What it is and how it works

A home EV charger is a unit fixed to a wall or post by your parking space, wired back to your consumer unit on its own circuit. It charges faster than a three-pin plug, and it talks to your car so charging starts and stops cleanly.

A smart charger adds control. You can tell it when to charge, how much to add, and where the power should come from. Set it to the cheap hours of an overnight tariff and the car fills up while you sleep. Pair it with solar panels and it can follow your generation, charging from electricity you would otherwise send to the grid.

Every install starts with a survey. We look at your supply, your consumer unit, the route for the cable and the parking space itself, then recommend a charger that suits your car and the rest of your system.

Cost and grants

The price depends on the charger, the length of the cable run and whether your supply or consumer unit needs work first. We give a fixed quote after the survey, itemised so you can see what each part costs.

Two things are worth knowing now:

The EV chargepoint grant. If you rent your home, or own a flat, and have your own private off-street parking, the government grant can cover 75% of the cost of buying and installing a socket, up to £500. You also need an eligible vehicle. Homeowners who live in a house cannot claim it. The grant is claimed by an OZEV-authorised installer, and we check your eligibility at the survey rather than promise it up front.
VAT. EV chargers are not on HMRC’s list of energy-saving materials, so a charger fitted on its own is charged at the standard rate of VAT. We show the VAT treatment on every quote.

Figures reviewed 18 September 2026.

EV charging and the rest of your home

An electric car adds a large new load to a home, so it pays to plan it with everything else. With solar panels, a smart charger can soak up the surplus on a sunny day. With a battery, you can store cheap overnight or daytime power and decide where it goes. We fit myenergi equipment and Sigenergy and Fox ESS batteries, so the charger, the panels and the storage can be set up to work together from the start.

If you are planning solar or a battery now and a car later, tell us at the survey. We can size the system and leave room for the charger, so nothing has to be redone when the car arrives.

Pros and cons

Pros

Your car is ready every morning, with no trips to a public charger
A smart charger can use spare solar that would otherwise go to the grid
It can be set to charge only in the cheap hours of an overnight tariff
With matched equipment, charging, solar and battery can be watched from one app
Renters and flat owners with private off-street parking may qualify for a government grant

Cons

You need your own off-street parking, such as a drive, garage or allocated space
A long cable run from the consumer unit to the drive adds cost
An older supply or a full consumer unit may need upgrading first
It is charged at the standard rate of VAT when fitted on its own
Homeowners who live in a house cannot claim the household chargepoint grant

Who it suits

Homes with a driveway, garage or allocated parking space
Households with solar panels, or planning them, who want to charge from their own generation
Drivers on, or thinking of moving to, a smart overnight tariff
Renters and flat owners with private off-street parking and their landlord's or freeholder's permission

What is included in a Bespoke installation

A survey of your supply, consumer unit, parking space and cable route
A check of your grant eligibility, if you rent or own a flat
A smart charger chosen for your car, your supply and any solar or battery you have
Cabling, protection, installation and testing by the same team
Charger set up on the app, with solar or tariff charging configured before we leave

Frequently asked questions

Can I charge my electric car from my solar panels?

Yes. A solar-aware charger such as the myenergi zappi can charge only from surplus generation, or top up from the grid when the sun is not enough. How much of your driving the sun can cover depends on your system, your mileage and when the car is at home, and we work that through at the survey.

Is there a grant for a home EV charger?

If you rent your home, or own a flat, and have your own private off-street parking, the government's EV chargepoint grant can cover 75% of the cost of buying and installing a socket, up to £500. Homeowners who live in a house cannot claim it. The grant is claimed by an OZEV-authorised installer, and we check where you stand at the survey before you commit to anything.

Do I need planning permission for an EV charger?

Usually not. A wall-mounted charger for off-street parking is normally permitted development in England, as long as it is no bigger than 0.2 cubic metres. A freestanding post has its own height limit. Listed buildings, scheduled monuments and some conservation areas are different, and we check this at the survey.

Is there VAT on an EV charger?

Yes. EV chargers are not on HMRC's list of energy-saving materials, so a charger fitted on its own is charged at the standard rate of VAT. We show the VAT treatment on every quote.