Electric car charger installation costs in the UK

• Installing a 7kW electric vehicle charger costs between £800 and £1,500, on average
• Charging your EV at home can save you around £1,000 per year in running costs
• Modern chargers will fully charge your car overnight

With the UK set to ban petrol and diesel cars from 2035, you’ll eventually need to look into purchasing an electric vehicle (EV).

Before you do that, though, you need to budget for everything, including weighing up if it’s worth investing in an at-home EV charger. A standard 7kW EV charger costs up to £1,500, on average, but you can reduce running costs by around £1,000.

There are different types of EV chargers you can install, so work with your installer to determine the option right for you. Although, it’s worth remembering to research EV-specific tariffs, as these may allow you to utilise off-peak pricing, saving you even more money.

Read on to dive further into EV charging costs, but if you’re interested, it’s easy to compare home charger prices, with our help. Simply provide a few quick details, and our expert installers will be in touch with free quotes for you to compare.

How much does it cost to install an electric car charger?

It’ll usually cost you between £800 and £1,500 to buy and install an electric car charging point on your property.

If you use an installer from the company selling you a charging point, it’ll cost you the same kind of price no matter where you are in the UK. What’s more, while it might be cheaper to hire an independent electrician, but make sure they’re familiar with installing EV chargers.

Unable to install a charger at home? See what your other options are on our page: Can you charge your electric car at home with no driveway?

The cost of tethered vs untethered chargers

The main difference between these two types of chargers is the cable. Tethered chargers have a fixed cable, whereas untethered chargers have a cable that can be detachable.

Untethered chargers usually cost £20-£100 less than tethered chargers. They are also more versatile, as you can swap out the cable in the future should you need a longer one.

Many companies will include a tethered charger in the cost of your installation without giving you the option of an untethered charger.

Untethered chargers have a detachable cable, so they can be used in more situations, but they’re also more likely to be stolen. Luckily, many now come with security features like cable locking or the option to add a PIN.

How much does it cost to charge your electric car with a home charger?

According to Smart Home Charge, you can use a simple formula to check out the rough cost to charge at home:

Battery size (kWh) × electricity tariff (pence per kWh)

For example, a car with a 60kWh battery and a home energy rate of 28p/kWh would cost:

60 × 28p = £16.80 for a full charge.

However, it’s worth noting that most drivers do not charge from 0–100% regularly. Instead, they typically top up between 20–80%, which lowers the cost further.

The total figure will vary depending on how much you drive, the type of electric car you have – newer models cost less to drive – and the cost of electricity on your home tariff.

The average cost of electricity at home is 24.50p per kWh, whereas at a charging station, it’s around 77% more expensive, though some supermarkets offer cheaper prices.

Although you will spend on average up to £1,500 on a home charger, you will likely make this back over one-to-two-years, depending on how much you drive your car and your energy prices.

Remember that when you use a home charger, you can take advantage of charging when you want, for example, overnight, when energy prices are lowest. Or, of course, consider installing solar panels to get some “free” juice.

What factors affect the cost of an electric car charging point?

The factors that affect the cost of an electric car charging point are the speed, brand, number of smart features, and aesthetics.

• Speed: Slow chargers suit most domestic users and are usually much more affordable. On average, a rapid charger costs £400 more than a slow charger

• Brand: Many companies will charge you more for the same basic product, but some brands are more expensive than others. Read our Best home EV chargers guide before making your final decision

• Smart features: Most chargers have optimised charging, only charging at the cheapest possible, but some also have a remote locking feature or can use solar energy to charge your vehicle

• Aesthetics: It may cost you extra if you want your charger to look extra sleek or be a specific colour.

• Unusual extra costs: If your driveway is far from your fuse box, the installer may charge extra for additional cable. Thick stone walls may also increase installation time and cost.

Will the costs of a home EV charger decrease over time?

The cost of any technological innovation tends to decrease over time, and we can expect the same to be true of electric vehicle home chargers.

It’s already hundreds of pounds cheaper to buy a 3.6kW charger than it was just a few years ago – and as 7kW and 22kW chargers become increasingly common, prices should fall even further.

What government grants are available for EV chargers?

There are a few government grants available for EV chargers, although most are for businesses and local authorities.

These include the Workplace Charging Scheme, which covers up to 75% of the total costs of the purchase and installation of EV chargepoints, inclusive of VAT. However, your installation is capped at a maximum of £350 per socket and 40 sockets across all sites per applicant. Your installer must also be ozev-authorised to make use of the grant.

For home EV chargers, renters and people who own a flat can apply for an EV chargepoint grant. If all the following applies, you are eligible:

• You live in a flat you own, including those bought through shared ownership, or you rent a residential property
• Your home has its own private off-street parking space
• You own or use an eligible vehicle

You are not eligible if:

• You live in a house that you own, unless it’s converted into flats and you live in just one of the flats
• You rent accommodation where the landlord or homeowner lives
• You’re moving house or planning on moving
• You’ve already claimed the grant, or its predecessors
• You want to replace a chargepoint, even if the existing one is incompatible with your new car
• You want to move an existing chargepoint to a new property
• There must be law be a chargepoint. For example, if you live in a new build.

You can find out more about all the EV charging grants on our page.

Choosing where to install an EV charger

When considering installing a home EV charger, there are a few things you need to consider first:

• Convenience: The charger needs to be accessible so you can easily connect your car
• Safety: It might be best to have your charger out of sight, in a garage
• Hazards: It’s also best to position it somewhere you won’t trip over the wires
• Connectivity: For some systems, you’ll need to connect your charger to your Wi-Fi, so choose a location accordingly
• You can plug your car into a standard domestic socket, which will charge up slowly. We wouldn’t recommend this, though. A dedicated EV charger is quicker, safer, and cheaper, as most products can now charge your car when electricity is cheapest

How do I install an EV charger?

Your installer will attach the EV charger to the wall of your choice with a drill, screws, and possibly silicone sealant and run the length of cable to your consumer unit (fuse box) – either through the wall or around the outside – before connecting up all the electrics.

The installer will discuss the potential locations for your charger beforehand. Keep in mind that it needs to be at least 2.5m away from any metal object connected to your electricity supply.

It also legally needs to be at least 2m away from a public highway, monument, or listed building, though that comes up less often.

Any electrician might be able to competently install a car charger, but you shouldn’t take that risk. Instead, choose an installer who’s registered with the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles. You’ll not only get an accredited electrician, you’ll be eligible for any government grants that exist at the time.

Can I install my own EV charging point?

While you can technically install an EV charger yourself, it’s best not to, unless you’re a trained electrician.

If you don’t have the correct skills and experience, installing a charger yourself could result in an injury, an unsafe charging set up (you could unintentionally create a fire hazard), or a charger that doesn’t work.

Plus, the industry-standard three-year warranty most EV chargers have might not be valid if you don’t recruit a professional to install the charger.

Do I need permission to install an EV charger?

In most cases, you do not need permission to install an EV charger.

You can install a charger that’s less than 1.6m tall without planning permission, as long as it’s installed more than two metres from a highway, thanks to the Town and Country Planning Act of 2015.

This includes practically all slow and fast charging points. However, some rapid chargers are taller than 1.6m, and therefore do require permission.

Summary

Here are a few of the main reasons why it’s worth investing in at-home EV charger:

• It is definitely worth buying a home charger if you have a driveway or garage
• You should break even on your up to £1,500 expense in around two years through savings
• Charging in public is 77% more expensive than charging at home
• On average, you’ll save up to £1,000 per year by purchasing a home charging point
• It is twice as expensive to refuel a petrol car compared to charging an electric vehicle at home over a year

Written By

Josh Jackman Lead Writer

Josh has written about and reported on eco-friendly home improvements and climate change for the past four years.

His data-driven work has featured on the front page of the Financial Times and in publications including The Independent, Telegraph, Times, Sun, Daily Express, and Fox News, earned him the position of resident expert in BT’s smart home tech initiative, and been referenced in official United Nations and World Health Organisation documents.

He’s also been interviewed on BBC One’s Rip-Off Britain, BBC Radio 4, and BBC Radio 5 Live as an expert on everything from renewable energy to government policy and space travel’s carbon footprint, and regularly attends Grand Designs Live as a Green Living Expert, giving bespoke advice to members of the public about heat pumps and solar panels.

Josh has also used the journalistic skills he developed at The Jewish Chronicle and PinkNews to investigate and analyse every green government grant in existence, and examine the impact on the climate of cryptocurrency, Glastonbury Festival, and the World Cup.

You can get in touch with Josh via email.

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Reviewed By

Tamara Birch Newsletters and sponsored content editor

Tamara is a journalist with more than six years experience writing about environmental topics. This includes advising small businesses on cost-effective ways tom become more sustainable, from installing to solar panels and heat pumps and reducing waste. She has used her journalist and research skills to become highly knowledgeable on sustainable initiatives, issues, and solutions to help consumers do their bit for the environment – all while reducing monthly costs. Now, she’s using this experience to advise homeowners on the benefits of installing low-carbon technologies. She is also qualified in offering innovative initiatives to improve sustainability practices in businesses, from advertising to marketing and publishing.

Her passion for sustainability and eco-friendly solutions stems from a long obsession with nature and animals and ensuring they feel looked after. In her free time, Tamara enjoys reading fantasy novels, visiting the gym, and going on long walks in new areas.

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