EV charger install in London — 2026 guide (and the £350 grant most people miss)

Most London households thinking about an EV charger don't realise there's a £350 grant they qualify for. Most who do know don't realise it only applies to flats and rentals now, not owner-occupied houses. This guide unpicks the rules, the cost, and how long it actually takes.

What you can install at home

Almost every London home has single-phase electricity supply. That caps you at 7 kW unless you pay for a 3-phase upgrade (£3,000-£8,000 from UK Power Networks). Most people don't bother — overnight 7 kW charging is enough.

OZEV grant — who actually qualifies

The Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV) grant gives £350 toward home charger installation. Who qualifies in 2026:

• Yes: Flats (owner or tenant) — including conversions and new-builds
• Yes: Tenants of rented houses (with landlord permission)
• Yes: Landlords installing on rental properties
• No: Owner-occupied houses (cancelled in 2022)

Around 60% of London households are flat-dwellers, so this grant has more uptake here than nationally. We handle the application as part of the install — you don't fill anything in.

What it actually costs in London

What's involved in the install

For a standard 7 kW home charger:

1. Site survey — we check your consumer unit (capacity for a new 32A circuit), supply (single-phase confirmed at 60-80A), parking location, cable run options
2. Apply for OZEV grant if eligible — we file on your behalf
3. Notify DNO — UK Power Networks needs to know about chargers >3.6 kW. This is automatic but takes 5-10 working days. Permission isn't required for 7 kW in most London homes.
4. Install day — typically 3-4 hours. We run the cable from consumer unit to charger location, fit a dedicated 32A RCBO, mount the charger, commission and test, hand over instructions and app set-up
5. Certificate — same-day NICEIC Electrical Installation Certificate, BS 7671 compliant

Charger brands we install

We're not tied to any single brand. We install whatever fits your car, parking spot, and budget:

• Pod Point — solid app, decent value
• Ohme — best for Octopus Intelligent / variable-rate tariffs
• Hypervolt — premium UK design
• Andersen — luxury aesthetic, higher cost
• Easee — Norwegian, modular, well-rated
• Wallbox — mid-range, good app
• Zappi — solar-integrated, eco-friendly

Common London-specific issues

1. Listed buildings / conservation areas — some boroughs (Westminster, Camden) need planning permission for visible chargers on facades. We can advise on what's acceptable.
2. Communal parking / shared driveways — needs lease check or freeholder consent.
3. No off-street parking — TfL has on-street EV charging schemes but they're limited. We can install a charger only where you have legal right to park and charge.
4. Older fuse boxes — pre-2015 plastic consumer units may need replacement first to comply with BS 7671 requirements for EV charging circuits. £695 extra.

How long from enquiry to charging?

Typical timeline:

• Day 1: Enquiry, site survey booked
• Day 3-5: Survey + quote
• Day 5-7: OZEV grant + DNO notification filed
• Day 12-15: Install (after DNO 10-working-day window)
• Day 15: First charge

If you're in a rush we can compress this to 5-7 days for non-DNO-notification properties.

Quick start

Call 020 3355 7549 to book a free EV charger survey — typically 30-40 minutes on site, free even if you don't proceed. Or join the Priority Club first and get 10% off when you do.

Common questions