A home EV charger is far cheaper to run than public charging, and a straightforward install is a half-day job. The price swings mainly on how far the charger sits from your fuse board and whether your electrics need any upgrading first.
A standard 7kW home charger fitted is usually £800-£1,300 including the unit. A long cable run or a consumer-unit upgrade pushes it higher.
Typical UK Prices
| Job | Typical price |
|---|---|
| Standard 7kW charger, supplied & fitted | £800-£1,300 |
| Long or buried cable run | +£150-£500 |
| Consumer unit upgrade (if needed) | +£450-£900 |
| Earth-rod / supply upgrade | +£150-£400 |
| Tethered vs untethered unit | £0-£100 difference |
What Affects the Price
- Cable run
- The distance from your consumer unit to the charger is the biggest variable - a charger next to the board is cheapest.
- Your existing electrics
- Older boards may need an upgrade or extra protection to take a charger safely.
- Groundworks
- Running a cable across a drive or under a path adds labour.
- The unit itself
- Smart, tethered and higher-spec chargers cost more than a basic untethered model.
Grants and Savings
- Grants exist for flat owners and renters, and for households without off-street parking schemes
- Off-peak energy tariffs make home charging dramatically cheaper than public chargers
- Smart chargers can schedule charging for the cheapest overnight hours
- A correctly sized install avoids paying twice for upgrades later
What a Good Install Includes
- An assessment of your supply and consumer unit before quoting
- The charger, cabling, and any protective device needed
- Certification and notification of the work
- A demonstration and setup of the charger app
Choosing an Installer
- Use a registered electrician experienced in EV installs
- Get the supply assessment done before committing to a price
- Confirm the quote includes certification, not just the fit
- Ask about warranty on both the unit and the workmanship
How Long Does Charging Take at Home?
A standard 7kW home charger adds roughly 25-30 miles of range an hour, so most cars charge from low to full overnight - which is the whole point of charging at home. That's far faster than a three-pin plug, which trickles in around 8-10 miles an hour and isn't meant for regular use. Unless you do huge daily mileage, a 7kW unit on an off-peak tariff covers normal driving comfortably and cheaply, which is why it's the standard domestic choice rather than anything bigger.
Do You Need a Smart Charger?
New home chargers sold in the UK are required to have smart functionality, and it's genuinely useful: scheduling charging for the cheapest overnight hours can roughly halve your charging costs versus peak-rate electricity. A smart charger also lets you monitor usage, set limits, and in some cases balance the load with the rest of the house so you don't overload the supply. The app setup is part of a good install, so ask the electrician to walk you through it before they leave.
Picking the Right Spot
Where the charger goes drives much of the cost, so think about it before quoting. The closer it is to your consumer unit, the shorter (and cheaper) the cable run. Ideally it sits near where the car's charge port ends up when parked, sheltered from the worst weather, and somewhere the cable won't trail across a path. A good installer will weigh up cable distance against convenience and tell you the trade-offs.
Renting or in a Flat?
No driveway doesn't automatically rule out home charging. Flat owners and renters can often still get a charger fitted with the freeholder or landlord's permission, and there are dedicated grants aimed at exactly that situation. Where a private charger genuinely isn't possible, on-street charging schemes, lamp-post chargers and workplace charging fill the gap. It's worth getting an electrician to assess what's feasible at your specific property before assuming you're stuck with public rapid chargers, which cost far more per mile than charging at home overnight.
If your install flags older wiring, our rewiring cost guide and EICR guide explain what's involved. For any urgent electrical fault, the emergency electrician cost guide covers call-outs, or get an emergency electrician on the way.