confirm charging initiates correctly at the expected rate

Issue the EIC — this is mandatory for a new circuit and must be given to the customer. See ev charger testing commissioning for the full test procedure and pass criteria.

Stage 8: Smart commissioning

Since all chargepoints installed since 30 June 2022 must meet the Smart Charge Points Regulations 2021:

1. Connect the chargepoint to the customer's Wi-Fi (2.4GHz — most units don't support 5GHz-only networks)
2. Register the chargepoint on the manufacturer's app/portal under the customer's account
3. Configure the default off-peak charging schedule and confirm the randomised start delay feature is active (required to prevent grid demand spikes from many chargepoints starting simultaneously)
4. If a CT clamp for load management is fitted, verify the reading against the household's main fuse rating during a live load test

Stage 9: Handover

The handover pack the customer receives should include:

• The signed EIC
• Chargepoint manufacturer documentation (manual, warranty registration)
• Confirmation the app/account is set up and the customer can log in
• A brief walkthrough: how to start/stop a charge, how to override the schedule for an immediate top-up, how to isolate the chargepoint in an emergency
• For grant installations: confirmation the OZEV claim has been submitted

Common process failures to avoid

• Quoting without a survey — the biggest source of margin loss; PME treatment, consumer unit condition, and cable route are all site-specific
• Skipping DNO notification — installing and energising a 32A load without notifying the DNO is a compliance breach, even if the fast-track process would likely have approved it
• Using a Type AC RCD — does not detect the DC fault current components some EV chargers can introduce; always confirm Type A or Type B is fitted
• Forgetting smart commissioning — a chargepoint installed but never connected to Wi-Fi is not compliant with the Smart Charge Points Regulations 2021, regardless of whether a grant was claimed
• Recommending 22kW to a 7.4kW-limited vehicle — check the vehicle's onboard charger rating before specifying three-phase hardware; many popular EVs cannot use the extra capacity

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does the whole process take from enquiry to a working chargepoint?

For a standard installation with no DNO delays and a straightforward cable route, allow 1–2 weeks from initial enquiry to installation day, driven mainly by scheduling and (where applicable) DNO notification response time and OZEV grant voucher issuance. The on-site work itself is typically a single day, often half a day for a simple wall-mounted install with a short cable run.

Does every installation need DNO notification, or only ones claiming the grant?

DNO notification (Engineering Recommendation G100) is a requirement based on the electrical load, not on grant eligibility. Any single-phase EV chargepoint above 3.68kW — which covers virtually all standard 7.4kW domestic installs — requires DNO notification regardless of whether the customer is claiming the OZEV grant.

What if the survey reveals the consumer unit needs full replacement?

This should be flagged and quoted as part of the EV job, not discovered on installation day. A full consumer unit replacement is significant additional work (new dual-RCD or RCBO board, checking all existing circuits meet current requirements) and should be priced and scheduled as an extended job or a separate preceding visit, with the customer's agreement obtained at quote stage.

Can the whole process be done in one visit?

For a straightforward job — modern consumer unit with a spare way, short cable run, no groundworks, PME with a chargepoint that includes PEN fault detection (no earth rod needed) — yes, survey and installation can sometimes be combined into a single longer visit. However, DNO notification lead time and OZEV grant voucher issuance (where applicable) usually mean the customer should not expect same-day installation on first enquiry.

Regulations & Standards

• BS 7671:2018+A4:2026 — Chapter 722: requirements for electric vehicle charging installations

• Electric Vehicles (Smart Charge Points) Regulations 2021 (SI 2021/1467) — mandatory smart charging functionality

• Engineering Recommendation G100 — DNO notification requirements for EV chargepoints and other loads above 3.68kW

• Building Regulations Part P — notifiable electrical work; competent person self-certification

• BS 7671 Table 52.2 — minimum burial depths for underground cables

• OZEV EV Chargepoint Grant Scheme — grant eligibility and installer registration requirements

• IET Guidance Note 7 — Electric Vehicle Charging Equipment Installation — detailed circuit design and commissioning guidance

• OZEV Electric Vehicle Chargepoint Grant — current grant amounts and eligibility

• Energy Networks Association — Engineering Recommendation G100 — DNO notification requirements

• Electric Vehicles (Smart Charge Points) Regulations 2021 — statutory smart charging requirements

• ev charger installation types — chargepoint hardware selection and charging modes

• ev charging cost to install — pricing breakdown for each stage of the install

• pme earthing ev charging — earthing system identification and PME solutions in detail

• ev charger testing commissioning — full commissioning test procedure and pass criteria

• ozev approved installer — installer registration and grant claim process