EV Charger Installationin Loughton, Harlow & Epping

Before quoting, we check the rating of your incoming supply and existing consumer unit, since a 7.4kW charger draws a continuous current that needs to be accommodated alongside existing loads without exceeding the supply's overall capacity. This is particularly relevant in older properties with a lower-rated supply, or where other high-demand appliances such as electric showers or immersion heaters already draw heavily on the same supply.

Where supply capacity is genuinely insufficient, we discuss realistic options, a lower-output charger, load management between circuits, or in rarer cases, liaison with the District Network Operator about a supply upgrade, rather than fitting a charger that will underperform or trip repeatedly.

Most UK properties are supplied via PME (Protective Multiple Earthing), which under fault conditions could theoretically make an EV charging point's earth live if the supply neutral were to fail upstream. BS 7671 and EV charging guidance address this by requiring either an earth electrode (converting the charging point's earthing to a local TT arrangement) or a charger with built-in open-PEN fault protection that disconnects supply automatically if this occurs.

We determine the correct approach for your specific property and supply type during the survey rather than applying a blanket solution, since the right answer depends on supply configuration, charger specification and sometimes advice from the DNO.

EV charging circuits are typically wired in SWA cable for external runs to a garage or driveway-mounted charger, sized to handle sustained full-load current without excessive voltage drop over the run length, and protected by a dedicated RCBO at the consumer unit, never shared with another circuit. Type A or Type B RCD protection is specified according to the charger's own internal protection, since some EV chargers require Type B protection upstream due to DC fault current characteristics from the vehicle's charging electronics.

Where the consumer unit itself is old, undersized, or already fully populated with no spare ways, we advise on whether a consumer unit upgrade should be carried out alongside the charger installation, rather than compromising on protection to avoid that conversation.

Domestic installations are usually a single charge point wired back to the existing consumer unit, completed within a day including testing and certification. Workplace and small fleet installations more often involve multiple charge points sharing a single supply, which typically requires a load management system to dynamically share available capacity between chargers rather than each one drawing full power simultaneously.

Workplace installations are also more likely to need RAMS documentation, particularly where installation takes place in an occupied car park or alongside ongoing business operations, and often benefit from being planned as part of a wider commercial fit-out or refurbishment programme rather than as a standalone job.