Which Home EV Charger Should You Buy? An Electrician's Guide
The charger market is crowded and the spec sheets are noisy. Here's what actually matters when choosing a home charge point — from an installer's point of view.
7kW vs 22kW — the decision most people get wrong
22kW sounds three times better than 7kW, but for almost every UK home it's irrelevant: 22kW charging needs a three-phase electricity supply, and the overwhelming majority of British houses have single-phase. On a single-phase supply, a '22kW' charger will only ever deliver 7kW.
Even where three-phase exists, most EVs' on-board chargers accept 7–11kW AC at most — the car, not the wall box, sets the ceiling. Unless you have three-phase already and a car that can use it, buy a good 7kW unit and spend the difference on installation quality.
7kW adds roughly 25–30 miles of range per hour — a full overnight charge for almost any EV, which is all a home charger needs to do.
Tethered vs untethered
A tethered charger has the cable permanently attached — walk out, uncoil, plug in. An untethered (socketed) unit has a socket you plug your own cable into.
- Tethered — more convenient day to day; pick a cable length that reaches your charge port with the car parked badly, not perfectly (7.5m is a safer bet than 5m)
- Untethered — tidier on the wall, works with any cable, and slightly more future-proof if connector standards or your car change
- Most households choose tethered for convenience; landlords and shared driveways often prefer untethered
Smart features that actually matter
All new home chargers must legally be 'smart' — but the useful intelligence varies. From an installer's perspective, these are the features worth caring about:
- Off-peak scheduling that talks to your tariff — the entire financial case for home charging rests on cheap overnight rates
- Solar integration — if you have (or plan) panels, a charger that diverts excess solar into the car is a genuine money-saver
- Load management (CT clamp) — lets the charger throttle itself so your main fuse never overloads; essential in homes with electric showers or heat pumps
- Built-in open-PEN protection — avoids the need for an earth rod and makes installation cleaner and cheaper
- A well-supported app — the hardware lasts 10+ years; pick a brand with a track record of maintaining its software
What we recommend
The best charger is the one specified for your house, your supply and your car — which is why we survey before we quote. As a rule of thumb: a 7kW tethered smart unit with built-in PEN protection and load management from an established brand covers 90% of households perfectly.
We supply, install and certify home EV chargers across London and Kent with fixed pricing — see our EV charger installation service or call 07535 810812 for a recommendation based on your setup.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a CT clamp / load management?
If your home has other large electrical loads — electric shower, heat pump, hot tub — load management stops the charger tripping your main fuse by throttling charging when demand peaks. Many chargers include it as standard; we fit the clamp during installation.
Should I wait for faster home charging technology?
No. AC home charging is limited by your supply and your car's on-board charger, not the wall box — 7kW overnight covers virtually all daily driving. DC rapid charging at home is impractical on domestic supplies and there's no sign of that changing.
Can the charger be installed anywhere on my property?
Almost anywhere with a suitable cable route — garage, external wall, or a post by the driveway. Longer runs and groundworks add cost, so charger position is one of the first things we look at in a survey.
Talk to a NAPIT-Registered Electrician
Call 07535 810812 or WhatsApp us — free quotes, honest advice, and certified work across London & Kent.