Last updated 7 October 2026
A home EV charger can go almost anywhere on your own property that the car can park beside: a house wall, a garage gable, a pillar or an outbuilding, as long as the cable from your fuse board can reach it safely and the charger cable can reach the car’s inlet. What decides the best spot is the distance from the consumer unit, what the wall is made of, how your property is earthed and where the car actually stands. If you have no off street parking, the rules on public pavements matter more than the charger.
This guide covers the situations we meet on North East homes, from Peterhead terraces and Fraserburgh semis to granite steadings around Ellon, and what each one means for where the charger goes.
Five things that decide where a charger can go
| Factor | Why it matters | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Where the car parks | The charger cable has to reach the car’s charging inlet without stretching across a path | Which side of the car the inlet is on, and how you park |
| Distance from the consumer unit | A longer run needs a heavier cable and more labour, so distance sets most of the price | Where the fuse board is, and the route out of the house |
| Wall type | Granite, render, pebbledash and block all take fixings differently, and cable routes through stone take more planning | What the wall is made of where you want the charger |
| Earthing | On a PME supply an outdoor charger needs open PEN protection; on a TT supply the earth rod must test well | Whether your earth comes from the network or your own rod |
| Who owns the ground | You can only fit a charger where you have the right to park and run a cable | Title, shared drives, factors and the public pavement |
On the house wall beside the drive
This is the simplest position on most houses. The charger sits at a comfortable height near where the car’s inlet ends up when you park, and the cable comes out through the wall close to the fuse board. Think about how you park before choosing the exact spot. A tethered cable has a fixed length (Ohme, for example, fits 5 metres as standard with an 8 metre option), so a charger at the wrong end of the drive can leave the cable stretched across the car or a footpath.
Granite and stone walls
Granite takes a charger well, but older stone houses raise two practical points. The fixings go into stone, so the position has to suit the coursing and avoid loose pointing. And in many older North East houses the consumer unit is in a hall cupboard on the far side of the building, so the cable route, not the charger, becomes the main part of the job. We plan that route at the survey: through the wall close to the board where possible, then neatly clipped along the outside to the charger, so the quote reflects the real distance.
Pebbledash and render are just as common on Peterhead and Fraserburgh houses. They take fixings easily, and a clipped cable run down the wall can be kept tidy along the line of a downpipe or a corner.
A detached garage, steading or outbuilding
On rural properties the car often parks by a detached garage or a steading that can be 20 or 30 metres from the house board. That is still a good position, but the cable has to be sized for the distance, armoured where it is buried or exposed, and protected at both ends. Sometimes the better plan is a small board in the outbuilding fed from the house, which also gives the building power for lights and sockets later, so the trench is only dug once.
How far can the charger be from the fuse board?
There is no fixed maximum. The limit is practical: a longer run needs a larger cable so the voltage at the charger stays within limits, and that adds cost. Our prices include a cable run of up to 15 metres. Longer runs, trenching and any consumer unit or earthing upgrade are priced at survey and listed in the quote. Fitted prices start from £900 + VAT for a 7.4kW smart charger on a single phase supply.
Your earthing can move the charger
Most town and village houses take their earth from SSEN on a PME supply. Under BS 7671:2018+A4:2026, an outdoor charger on PME needs an earth electrode, an open PEN protective device or a voltage limit device. A charger with open PEN protection built in usually avoids an earth rod. If a rod is the better answer, it needs a suitable patch of ground near the charger, which can influence the position.
Many country properties fed by overhead lines already run on their own earth rod (a TT supply). The open PEN risk does not arise in the same way, but the rod and the RCD times must test well before a charger goes on. Either way, the charger needs 6mA DC fault detection, built in to BS IEC 62955 or provided by a Type B RCD.
No driveway: charging with on street parking
This is where most terraced homes in Peterhead, Fraserburgh and central Ellon get stuck. A charging cable laid across a public pavement is a trip hazard, and the pavement belongs to the roads authority.
- Peterhead, Fraserburgh, Ellon and the rest of Aberdeenshire: a cable or channel across the pavement needs Aberdeenshire Council’s permission. Ask the council before you buy a charger.
- Aberdeen City: Aberdeen City Council’s EV charging FAQ currently says a charging cable cannot run across a public pavement, so check with the council first.
Electrical Safety First advises that anything used to cover a cable or cross the pavement should be anti slip and brightly coloured. We will not fit a charger that relies on a loose cable across a public footway. If home charging will not work at your address, we will say so at the survey rather than fit something you cannot use.
Shared drives, flats and factors
If the drive is shared, or the parking belongs to a block of flats, you need the agreement of whoever owns or manages it before a charger goes up. For renters and flat owners with private off street parking, the UK chargepoint grant is £500 per socket from 1 April 2026, with landlord or freeholder permission. It is not available to a typical homeowner with a driveway.
Do you need planning permission?
Most wall mounted home chargers do not need planning permission. A listed building or a property in a conservation area can be different, so check with Aberdeenshire Council (or Aberdeen City Council in the city) first if either applies to your home.
Before the survey: a quick checklist
- Note where you usually park and which side the car’s charging inlet is on.
- Find the consumer unit and roughly pace out the distance to the parking spot.
- Check what the wall is made of where you would like the charger.
- Look for an earth rod near the meter, or a supply cable coming in overhead.
- Check your phone’s WiFi signal at the parking spot, if the charger will use WiFi.
- If the drive is shared or factored, get permission in writing.
For local prices and booking, see EV charger installation in Peterhead, EV charger installation in Fraserburgh and EV charger installation in Ellon. For farms and long rural runs, see EV charger installation across Aberdeenshire.
Frequently asked questions
How far can an EV charger be from the consumer unit?
There is no fixed limit, but a longer run needs a heavier cable and more labour. Our prices include up to 15 metres of cable; longer runs are measured and priced at the survey.
Can an EV charger be fitted to a granite wall?
Yes. Granite takes a charger well. The main question on older stone houses is the cable route from the consumer unit, which is often on the far side of the house.
Can I install an EV charger if I only have on street parking in Aberdeenshire?
Only with Aberdeenshire Council’s permission for anything crossing the public pavement. In Aberdeen City, the council’s EV charging FAQ currently says a charging cable cannot run across a public pavement, so check with the council first.
Can an EV charger go in a detached garage?
Yes. The cable is sized for the distance and armoured where it is buried or exposed, and sometimes a small board in the garage is the better design.
Do I need planning permission for a home EV charger?
Most wall mounted home chargers do not. Check with your council first if your home is listed or in a conservation area.
Does the charger have to be outside?
No. It can go inside a garage if that is where the car parks. Outdoor chargers on a PME supply need open PEN protection, which is one reason the survey checks your earthing first.
Ask us where yours should go
Faithful Spark Electricians is a NICEIC Approved Contractor (620239) and an OZEV authorised installer (EVHS/WCS14254), and a Tesla approved and Evec approved installer for EV chargers. Call 07304 027013 or use our contact page and we will look at your board, earthing and parking before suggesting a position.
