Last updated 7 October 2026
A home EV charging point is a wall mounted charger on its own circuit from your consumer unit, usually rated 7.4kW on a single phase supply. Every new home charger in Great Britain must be smart by law, so it can schedule charging for cheaper off peak hours on a time of use tariff. Paired with the right tariff, it charges the car overnight for a fraction of the standard unit rate.
This guide explains what the unit actually is, how it is wired and protected, and how smart charging and tariffs work together. If you want the costs, grant rules and running cost maths, read our companion guide to the benefits, costs and grants of a home EV charger.
What a home EV charging point is
A home charging point (often called a wallbox or charging station) is a fixed piece of equipment, not a plug. It contains the control electronics that talk to the car, decide how much current it may draw and switch the supply on and off. The car’s own on board charger then converts that power to charge the battery.
- Power: domestic units are 7.4kW on a single phase supply. 22kW charging needs a three phase supply, which most homes do not have.
- Tethered or untethered: a tethered unit has its Type 2 cable fixed to it. An untethered unit has a socket, and you use the cable that came with the car.
- Connectivity: the charger needs a data connection for its app, scheduling and updates. Some units use a built in mobile data SIM, others connect to your home WiFi or an Ethernet cable.
- Dedicated circuit: it is supplied from its own protective device at the consumer unit, never from an existing socket circuit.
How it compares with charging from a three pin plug
A portable lead into a household socket will charge a car, but slowly, and a 13A socket is not designed for many hours of heavy load every night. A wall charger runs on a circuit designed and protected for that load, adds the protection EV charging specifically needs (see below), and is the only way to get smart scheduling with a time of use tariff.
| Charger | Power | Energy added in 8 hours overnight |
|---|---|---|
| 7.4kW single phase wall charger | 7.4kW | Up to about 59kWh, if the car’s on board charger accepts 7.4kW |
| 22kW three phase wall charger | 22kW | Only on a three phase supply, and only if the car accepts it |
The arithmetic is simple: power in kW multiplied by hours gives the energy added in kWh. In practice the car slows charging as the battery nears full, so treat these as upper limits.
How the charger is wired and protected
A charger is only as safe as the circuit behind it. Installation in the UK follows BS 7671, the IET Wiring Regulations, and the current edition is BS 7671:2018+A4:2026, published on 15 April 2026 and mandatory for new work from 15 October 2026. Section 722 covers EV charging. These are the parts that matter most at home.
- DC fault protection. Regulation 722.531.3.101 requires a device that detects 6mA smooth DC fault current. If it is built into the charger to BS IEC 62955, a Type A RCD upstream is acceptable. If not, the circuit needs a Type B RCD.
- Open PEN protection. Most homes have a PME supply. Amendment 4 removed the old exception, so an outdoor chargepoint on PME now needs one of the permitted methods: an earth electrode (a TT arrangement), an open PEN protective device, or a voltage limit device. Many smart chargers include open PEN protection built in, and we confirm the right method for your supply at survey.
- No AFDD needed on the charger circuit. Regulation 722.421.1.7.201 exempts circuits supplying EV charging equipment to BS EN 61851 from the arc fault detection requirement.
- Network notification. We notify SSEN, the network operator for the north of Scotland, of every new charger. A looped supply shared with a neighbour, or a main fuse not suited to the extra load, means SSEN assess it before we fit.
How smart charging works
The Electric Vehicle (Smart Charge Points) Regulations 2021 have applied to new home chargers in Great Britain since 30 June 2022. In practice, every charger sold for home use must offer three things.
- Scheduling. You choose when the car charges, or set a ready by time and let the charger work out the rest.
- Default off peak charging. Out of the box, the charger is set to avoid the busiest times on the grid unless you change it.
- A randomised delay. Each charging session can start after a short random delay, so thousands of chargers do not all switch on at the same second.
Smart does not mean complicated. Once the schedule is set, most people plug in when they get home and leave the charger and the tariff to do the rest.
Load management
Many smart chargers can take a reading from a sensor clamped on your incoming supply cable (a CT clamp). If the oven, shower and charger are all running at once, the charger turns its own power down so the main fuse is not overloaded. On homes with electric heating or a heat pump this can be the difference between a straightforward install and a supply upgrade.
How a home charger works with your electricity tariff
Your tariff sets what each kWh costs. On a standard variable tariff the price is the same all day. Ofgem’s price cap for 1 October to 31 December 2026 puts the average electricity unit rate at 26.32p per kWh for people paying by Direct Debit across England, Scotland and Wales. Your own rate depends on your region, supplier and payment method.
A time of use tariff charges a lower rate during set off peak hours. Ofgem notes that on multi rate tariffs such as Economy 7, you pay one rate at peak times and a different rate off peak. EV tariffs work on the same principle, usually with a cheaper overnight window.
| How the schedule is controlled | How it works | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Fixed schedule in the charger app | You set the off peak hours in the app and the charger only charges inside them | That the hours match your tariff exactly, including after the clocks change |
| Tariff integration in the charger | The charger app links to your supplier and schedules around the cheap periods automatically | That your supplier and tariff are supported by your charger model |
| Schedule in the car | The car’s own app or dashboard decides when to draw power | That the car and charger schedules do not conflict |
The saving depends on your tariff’s off peak rate, how much you charge and how much of it you can move into the cheap window. Our companion guide works through the running cost maths using Ofgem’s current figures.
Charging from solar panels
Every charger we fit is smart, as the law requires, and solar ready, so it can charge from your own panels when you add them. In a solar mode the charger uses surplus generation that would otherwise be exported, either on its own or topped up from the grid. If you are planning panels as well, see our solar PV and battery storage page.
Checklist before you get a home charging point
- Off street parking that is yours or that you have the legal right to use.
- A wall or post within reach of where the car parks. Our packages include a cable run of up to 15 metres from the consumer unit; longer runs are quoted after the survey.
- Your consumer unit. Space for a new protective device, or a separate EV board, and an installation in good condition. A consumer unit upgrade is a chargeable extra, quoted after the survey.
- Your earthing and supply. Whether you have a PME supply, the size of the main fuse, and whether the supply is looped with a neighbour.
- A data connection at the charger position: a mobile signal or a WiFi or Ethernet connection, depending on the model.
- Permissions. Written permission from a landlord, freeholder or factor if you rent or live in a flat.
- No cable across the pavement. In the 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. Anywhere in the shire, a cable or channel across a public footway needs Aberdeenshire Council’s permission.
We check every item on that list at a free site survey and give you a fixed written price. For a home in the city, see our home EV charger installation in Aberdeen; for towns and rural properties, our EV charger installation across Aberdeenshire; and around our base, EV charger installation in Peterhead.
Frequently asked questions
Is a home EV charger the same as a charging station?
Yes. Charging station, charging point, chargepoint and wallbox all describe the same thing at home: a fixed charger on its own circuit. Public rapid chargers are different equipment that supply DC power directly to the battery.
Does a home charger need WiFi?
It needs a data connection for smart features. Some models use a built in mobile data SIM and do not need WiFi at all; others connect through WiFi or an Ethernet cable. It is worth checking the signal where the charger will go before you choose a model.
Can I charge on an off peak tariff without a smart charger?
You can schedule charging from many cars, but a new home charger in Great Britain must be smart by law anyway. A smart charger also lets you link the schedule to your tariff and manage the load on your supply.
Do I need a new consumer unit for an EV charger?
Not always. It depends on whether there is space for a suitable protective device and on the condition of the existing board. Some installations use a small dedicated EV consumer unit beside the main board instead. We tell you at the survey and price it separately if it is needed.
How long does installation take?
Most installs take 3 to 4 hours on the day. Your power is off for around 30 minutes while we connect the new circuit at the board.
Who is allowed to install a home charger in Scotland?
Use a qualified electrician who works to BS 7671 and issues an Electrical Installation Certificate. For grant funded work the installer must be OZEV authorised. Part P applies in England and Wales only; it does not apply in Scotland, so ignore any quote that mentions it.
Talk to us about a home charging point
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 to book a free survey.
