UK EV Charger Response installs OLEV-approved home EV chargers that charge at 7kW (30 miles range/hour) or 22kW three-phase (100 miles/hour). We survey supply capacity, apply for £350 OZEV grant if eligible, notify DNO, install tethered/socketed unit on drive/garage wall, wire to consumer unit with dedicated circuit—then configure app control for scheduling to cheap overnight rates (Octopus Intelligent Go 7p/kWh 23:30-05:30).
Survey same day. DNO notification week 1. Charger installed half-day (3-4 hours). App configured. Octopus tariff switched.
OZEV grant £350 available for renters/flat residents (homeowners lost grant April 2022 but installers quote net prices now). 7kW single-phase charger typical (32A supply required—most houses adequate). 22kW three-phase for rapid charging (requires three-phase supply—rare in domestic, common in rural/new builds). Charger types: tethered (cable attached, £800-1,000), socketed (bring own cable, £700-900). Smart chargers mandatory (app control, scheduling, load balancing). DNO G99 notification required (not approval—just inform DNO, install proceeds immediately). Costs: 7kW tethered charger £850, installation £250-400 (depends on cable run to consumer unit), total £1,100-1,250 typical. Octopus Intelligent Go tariff: 7p/kWh 6-hour window (23:30-05:30) + car-optimized charging (sometimes extends cheaper window if grid has spare capacity).
From supply survey to smart app control
Standard domestic EV charger: 7kW output (32A single-phase), charges Tesla Model 3/Y in 8-10 hours (0-100%), Nissan Leaf in 6 hours, MG4 in 9 hours. Installation: wall-mounted unit on drive/garage (IP65 weatherproof), dedicated 32A circuit from consumer unit (6mm² cable), Type 2 socket or tethered cable (5-7.5m typical). Charger brands: Ohme (£750, excellent app), Hypervolt (£850, RFID access), Zappi (£900, solar divert feature—charges from excess solar), Wallbox Pulsar (£700 budget option). Smart features mandatory: scheduling (charge 00:30-05:30 cheap rate), load balancing (prevents tripping main fuse if house load high), app control (start/stop remotely). Cost: charger £700-900 + install £250-400 = £950-1,300 total (no OZEV grant for homeowners since April 2022, but flats/renters get £350 off). DNO notification: submit G99 form (charger >3.68kW requires notification, not approval—can install immediately). Timeline: survey 1 hour, install 3-4 hours same day/next day.
Rapid home charging: 22kW output (32A three-phase), charges compatible EVs in 2-3 hours (0-100%). Limitation: car must support 22kW AC charging—most don't (Tesla 11kW max, VW ID.3/4 11kW, BMW iX 11kW). Only Renault Zoe 22kW, some Mercedes EQ models. If car maxes at 11kW, 22kW charger provides no benefit over 7kW (car limits charge rate). Three-phase supply required: check meter box (single-phase = 2 wires/100A main fuse, three-phase = 4 wires/300A total across phases). Most UK homes single-phase—three-phase common in: rural properties (farms, converted barns), new builds (post-2020 often three-phase for future EV readiness), properties with workshops/heat pumps. Upgrading supply to three-phase: DNO application, costs £1,500-3,500 (depends on local transformer capacity/cable run). Only worth it if: have compatible 22kW car, need rapid home charging (sales reps driving 200 miles/day), or planning future-proof (property value increase). Cost: 22kW charger £1,200-1,500 + install £350-600 = £1,550-2,100 (higher due to three-phase wiring complexity).
Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV) grant: £350 toward home charger (was £350 for all, now flat-dwellers/renters only since April 2022—homeowners lost grant). Eligibility: live in flat/rental property, have off-street parking (driveway/garage—no on-street parking eligible), car must be electric/plug-in hybrid (not hybrid-only like Prius), charger must be smart (app-controlled, OLEV-approved model), installer must be OZEV-registered. Application process: installer applies via OZEV portal (TRN number obtained), confirms property eligible (checks Land Registry for flat/rental status), installs charger, uploads evidence (photos, commissioning certificate, customer declaration), OZEV reimburses installer £350 (deducted from your invoice—you pay net price). Common rejection reasons: homeowner in house (not eligible), on-street parking only (must have private drive), charger not OZEV-approved model (cheap Chinese imports rejected). Timeline: TRN issued 1-3 days, install proceeds, OZEV reimburses installer 2-4 weeks after claim (doesn't delay your project—installer invoices net price immediately). Budget running low: £300M allocated, ~85% spent as of Feb 2026—apply soon before funding exhausted (closes when budget gone, no extensions announced).
Maximize savings: cheap overnight electricity tariffs. Best options: Octopus Intelligent Go: 7p/kWh 23:30-05:30 (6 hours), 27p rest of day. Plus intelligent features: Octopus controls your charger via API, extends cheap window if grid has excess (sometimes 8-10 hours at 7p when windy/sunny), optimizes charge to ready by your departure time (tell app "ready by 07:00," it charges last 3-4 hours for battery longevity). Annual cost: Model 3 driving 10,000 miles = 3,300kWh × 7p = £231/year (vs public charging 3,300kWh × 85p = £2,805—savings £2,574/year). Octopus Go: Simpler tariff, 9p/kWh 00:30-04:30 (4 hours), 30p rest of day. Less intelligent but compatible with all chargers (Intelligent Go requires Ohme/Hypervolt/Zappi smart chargers). EDF GoElectric: 9.5p/kWh overnight, 28p day. Similar to Go but EDF network (less smart features). Smart charger config: install app (Ohme/Hypervolt), connect WiFi, link Octopus account (API integration), set schedule (charge only 00:00-05:30), enable vehicle-to-grid if supported (rare, only some Nissan models). Preconditioning: warm car cabin while plugged in (draws power from mains, not battery—saves 5-10 miles range in winter).
Problem: EV charger 32A + house 40A normal load = 72A total—exceeds 60A main fuse (trips cutout). Solution: load balancing (charger monitors house demand, reduces charge rate if total approaching limit). How it works: CT clamp on main supply measures real-time consumption, charger adjusts output dynamically (if house using 30A, charger takes 30A = 60A total, if house spikes to 45A cooking dinner, charger drops to 15A = 60A total). Avoids nuisance tripping, maximizes charge speed when house quiet (overnight, full 32A charging when house using 8A standby). Cost: ~£100 extra for CT clamp + config (most smart chargers support, optional feature). Consumer unit upgrade: if existing CU old (no RCD protection, ceramic fuses not MCBs, <10 spare ways), install dedicated garage CU for charger (£350-500)—avoids replacing main CU (£800-1,200). Or: replace main CU with 17th Edition unit (10+ ways, dual RCD, surge protection—future-proofs for solar/battery additions). Earthing: TT systems (rural properties, no mains earth) need earth rod for charger (£150-250 extra, 2m copper rod driven into ground, tested for <200Ω resistance).
Solar + EV charger synergy: charge car from solar surplus (free miles). Zappi charger excels: eco mode diverts excess solar to car charging (e.g., 4kW solar generating, house using 1.5kW, spare 2.5kW diverted to car). Summer: car fully charged from solar 2-3 times/week (free). Winter: solar tops up 5-10% daily (small saving but something). Economics: 3,300kWh annual car consumption, 30% solar-charged = 1,000kWh free, saves £260/year (vs 26p grid rate). Zappi costs £200 more than basic charger (£900 vs £700), payback 9 months if optimizing solar. Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G): car battery exports to grid during peak demand, earns £££. Reality: few cars support (Nissan Leaf CHAdeMO, some Hyundai/Kia). Requires V2G charger (Wallbox Quasar £5,000+, Indra V2G £4,500). Trial schemes pay £120-200/month to participate (car battery cycles daily—degrades battery 2-5%/year extra vs normal driving). Not economical yet—tech immature, car warranties exclude V2G use. Worth monitoring 2027+ when vehicle-to-home (V2H) batteries backup house during power cuts (useful in rural areas with frequent outages). Current verdict: niche/experimental, not recommended for most.
Home charging 70% cheaper than public rapid chargers
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