Home EV Charging Explained

There are three ways to charge an electric vehicle at home: a standard three-pin plug, a 7kW home charger, or a 22kW charger. For the vast majority of UK homeowners, a 7kW wall charger is the right choice.

Three-pin plug (2.3kW)

Every EV comes with a three-pin plug cable as standard. It works, but it is slow — typically adding 8–15 miles of range per hour. Fine for occasional top-ups, but unsuitable as your primary charging method if you drive more than 50 miles a day.

7kW home charger (the standard choice)

A 7kW charger adds 25–30 miles of range per hour and can fully charge most EVs overnight in 6–10 hours. This is the most common home installation in the UK. It requires a dedicated circuit from your consumer unit and installation by an OZEV-approved installer.

22kW charger (three-phase only)

A 22kW charger requires a three-phase electrical supply, which fewer than 10% of UK homes have. If you do have three-phase supply, it charges most vehicles in 1–3 hours. It is not an upgrade path available to most residential customers.

What installation involves

A home charger installation typically takes 2–4 hours. An engineer runs a dedicated cable from your consumer unit to the charger position — usually an exterior wall of a garage or driveway. The charger itself is weatherproof and designed for outdoor installation. If your consumer unit is at capacity, an upgrade may be required first.