It is a reasonable question. You have bought an electric vehicle, you want to charge it at home, and you are wondering whether you can save some money by fitting the charger yourself. The short answer, for any hardwired unit, is no — and there are good reasons why.
Here is what the law says, what the risks are, and what a proper installation actually involves.
The Legal Position
Installing a hardwired EV charger is classified as notifiable electrical work under Part P of the Building Regulations. This means it must be carried out by a qualified electrician who is registered with a competent person scheme — such as NICEIC, NAPIT, or ELECSA — and who can self-certify the work with your local building control.
The relevant wiring standard is BS 7671 (the IET Wiring Regulations), which sets out the technical requirements for the installation. An EV charger draws a significant load — typically 7.4kW on a dedicated 32A circuit — and the installation must account for earthing arrangements, cable sizing, circuit protection, and load management to ensure the property's electrical system can handle it safely.
Put simply, this is not a job where you can watch a video and have a go. It requires formal qualifications, proper testing equipment, and the authority to certify the completed work.
What Happens If You DIY It?
The consequences of installing an EV charger yourself — or having an unqualified person do it — can be serious:
- Insurance implications — if an electrical fault causes a fire or injury, your home insurance may refuse to pay out if the work was not carried out by a certified electrician
- Selling your property — when you come to sell, your solicitor will need to provide evidence that notifiable electrical work was properly certified. Without this, the sale can be delayed or even fall through
- Safety risk — an incorrectly wired charger can overload your electrical system, cause overheating at connections, or fail to disconnect safely in the event of a fault
- No warranty — most charger manufacturers require professional installation to validate the product warranty
It is also worth noting that your consumer unit may need upgrading to accommodate the additional circuit. An older fuse box without adequate spare ways or RCD protection will not be suitable, and assessing this requires a qualified electrician.
What About Portable Granny Chargers?
A portable charger — often called a granny charger — plugs into a standard 13A three-pin socket and does not require any installation work. You can use one of these without any professional involvement.
However, there are significant limitations. A three-pin socket charger typically delivers around 2.3kW, which means a full charge can take upwards of 24 hours depending on the battery size. It is also not designed for sustained, repeated use at that load — domestic sockets are rated for intermittent use, and drawing near-maximum current for hours on end can cause overheating, particularly if the socket or wiring is older.
A granny charger is fine as a backup or for occasional use, but it is not a sensible long-term charging solution. A dedicated EV charger installation is safer, faster, and far more practical for daily use.
What Does a Professional Installation Involve?
A properly planned EV charger installation typically follows this process:
- Site survey — assessing your electrical supply, consumer unit capacity, earthing arrangement, and the best cable route from the unit to the charging location
- Charger selection — advising on the right unit for your vehicle, driving habits, and budget. This includes whether to go tethered (cable permanently attached) or untethered (socket only), and whether smart features are important to you
- Supply assessment — confirming that your incoming supply can handle the additional load, and whether any upgrades are needed
- Installation — running a dedicated circuit from the consumer unit to the charger, with appropriate cable, circuit protection, and isolation
- Testing and certification — full testing of the new circuit, followed by an Electrical Installation Certificate and Part P notification
The whole process is usually completed in half a day, and you can start charging your vehicle immediately afterwards.
Choosing the Right Charger
Most home chargers operate at 7.4kW, which suits a standard single-phase supply and will charge a typical EV from empty to full overnight. Key considerations include:
- Tethered vs untethered — tethered units are more convenient (just grab the cable and plug in), while untethered units are neater and work with any vehicle's cable
- Smart features — app control, scheduled charging to take advantage of off-peak electricity rates, energy monitoring, and solar integration
- Build quality — a charger that lives outdoors needs to be robust and weather-rated
- Warranty and support — reputable brands offer multi-year warranties, but only when professionally installed
We can talk you through the options during a site survey and help you choose a charger that suits your setup. For a fuller overview, see our guide to home EV charging explained.
The Bottom Line
A hardwired EV charger is not a DIY job. The legal requirements are clear, the safety implications are real, and the cost of professional installation is modest compared to the risks of getting it wrong. A qualified electrician will ensure the work is safe, compliant, and properly certified — giving you a charging setup you can rely on for years to come.