EV Charger Installation Cost UK: £800–£1,200 (2026)

A 7kW home EV charger typically costs £800–£1,200 fully installed — around £400–£700 for the charger unit and £400–£500 for the installation itself. In London and the South East, the same job is often £900–£1,500. This guide breaks down what you are paying for, who still qualifies for a grant in 2026, and what to check before hiring an installer.

All new home chargers sold in the UK must be smart chargers under the Electric Vehicles (Smart Charge Points) Regulations 2022 — they can schedule charging for off-peak hours and respond to grid demand. Untethered units (socket only, you use your own cable) are typically slightly cheaper than tethered units with a fixed cable attached.

The total cost splits into the charger unit and the installation work. The unit price depends on brand and features; the installation price depends mostly on how far the charger is from your consumer unit.

Typical Costs

• ✓Charger unit (7kW smart charger): typically £400–£700
• ✓Installation (standard job): typically £400–£500
• ✓Total fully installed: typically £800–£1,200
• ✓London and the South East: often £900–£1,500 for the same work
• ✓Untethered (socket-only) units: slightly cheaper than tethered units

What the Installation Includes

• ✓A dedicated circuit from your consumer unit to the charger
• ✓Appropriate protective devices for the new circuit
• ✓Mounting and commissioning the charger unit
• ✓Testing and electrical certification
• ✓Notification to your Distribution Network Operator (DNO) — handled by the installer

Grant rates changed on 1 April 2026, and the current schemes run until 31 March 2027. The headline for most people: homeowners with a private driveway get no grant — the Electric Vehicle Homecharge Scheme closed to them in April 2022.

EV Chargepoint Grant — £500 Per Socket (Was £350)

• ✓Renters and flat owners: £500 towards one socket
• ✓Households with only on-street parking installing an approved cross-pavement solution (such as a cable gully): £500 towards one socket
• ✓Residential landlords: £500 per socket, up to 200 sockets

Workplace Charging Scheme

• ✓£500 per socket, up to 40 sockets per business
• ✓£2,000 per socket for state-funded education institutions

You do not apply for these grants yourself — claims are made by an OZEV-approved installer on the customer's behalf, and the discount is applied to your bill. Full details are on gov.uk.

A standard installation assumes the charger sits reasonably close to the consumer unit on a suitable wall. Several factors can push the price beyond the typical range.

• ✓Long cable runs — the further the charger is from the consumer unit, the more cable, containment, and labour is needed
• ✓Consumer unit upgrades — if your existing board has no spare capacity or inadequate protection for the new circuit
• ✓Earthing work — open-PEN protection on PME supplies, though many modern chargers have this built in
• ✓Wall construction and trenching — running cable through solid walls, or underground to a detached garage or gate post

If a consumer unit upgrade is needed, see our consumer unit replacement cost guide for what that adds to the job. DNO notification — telling your electricity network operator about the new charger — is handled by the installer as part of the work.

In almost all cases, no. A 22kW charger requires a three-phase electricity supply, and around 97% of UK homes are single-phase. Upgrading a home to three-phase typically costs £3,000–£15,000 depending on your DNO and the works needed — far more than any charging-speed benefit is worth for a domestic driveway.

• ✓A 7kW charger fully charges any current EV overnight
• ✓Overnight charging fits neatly into cheap off-peak tariff windows
• ✓The car's onboard charger caps AC charging speed — many EVs cannot use 22kW AC at all
• ✓Three-phase supply upgrades cost £3,000–£15,000 before you even buy the charger

A straightforward home installation typically takes half a day. The installer will:

• ✓Survey the route from the consumer unit to the charger position
• ✓Install a dedicated circuit with appropriate protection
• ✓Mount the charger and connect it
• ✓Test the circuit and issue certification
• ✓Commission the charger and set up the smart charging app with you
• ✓Notify the DNO on your behalf

Jobs involving long cable runs, trenching to a detached garage, or a consumer unit upgrade can extend to a full day.

EV charger installation is not a job for a general handyman — it involves a new dedicated circuit, earthing arrangements, and DNO notification. Before hiring, check that the installer:

• ✓Is a qualified electrician with EV-specific training — the City & Guilds 2921-34 is the recognised qualification for domestic EV charger installation
• ✓Is registered with a competent person scheme such as NICEIC or NAPIT
• ✓Is OZEV-approved if you are claiming a grant — only OZEV-approved installers can claim it for you
• ✓Will issue an Electrical Installation Certificate for the new circuit
• ✓Handles the DNO notification as part of the job

Demand for properly qualified EV charger installers continues to grow as EV adoption rises — every new EV household is a potential installation. If you are an electrician looking to add EV charging to your services, see our guides on how to become an EV charger installer and which EV charging course you need.

Related Course

EV Charging (2921)

Already a practising electrician? The C&G 2921-34 qualifies you to install domestic and small commercial EV charge points — one of the fastest-growing areas of electrical work.

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