Installing a home EV charger typically costs around £1,000 fully fitted, according to MyJobQuote’s EV charger installation cost guide, with a standard 7kW unit usually falling in the £800 to £1,200 range. The unit itself is only part of the bill. What actually moves the price is how far the charger needs to be from your consumer unit, and whether your existing electrics can take the extra load without any upgrade work first.
What’s included in a standard installation
A typical quote for a straightforward job, charger mounted on an exterior wall close to your consumer unit, on a driveway you already park on, should cover:
- The charging unit itself (7kW is standard for most homes with a single-phase supply)
- A dedicated circuit back to your consumer unit, with its own RCD protection
- Mounting and weatherproofing the unit
- Testing, certification, and registering the installation as required under Building Regulations
What pushes the cost up
- Distance from the consumer unit. A charger mounted right next to your consumer unit is the cheapest option. Every extra metre of cable run, especially if it has to be chased into a wall or run underground, adds labour and materials. This matters more in a town like Cheltenham, where a lot of period properties have their consumer unit tucked away from the driveway.
- Consumer unit or earthing upgrades. Older properties sometimes need the consumer unit upgraded, or additional earthing installed, before a charger can be safely added. Your electrician should identify this at survey stage, not after work has started.
- Groundworks. If the charger needs to go somewhere the cable has to cross a driveway, path or garden, digging a trench adds a meaningful amount to the job.
- Smart features and tethered cables. A charger with app connectivity, load balancing (useful if you also have solar or a heat pump), or a permanently attached cable rather than a socket, generally costs more than a basic untethered unit.
Is there still a grant available?
The OZEV EV chargepoint grant can still reduce the cost for some households, particularly renters, flat owners, and homeowners without off-street parking who need a different type of installation. Eligibility rules and the grant amount change over time, so check the current guidance on GOV.UK before getting quotes, since not every installer is set up to process grant-eligible jobs and it is worth confirming this upfront rather than after you have chosen someone.
Why it has to be a qualified electrician
Installing an EV charger is notifiable work under Part P of the Building Regulations, meaning it needs to be certified either by a registered installer who can self-certify the job, or separately signed off by Building Control. An electrician registered with NICEIC or NAPIT can handle this as part of the installation, and you should get a proper certificate at the end confirming the work meets current wiring regulations. Skipping this, or using someone unregistered to save money, is one of the few home improvement shortcuts that can genuinely come back to bite you, both on insurance and when you sell.
Getting quotes that actually compare
Ask for a proper survey before accepting a quote, not just a phone estimate, since the distance from your consumer unit and the state of your existing wiring both need eyes on them. A good installer will also tell you honestly if your consumer unit needs attention first rather than fitting the charger and leaving that problem for later. We check registration and track record when we research our Top 5 lists, so a page for towns such as West Leeds is a fast way to find an electrician who already meets that bar.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to install a home EV charger?
According to MyJobQuote's EV charger installation cost guide, the average cost is around £1,000, with a typical 7kW unit fully fitted running £800 to £1,200. The installation itself usually takes 2 to 4 hours for a straightforward job.
Are there any grants for installing an EV charger?
The OZEV (Office for Zero Emission Vehicles) grant can reduce the cost for eligible households, including renters, flat owners and people who rely on on-street parking rather than a driveway. Eligibility and the grant amount change from time to time, so check the current terms on GOV.UK before you get quotes, since it affects which installers you should be asking.
What makes an EV charger installation more expensive?
The most common cost increases come from a long cable run between your consumer unit and where the charger needs to go, having to upgrade your consumer unit or main earthing first, or groundworks such as running a cable under a driveway or path. A survey before you commit to a quote should flag all of this upfront.
Does installing an EV charger need to be done by a qualified electrician?
Yes. It is notifiable electrical work under UK Building Regulations, and should be carried out by an electrician registered with a scheme such as NICEIC or NAPIT, who can self-certify the installation. A DIY or unregistered installation can invalidate your home insurance and cause problems if you come to sell the property.
About the author
Stu Clark
Stu spent over 15 years in the trades, working as a plumber before running his own plumbing and bathroom renovation company with a team of eight. He founded Top5Trades to give homeowners the kind of shortlist and straight advice you would get from someone who has actually done the work. More about us →