For a growing number of EV owners, having an EV charging station installed at home makes far more sense. But that’s sometimes easier said than done. For example, one third of UK homes don’t have a driveway, and that number is nearly two-thirds in towns and cities. And, depending on where you live, not having your own private parking spot close to your house leads to all kinds of potential problems. And then there are costs, power supply problems, local authority permissions and more. It’s enough to put anyone off!
So, that’s why we’ve put together this guide which covers a lot of the things to think about if you’re planning to charge your EV at home. Read through the following points and you should be a big step closer to getting your very own chargepoint.
Costs of installing an electric car charger at home
Charger cost
According to Checkatrade, the average cost of a 3.6kW electric car charger is £250 - £500. While the cost of a 7kW is £450 - £800. 7kW chargers are twice as fast at charging and they’re the standard across the country. However, some vehicles have a maximum charging rate of 3.6kW, so there’s no real need to have a faster charger unless you’re planning to switch your EV in future.
Installation cost
Home installation costs between £500 – 1,000. But that really depends on how much work needs to be done to make your place suitable for an EV charger. If, for example, you have your own driveway and pretty modern wiring, the process shouldn’t be too difficult or costly.
If you find an online price that feels a but too good to be true, take some time to find out what that installation price actually involves. It might save you a few extra costs during installation.
Additional factors affecting costs
There are lots of things that might add to the cost of your installation. Where do you want your charging point? Inside, outside or in a garage? And how far away is that from your fuse box? The further it is from your charger, the more potential disruption and cost of digging up floors or ground to lay cables.
Even if you live in a modern house, your house’s power supply may not be suitable to install an EV charger. So, an electrician might need to spend time assessing the situation and potentially making adjustments to your power setup, including replacing your fuse box.
Total cost estimate
Combine charger costs plus installation and you could be looking at a total cost of around £1,000 to £2,000. This does seem quite the outlay, but this investment will soon be recouped when you think about fuel costs. Fully charging a 60kW EV at home at the standard electricity tariff from 1st January 2025 (24.9p/kWh) comes in at £14.94. On an EV-specific electricity tariff that same charge could cost just £4.20. The equivalent in petrol would cost £39.
And there are other (potentially cheaper) ways of doing it. For example, EV charging experts Ohme offer both charger and full installation from £949.
Home EV charger installation requirements
Power supply and electrical assessment
Obviously, it’s important that your power supply has the capacity to actually charge your EV. And there’s no need to guess. In order to install a charger, you may need to apply to your local Distribution Network Operator. If you’re not sure, find out who your DNO is. Fortunately, most EV charger providers will do this legwork for you.
But whether you make contact or its handled by your EV charger provider, your DNO will make the call on whether your power supply is suitable. If it’s not, they can visit your property to make the necessary upgrades. This may involve changing a looped supply (which comes in via your neighbours) to an unlooped supply. Depending on the complexity, this might only take a few hours to put right. And, depending on the supplier, it may not cost you anything. And if you wanted a really powerful charger (like an 11kW or 22kW) this might involve more time and money to put in further upgrades.
Location
Where you want to put your EV charger depends on a few things. These should be top of your list:
Your charger should be installed as close to your electric meter and fuse box as possible. This will also make for a cleaner, less disruptive install.
If a charger works with Wi-Fi, it will need to be within range of a good Wi-Fi signal, so you can monitor charging progress and get updates to your phone. Other chargers connect via a built-in SIM that connects to all four UK networks, so you don’t need to worry about Wi-Fi signal.
It’s best to mount your charger to an existing wall. It’s possible to attach it to a post, but slotting one in will create an extra cost.
There are other rules that may apply, for example proximity to highways, but these vary between local authorities.
Leave it to the pros…
If you’re using a supplier like Ohme, questions like power supply and fusebox location will be covered in eligibility and home surveys. So all you’d really need to do is to follow their steps. Once you provide them with everything they need, they can then plan out the installation for you and help organise an installation date.
EV charging incentives and permits
As long as you own the property and the spot where it’ll be mounted, you don’t need planning permission to install an EV chargepoint. The exception is if you live in a listed building or a conservation area.
Not having your own off-street parking spot doesn’t mean that you can’t have an EV charger installed. Depending on your local authority, it is possible to have the pavement outside your property altered to have a charging cable installed. This is also known as cross-pavement solution, and is only possible if your local authority decide your on-street parking is adequate. But this can add to the cost too.
Fortunately, there’s currently an Electric Vehicle Chargepoint Grant for Households with On-Street Parking that could be a big help. And for everything else, here’s our guide to EV charger grants in the UK for 2025.
What next?
Hopefully this will get you started and in a good position to take your next steps. If you already have an EV charger installed, congratulations! Why not check out our electric vehicle accessories?
