When I bought my first electric car, I quickly realised that choosing and installing a home EV charger is as much about lifestyle and wiring as it is about price. You don't just want a socket on the wall — you want a setup that makes charging convenient, safe, and genuinely cheaper than running on petrol. In this guide I’ll walk you through how to pick the right charger, what to ask installers, how tariffs and grants can reduce your total cost, and the practical steps I took (and wished I’d known sooner) to avoid surprises.
Decide how you actually use your car
Start by thinking about your daily driving pattern. I made a simple spreadsheet of daily miles and found most days I only needed 15–30 miles of range. That changed my charger choice: I didn’t need a high-power 22 kW unit when a 7 kW charger would refill overnight comfortably.
Ask yourself:
Your answers determine the power level you need, whether you should prioritise smart features, and if integration with solar or battery storage is worth the extra install cost.
Charger power: what’s realistic for a UK home
Domestic chargers are typically 3.6 kW, 7 kW, 11 kW, or 22 kW. Most UK homes with a single-phase supply can install up to 7 kW or 11 kW depending on the household demand and wiring. Homes with three-phase electricity can support 22 kW, but many homes don’t have three-phase.
I chose a 7 kW tethered wallbox because it matched my driving habits and didn’t require expensive upgrades to my consumer unit.
Smart features that actually matter
Not every “smart” function is worth paying top price for. I found these features genuinely useful:
Features to avoid splashing on immediately: fancy screens or built-in payments unless you specifically need them. A reliable app and smart scheduling are usually enough.
Grants, tariffs and how they lower your total cost (check the latest)
Here’s the important caveat: incentives and grants change. Always check the UK government or your local council site for the latest schemes before you buy. What’s permanent is this logic: grants reduce upfront cost, and the right tariff reduces running cost — together they lower total cost of ownership.
Typical ways to save:
Always model the total cost: purchase + install - grant + expected per-mile electricity cost under your tariff. That’s what actually matters, not just the lowest purchase price.
Installation: what to expect and what to ask
An installation can be simple or expensive depending on wiring distance, existing consumer unit load, and earthing. When I first got quotes, the differences came down to how far the installer needed to run cable and whether my consumer unit required upgrades.
I saved money by choosing a unit sited close to my consumer unit; small changes in placement cut my install quote significantly.
Comparing common chargers (example costs and features)
Below is a simple comparison I used when choosing a charger. Prices and models change, so treat numbers as illustrative.
| Type | Typical Price (unit) | Installation complexity | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.6 kW basic | £300–£500 | Low | Low-mileage drivers |
| 7 kW smart (tethered) | £400–£900 | Medium | Most households |
| 11 kW smart | £700–£1,200 | Medium–High | High-mileage households |
| 22 kW (3-phase) | £1,000–£2,000+ | High | Large households, three-phase supply |
Tariff strategy to cut per-mile cost
Once your charger is installed, switching tariffs can be the biggest ongoing saving. I switched to a time-of-use plan and now pay pennies per kWh for overnight charging. Key tips:
Common pitfalls I learned the hard way
Next steps
If you’re ready to move forward: list your daily miles, check if you have off-street parking, and decide on the charger power that matches your usage. Then get three installer quotes, confirm accreditation, and compare electricity tariffs. And one final thing I always do before clicking “buy”: visit the manufacturer’s support forum or user reviews — they’ll tell you more about the app and reliability than glossy specs.
