Why install a home charger?
Most EVs come with a portable cable that plugs into a normal power point. It’s handy for travel, but charging is slow, often only adding a modest amount of range per hour. That’s fine if you don’t drive far, but most people find it too slow for everyday use.
A wall-mounted charger on its own dedicated circuit is quicker, built for long daily charging sessions, and usually comes with scheduling so you can charge overnight on a cheaper tariff or during the day from your solar. It also avoids running a power point flat out for hours at a time, which isn’t what general outlets are designed for.
7kW single-phase or 22kW three-phase?
Most Australian homes have single-phase power. On single-phase, a home charger typically delivers up to around 7kW, which is enough to fully charge most EVs overnight.
Homes with three-phase supply can install chargers of up to 22kW. But there’s a catch: the car has to be able to accept it. Many EVs have an onboard AC charger limited to around 7kW or 11kW, so a 22kW charger won’t charge them any faster than that. Before spending more on a bigger charger, check what your car can actually take. We’re happy to help work that out.
If your home is single-phase, upgrading to three-phase is sometimes possible but involves the network and can be a bigger project. For most households, a well-set-up 7kW charger does the job comfortably.
Switchboard and capacity checks
An EV charger is one of the biggest continuous loads in a home. It can draw close to its full rating for hours at a time. Before we install, we check:
- Whether your switchboard has space for a new circuit
- Whether the board has suitable safety switch protection
- Your main supply capacity and the load from air-con, hot water, cooking and pool equipment
- The cable run from the board to the charger location
Older boards often need replacing to fit an EV circuit safely. If that’s the case, we’ll tell you upfront and include it in your quote. Our switchboard upgrades page explains what’s involved.
Load management
If your supply is close to its limit, load management lets you install a charger without overloading the house. A current sensor on your main supply tells the charger how much power the rest of the house is using, and the charger turns itself down when other big appliances are running. When they switch off, it ramps back up.
Load management can avoid a costly supply upgrade and is well worth considering on homes with ducted air-con, electric hot water and pool equipment all running at once. Many chargers have this built in, or it can be added.
Solar and battery integration
If you have solar, many chargers can prioritise charging from excess solar, so your car soaks up energy you’d otherwise export for a small feed-in credit. This needs the charger and the right monitoring set up together. If you’re adding a battery or a larger solar system at the same time, we’ll plan the switchboard layout for all of it in one go.
Choosing a charger and location
There are plenty of good home chargers on the market, from dedicated EV charging brands to units made by solar and inverter manufacturers. We don’t push a particular brand. We’ll install a quality charger you’ve chosen, or recommend a few suitable options based on your car, your supply and whether you want solar charging, app control or load management.
Location matters too. We look for a spot that suits where you park, keeps the cable off walkways, and is protected from the weather where possible. If the charger is outdoors or in a carport, it needs to be rated for that. Safety switch protection suited to EV charging is essential, and depending on the charger, that may mean a specific type of RCD. We sort this as part of the install.
For a deeper look at the options, read our home EV charger guide for Queensland.
What affects the cost
The main things that affect the cost of a home charger install are:
- The charger you choose, if we’re supplying it
- Single-phase or three-phase supply
- The distance from the switchboard to the charger
- Whether the switchboard needs upgrading
- Whether load management or solar integration is needed
- Wall construction and cable routes, such as through a slab or under a house
We give you an upfront written quote before any work starts. If you’re in an apartment or unit complex, charging usually needs body corporate approval and consideration of the building’s supply. Our commercial EV charging and strata electrical services cover that side of things.
All EV charger installs are done to AS/NZS 3000, with the circuit and safety switch tested before handover. You’ll get a compliance certificate, and we’ll show you how to use the charger’s scheduling and settings.