The short answer
A home EV charge point must be installed by a qualified electrician under Building Regulations Part P, wired to IET BS 7671, fitted with a smart-capable unit under the 2021 Smart Charge Points Regulations, and OZEV-approved if you want the £350 grant. See why DIY is not legal and grant eligibility for related detail.
Several overlapping sets of rules govern the installation of a home EV charge point in the UK. Understanding them as a homeowner helps you ask the right questions of an installer and verify that the work is being done correctly. This guide walks through each regulatory layer in plain English — building regulations, wiring standards, smart charging rules and the OZEV installer scheme.
Installation requirements at a glance
- Building Regulations Part P Notifiable work — must use a registered electrician
- IET Wiring Regulations BS 7671 UK standard for EV circuit design and protection
- Smart Charge Points Regulations 2021 All new UK home units must be smart-capable
- OZEV approval Required to claim the £350 grant
- Certificate issued Electrical Installation Certificate (EIC) on completion
- Annual re-inspection Not required — but keep the EIC for property records
Building Regulations Part P: the legal framework
Part P of the Building Regulations (England and Wales) requires that electrical installation work in dwellings and their associated outbuildings is carried out safely and to a recognised standard. Installing a new radial circuit from the consumer unit to a charge point is notifiable work under Part P. This means it must be carried out by a registered competent person (an electrician registered with NICEIC, NAPIT, ELECSA, SELECT in Scotland, or similar approved scheme) or notified to and inspected by the local building control authority. Scotland and Northern Ireland have equivalent requirements under their own building regulations frameworks.
On completion of notifiable work, the competent person issues an Electrical Installation Certificate (EIC). This document records the circuit specification, test results and the installer’s details. Keep it — you will need it if you sell the property, make an insurance claim, or the local authority ever asks for evidence of compliance.
IET Wiring Regulations BS 7671: the technical standard
BS 7671 (the IET Wiring Regulations, 18th Edition as amended) sets the technical requirements for the EV circuit itself. The key requirements for an EV charge point installation include:
- Dedicated radial circuit: the charge point must be on its own circuit from the consumer unit, not wired into an existing ring final or socket circuit.
- Correct cable sizing: the cable must be sized for the sustained current draw (typically 6 mm² for a 32 A / 7 kW circuit).
- RCD protection: an appropriate residual current device must be provided — a Type A or Type B RCD depending on the charge point’s earthing arrangement and whether it produces DC fault currents.
- Earthing and bonding: the charge point enclosure must be properly earthed, and supplementary protective bonding applied where required.
- Protection against overvoltage: surge protection devices may be required depending on the installation conditions.
| Requirement | What it means in practice |
|---|---|
| Dedicated circuit | Own breaker in consumer unit, own cable run to the charger |
| Cable size | Typically 6 mm² for 7 kW, properly clipped and protected |
| RCD type | Type A or B depending on charger earthing mode |
| IP rating | Charge point must be rated for outdoor use if externally mounted |
Smart Charge Points Regulations 2021
The Electric Vehicles (Smart Charge Points) Regulations 2021 require that all new home charge points in Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales) installed from December 2021 must be “smart” — capable of communicating with a back-end system and responding to instructions to shift load. In practice this means the unit must:
- Connect to the internet (typically via Wi-Fi).
- Be capable of delaying, interrupting or rescheduling charging in response to grid signals or user scheduling.
- Meet the security and interoperability requirements in the regulations.
Non-smart charge points cannot be legally installed at new domestic sites in Great Britain. An OZEV-approved installer will supply only compliant units. See smart vs standard EV charger for the feature comparison.
OZEV installer approval
Claiming the £350 OZEV Chargepoint Grant requires the installation to be carried out by an OZEV-approved installer. Approval means the company has met OZEV’s criteria for electrical competency, insurance, quality and compliance. The OZEV website maintains a searchable list of approved installers. This page provides general information about the regulatory framework; for advice on your specific installation, consult a qualified OZEV-approved installer who can assess your property and supply details.
Get a fully compliant installation
An OZEV-approved installer handles Part P, BS 7671, smart compliance and the £350 grant in one visit. Get quotes now — free to enquire, no obligation.
Frequently asked questions
What regulations apply to home EV charger installation?
Building Regulations Part P (notifiable electrical work), IET Wiring Regulations BS 7671 (circuit design), the Electric Vehicles (Smart Charge Points) Regulations 2021 (smart requirement) and the OZEV approved installer scheme if you want the grant.
Does a home EV charger need a dedicated circuit?
Yes. A dedicated radial circuit from the consumer unit is required under BS 7671 — the charger cannot share a ring final or socket circuit. See our dedicated circuit guide for the detail.
What type of RCD do I need for an EV charger?
Many EV chargers require a Type B RCD to detect DC fault currents. The correct type depends on the specific charge point; a qualified installer will select the appropriate protection.
Do all new EV chargers have to be smart?
Yes, in Great Britain. The Electric Vehicles (Smart Charge Points) Regulations 2021 require all new home charge points installed since December 2021 to be smart-capable — able to schedule and shift charging.
Sources & further reading
- GOV.UK — Building Regulations Part P and Electric Vehicles (Smart Charge Points) Regulations 2021
- IET Wiring Regulations (BS 7671) — 18th Edition requirements for EV charge point circuits
- OZEV (Office for Zero Emission Vehicles) — Approved installer scheme and chargepoint grant requirements
- Energy Saving Trust — Home EV charging compliance and smart charging guidance
This is general information about home EV charging in the UK, not electrical, planning or installation advice for your specific property. Costs, timescales and specifications vary with your home’s supply, parking arrangement and chosen installer. Always obtain written quotes from OZEV-approved installers and check grant eligibility at GOV.UK before committing.