When making the move to an electric vehicle, there are several factors to consider, especially when thinking about installing an EV charger at home. In this blog, we will talk about the requirements you need for an EV home charger and the factors that you need to account for when installing an EV home charger.
The biggest advantage of installing an EV Home Charger is having the ability to recharge your car overnight with no worries or concerns. Also, avoiding frequent trips to public charging stations. Our professional installer will make sure that your home has the suitable requirements for your installation of an EV home charger, so you can gain the benefits of having one at your home.
Approval from the Distribution Network Operator (DNO)
Due to EV home chargers drawing a noticeable amount of current from your power supply, often your DNO needs to be made aware of the installation. As part of the process after purchasing an EV Home Charger from us, we will notify your Distribution Network Operator (DNO) about the installation and obtain their approval. This must happen because, your DNO may need to upgrade things like, supply cables so that it can allow full power to the EV charger for your home.
- The DNO approval can take up to 10 days in some cases which you may need to take into consideration when buying an EV Home Charger.
- The DNO may also charge for any upgrades that may need to happen before installing your EV Home Charger.
Permissions and Legal Considerations
When installing an EV Home Charger, it will require electrical work, which won’t always require you needing planning permission, however, here some factors that you may want to consider before installing:
- Make sure you use a qualified electrician/installer to ensure safety and a professional job.
- Ensure that the DNO are notified of the installation, to remove any further complications down the line.
- Make sure you keep any documentation of the installation of an EV Home Charger; in case you come to sell your home in the future.
Charger/Charger Features
- Connector Type: Most EV chargers in the UK use a standard type 2 connector.
- Smart Features: Our EV home charger, like others, is remote controlled via an app, which allows you to schedule charging and control the power output. Also, if your home already has other energy systems like solar panels your home EV charger may be able to comply with this to optimise charging.
- Safety: Your home EV charger must have standard safety devices or features to prevent anything bad from happening. This can include things like, locking mechanisms to avoid theft of the charger, overcurrent protection or overheating protection to avoid any damage to the EV charger or anything else.
The most important factor is that the Home EV Charger complies with any electrical regulations so there are no complications and your DNO knows exactly how much power is being used from your EV Home Charger.
Electrical Supply/Capacity
- Supply type – In most UK homes they have a single-phase supply of 230V. However, some larger homes or more rural homes may be different. You need to base your choice of EV Home Charger on this.
- Fuse rating – You need to check your main consumer unit/ fuse board, how much spare capacity of power you have, will determine how much power can be sent to the EV Home Charger safely and efficiently.
- Consumer unit capacity – You will need to free slots in your consumer unit, to allow for new breakers. The consumer unit should ideally be easily accessible and close to where the EV Charger will be installed. This would help keep the wiring simple and overall keep installation costs lower.
- Earthing – The earthing system must comply with the current electrical regulations to ensure safety in any faulty conditions that may happen with the EV Charger or the power being supplied to it.
Charger Placement and Cable Routing
- Location of the Charger: This ideally should be as close to the consumer unit as possible to avoid any voltage drops if the current is having to travel a long distance. If it is installed closer to the power supply, it will also help avoid any installation costs of having to do any extra labour work.
- Access: The EV home charger should be easily accessible to your vehicle so that you aren’t running cables across the driveway or a pathway.
- Weather Protection: While our EV home charger is weather resistant and can still work in poor weather conditions, installing it under cover will help prevent any potential damage to the charger from poor weather.
- Height and Mounting Surface: The EV charger should be installed at an easily accessible height for anyone and for it to be able to reach your vehicle. As well as this, it should be installed on a brick wall or any solid surface.
Conclusion
Overall, when it comes to wanting and installing a Home EV Charger there are many requirements you may need, as well as many factors that need to be considered when thinking about purchasing the home EV charger. To have your EV home charger properly installed you must consider; your home’s electrical supply, notifying your DNO, cable routing and placement of the charger in comparison to where your fuse board is, and ensuring all safety regulations are met upon installation.
Once your home EV charger is checked through all these requirements you will no longer have to worry about going out your way to a public charging station. You can relax and charge your vehicle overnight with no problems, ready to use in the morning.
If you wish to purchase an EV home charger, please look at our website where you can find all the information you need about our EV home charger.
