Last updated 7 October 2026
Choose a home EV charger by your situation, not by the brochure. Check five things in order: what your supply can take (most homes are single phase, so 7.4kW), whether you want a fixed cable or a socket, whether you have or plan solar panels, how good the signal is where the car parks, and how the charger will be protected on your earthing. Once those are settled, the choice usually narrows to one or two units, and the rest comes down to looks and app preference.
This guide works through each question with the rules that apply in Scotland in 2026, then gives a quick decision table. If you already have a shortlist, our Zappi vs Ohme vs Easee comparison goes model by model.
1. Start with your supply: 7.4kW or 22kW?
Your supply decides the top speed before any brand does. A 22kW home charger needs a three phase supply, and most homes do not have one, so a home install is normally a 7.4kW unit on a single phase supply. A 7.4kW charger draws about 32A and delivers up to about 7kWh of energy for every hour it is plugged in, which refills a typical day’s driving overnight.
- Single phase (most houses): choose a 7.4kW unit. Paying extra for a 22kW model gains nothing on this supply.
- Three phase (some farms, workshops and larger properties): a 22kW or 11kW unit is possible, but check your car first. Many cars accept 11kW at most on AC, and some only 7.4kW, so faster hardware may not charge your car any faster.
If you are weighing up a supply change for a farm or workshop anyway, see our page on three phase supply work.
2. Tethered or untethered?
A tethered charger has its cable fixed to the unit. An untethered charger has a socket and you use the cable that came with your car. Type 2 is the standard inlet on modern cars sold in the UK, so either works for most drivers.
| Your situation | Usually the better fit | Why |
|---|---|---|
| One car, plugged in every night | Tethered | No cable to dig out of the boot in the rain |
| An early car with a Type 1 inlet | Untethered | myenergi says Type 1 owners should choose its untethered unit and use their own cable |
| Visitors or a change of car likely | Untethered, or a unit that can lock its cable | Any cable type can be used |
| Charger on a front wall facing the street | Untethered | Nothing left hanging on show |
| Car parks more than a few metres from the wall | Tethered with a longer cable | Ohme, for example, offers 5 metres as standard and an 8 metre option |
Some units blur the line. Easee says its Easee One can be set as tethered or untethered by locking the cable in the app.
3. Solar panels now, later or never?
If you have solar panels, or might add them, choose a charger that can use surplus generation. myenergi’s Zappi has ECO, ECO+ and FAST modes, which between them let you charge from the grid, on a cheaper time of use tariff, or from your own solar. Ohme’s Solar Boost mode uses a CT clamp to make use of home solar. The detail differs by maker, so check how each one decides when there is enough surplus.
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. If panels are on your list, our solar PV and battery storage page explains how the two work together.
4. Check the signal where the car parks
Smart charging needs a data connection, and the charger sits outside, often on a gable end or a garage wall a long way from your router. This is where North East homes catch people out: thick granite walls and long rural drives can leave a charger with no usable WiFi.
- Built in mobile data: Ohme uses a 4G SIM and says no WiFi is needed. Easee says the Easee One has a built in eSIM, with WiFi also possible.
- WiFi or Ethernet: myenergi says Zappi needs a constant internet connection, by WiFi or an Ethernet cable.
Stand where the charger will go and check your phone’s WiFi signal before you choose. If it is weak and you want a WiFi unit, plan for an Ethernet cable or a booster.
5. Earthing and protection under Amendment 4
This is the question most buyers never ask, and it can change the price. The current wiring regulations, BS 7671:2018+A4:2026, are mandatory for new work from 15 October 2026, and two of their EV rules affect your choice.
- Open PEN protection. Most town and village houses are on a PME supply. Regulation 722.411.4.1 no longer has the old “not reasonably practicable” exception, so 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 often avoids an earth rod. Ohme, myenergi and Easee all state their units include it.
- 6mA DC fault detection. Regulation 722.531.3.101 requires a device that senses 6mA smooth DC. If it is built into the charger to BS IEC 62955, a Type A RCD upstream is enough; if not, the circuit needs a Type B RCD, which costs more. None of the three maker pages we checked stated it, so ask your installer how it is covered for your unit.
- No arc fault device needed on the charger circuit. Regulation 722.421.1.7.201 exempts circuits supplying EV charging equipment to BS EN 61851, so a quote that adds an AFDD for the charger is adding something the rules do not require.
Many rural properties have their own earth rod (a TT supply) rather than an earth from the network. The open PEN risk does not arise in the same way there, but the rod and the RCD times must test well. Your installer should identify your earthing at survey before recommending a unit.
6. Your fuse board and main fuse
The charger needs its own protected circuit from the consumer unit. If the board has no space, or is an older type, it may need replacing first. A charger draws about 32A, so on a home with a smaller main fuse, an electric shower or storage heaters, a unit with load management (a sensor on the incoming cable that turns the charger down when the house is busy) can avoid a supply upgrade. Our guide does your consumer unit need upgrading for an EV charger explains how to tell. Where a new board is needed alongside the charger, our bundle is £750 to £1,000 + VAT.
7. Smart is the law, so compare the app
Under the Electric Vehicles (Smart Charge Points) Regulations 2021, new home chargers installed in Great Britain since 30 June 2022 must be smart. That means scheduling, charging off peak by default, and a randomised start delay. So every new unit can schedule. What differs is how it links to your tariff, whether it shows anything on the unit itself, and how easy the app is to live with.
Quick decision table
| If you | Look for |
|---|---|
| Have or plan solar panels | A unit with a solar surplus mode and a CT clamp, such as the myenergi Zappi |
| Have weak WiFi at the parking spot | Built in 4G or eSIM, such as Ohme or Easee One |
| Are on a smart EV tariff | Direct tariff integration; check your supplier is supported |
| Have a small main fuse or big electric loads | Load management, and a survey of the supply |
| Are on a PME supply and want to avoid an earth rod | Built in open PEN protection |
| Have two cars | Two chargers with load management, or a unit that shares one circuit |
| Rent or own a flat with private parking | An OZEV eligible model, so you can use the grant |
What it costs
We fit 7.4kW smart chargers from £900 + VAT. Our Smart package (Ohme Home Pro or TeltoCharge) is from £995 + VAT, and our Premium solar ready package (Hypervolt Home 3 Pro or myenergi Zappi) is from £1,195 + VAT, both with a cable run of up to 15 metres and a 3 year warranty. Longer cable runs, consumer unit upgrades and earthing upgrades are quoted after a free survey.
The UK chargepoint grant is £500 per socket from 1 April 2026, for renters and flat owners with private off street parking. It is not available to a typical homeowner with a driveway.
For prices and booking in the city, see EV charger installation in Aberdeen. For towns, villages and farms, see EV charger installation across Aberdeenshire.
Frequently asked questions
Is a 7kW charger enough for home?
For most drivers, yes. A 7.4kW charger adds up to about 7kWh for every hour it is plugged in, so a normal day’s driving is replaced in a few hours overnight. Most homes are single phase, which limits a home charger to 7.4kW anyway.
Should I get a tethered or untethered EV charger?
Tethered is more convenient for one car charged every night. Untethered suits households with more than one type of car, early Type 1 cars, or a charger on a street facing wall where you would rather not leave a cable hanging.
Do I need a 22kW charger at home?
Usually not. A 22kW charger needs a three phase supply, which most homes do not have, and many cars accept 11kW at most on AC. Check your car’s onboard charger rating before paying for speed it cannot use.
Does an EV charger need an earth rod?
Not always. On a PME supply, an outdoor charger needs open PEN protection, and a charger with that protection built in often avoids a rod. Homes on their own earth rod already have one, which must test well. Your installer should confirm your earthing at survey.
Which EV charger is best for solar panels?
Choose one with a solar surplus mode. myenergi’s Zappi is built around ECO and ECO+ modes, and Ohme offers Solar Boost with a CT clamp. Every charger we fit can charge from solar when you add panels.
Can I get a grant for a home EV charger?
Only in some cases. The UK chargepoint grant of £500 per socket is for renters and flat owners with private off street parking. Homeowners with a driveway are not eligible.
Get help choosing
Faithful Spark Electricians is a NICEIC Approved Contractor (620239), 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 check your supply, earthing and parking before recommending a unit.
