Most home EV charge point installations are a half-day job — but the difference between a tidy install and a troublesome one is decided long before anyone picks up a drill. Here is how we approach it across Henley-on-Thames and the surrounding Home Counties.
Start with the incoming supply
Every install begins at the meter. We check the main fuse rating, the earthing arrangement and how much spare capacity the property actually has once the shower, oven and heat source are accounted for.
Older properties around Henley, Marlow and the Chilterns often have a 60A or 80A main fuse. That does not rule out a 7kW charger — it usually just means load management, which throttles the charger when the rest of the house is drawing hard.
- Main fuse rating and meter position
- Earthing arrangement (TN-S, TN-C-S or TT)
- Consumer unit spare ways and RCD protection
- Realistic maximum demand for the property
Cable route and charger position
The cable run drives most of the cost. A charger on the garage wall a couple of metres from the consumer unit is straightforward; one at the end of a 30-metre driveway needs a larger cable, a trench or a duct, and more time.
We agree the exact position on the survey — the charger should reach your car's port on the side it actually parks, with the cable stowed off the ground.
What it costs
A standard 7kW single-phase installation with a short cable run starts at £849 fitted, including the charge point, protective devices, testing and certification.
Longer runs, consumer unit upgrades, three-phase 22kW units or groundworks are priced after the survey. We quote a fixed price — no hourly creep.
Notification and paperwork
Every charge point install is notified to the local distribution network operator, and the work is certified to BS 7671 with an Electrical Installation Certificate. You get the certificate, the commissioning record and the app set up before we leave.
Common questions
- How long does an EV charger installation take?
- A typical home install is three to five hours. Longer cable runs, trenching or a consumer unit change can extend it to a full day.
- Do I need a three-phase supply?
- No. The vast majority of homes run a 7kW single-phase charger, which adds roughly 25 miles of range per hour — more than enough overnight.
- Can you install a charger without a driveway?
- Only where the cable can be managed safely on private land. We will tell you honestly at survey stage rather than fit something that trails across a pavement.