Before You Book an EV Charger Installation
Four things about your supply that decide whether the quote you were given is realistic.
Most EV charger quotes assume everything about your supply is straightforward. Four things frequently are not, and each one changes the price.
Your Main Fuse Rating
A 60A main fuse with an electric shower and hob already fitted may not support a 32A charger without load management. The fix is usually a load-limiting device rather than a supply upgrade, but it needs to be in the quote rather than discovered on the day.
Earthing Arrangement
Older TN-S and TT installations, and PME supplies in particular, have specific requirements for outdoor charging equipment. Most modern chargers have open-PEN detection built in, which resolves it — but only if the installer has confirmed which arrangement you actually have.
Cable Route and Distance
The garage on the far side of the house is not the same job as the drive beside the consumer unit. Distance drives cable size, and a long run in armoured cable buried at the correct depth is a real cost that vanishes from optimistic quotes.
Consumer Unit Capacity
A charger needs its own dedicated circuit with appropriate RCD protection. If your board is full, or the existing protection is the wrong type, that is a separate job that has to happen first.
What a Proper Quote Looks Like
It names your main fuse rating, your earthing arrangement, the cable route and length, and whether the consumer unit needs work. Anything without those four is a guess, and guesses go up on the day.
