Most people start their EV charger search by picking a brand and comparing the apps. Honest answer: the brand matters less than the install. A well-fitted Wallbox on a properly surveyed property will outlast a rushed Hypervolt every time, and the differences between the major brands are smaller than the difference between a clean install and a sloppy one. Get the survey right first, the brand second.
Why a site survey matters more than the brand
An EV charger draws a continuous 32 amps for hours. That is not the same as a kettle or a washing machine. The cable from your meter into the consumer unit, the consumer unit itself, the earthing arrangement, and the cable run to the charger all need to be checked together as a system. Skipping the survey is how you end up with a charger that trips out, or worse, a fitted unit that should never have been quoted in the first place.
A proper installer turns up before quoting, looks at the kit, takes notes, and then writes you a fixed price. If somebody is selling you a unit on a phone call without seeing the property, walk away.
What an installer should check before quoting
Here is the short version of what we run through on every survey. If your quote arrives without these covered, ask why.
- Earthing arrangement: TT, TN-S, or TN-C-S. Each requires a different protective device on the charger circuit. PME supplies usually need either an O-PEN device built into the charger or an earth rod, depending on the unit. Skip this and the install is non-compliant.
- Consumer unit headroom: Is there a free way for a 32 A breaker, and does the existing supply have the capacity to add 7 kW of continuous load? On older 60 A or 80 A supplies that already run an electric shower and a hob, the answer can be no without a load-managed charger or a DNO upgrade.
- Cable run: Length, route, and how it is fixed. A short outdoor run on a clipped cable is easy. A 25 metre run through cavity walls with chases and floor crossings is a different job, and the price reflects it.
- Isolation point: An accessible isolator on the supply side of the charger is part of the regulations. The position matters because you will rely on it whenever the charger needs maintenance.
- RCD and surge protection: Modern chargers include the right RCD type internally, but the upstream consumer unit may need surge protection added depending on age and design. We confirm this on survey, not in the quote letter.
None of this is exotic. It is the routine work that separates a tidy 4-hour install from a 6-month headache.
Want a proper site survey before you commit?
Call Chris on 01823 212 770 for a free EV charger site survey across Somerset. We quote in writing after the survey, with no surprises on install day.
Book a Free SurveyBrand snapshot: QUBEV, Hypervolt, Ohme, EO, Wallbox, Andersen
We fit the lot, and we will recommend the unit that suits your property and your driving pattern. A short, honest take on each brand we deal with regularly.
- QUBEV: Solid mid-priced unit, OCPP-compliant, decent app, sensible warranty. We fit a lot of them because the install is straightforward and the after-sales has been reliable. A safe pick for most households.
- Hypervolt: Strong design, good app integration with Octopus and other smart tariffs, and built-in solar diversion on the higher-spec models. Holds up well in real-world Somerset weather. Slightly higher price point, but justified if you are pairing with PV.
- Ohme: The simplest tariff-aware charger we fit. Sticks tightly to time-of-use rates and is hard to misuse. A good first charger for someone who just wants the cheapest off-peak charging without fiddling with apps. Tethered cable models are popular.
- EO: Compact, well-built, particularly good for smaller properties or where the unit needs to sit on a tight side wall. The app is functional rather than slick, but the hardware is reliable.
- Wallbox: The Pulsar Plus is one of the most popular chargers we fit and a sensible default. OCPP, modular, good app, very tidy install. Bidirectional models are appearing but pricing is still steep for what most households need.
- Andersen: The premium option. Cable hides inside the unit, finish is excellent, and customers who care about how the charger looks at the front of the house pick this one. Pay for the design.
Brand-loyalty is not a thing in EV chargers yet. The unit you pick should match how you drive, what tariff you use, and whether solar is in the picture. We will make the recommendation on survey and back it up in writing.
OZEV grant 2026: who still qualifies
The OZEV chargepoint grant for single-occupancy homes ended a while back, and that is the part most people remember. The lesser-known truth is that several grant streams are still live in 2026.
- Renters and people in flats: The EV chargepoint grant for flats and rental accommodation pays up to £350 toward a charger install. You need the right paperwork from your landlord or freeholder, and we administer the application as part of the install.
- Landlords: The Landlord EV chargepoint grant covers up to 200 sockets a year, with a higher cap per unit for residential properties. Useful for HMOs, blocks, and rental portfolios.
- Workplace scheme: The Workplace Charging Scheme remains available for businesses and supports up to 75 percent of cost to a cap, multiple sockets per applicant. Small commercial customers in Somerset still benefit from this regularly.
- Single-occupancy houses: No grant. Has not been one for a while. Anyone advertising a grant for a standard owner-occupied house in 2026 is misreading the rules.
We check eligibility on survey and tell you upfront whether a grant applies. If it does, we handle the paperwork. If it does not, we will not pretend it does.
Frequently asked questions
A typical 7 kW home install lands between £900 and £1,800 depending on the unit, the cable run, and any consumer-unit work. Long indoor runs and earthing upgrades push it higher. We quote in writing after a free site survey, so the figure on the page is the figure you pay.
For most homes, 7 kW is the right answer. 22 kW requires a three-phase supply, which most domestic properties in Somerset do not have, and the practical benefit overnight is small because most cars charge slower than 22 kW on AC anyway. We will tell you on survey if your supply supports 22 kW and whether it is worth the extra cost.
Yes, with a solar-aware charger that throttles to surplus generation. Hypervolt and the higher-spec Wallbox models do this natively. The car gets the spare PV power instead of exporting it for a few pence per kWh, which can save several hundred pounds a year if your driving pattern lines up with sunny days.
OCPP is the open communication standard for chargers. An OCPP-compliant unit can talk to multiple back-end providers, which means if your current charger app provider goes bust or gets bought out, your hardware still works on a different platform. We default to OCPP-compliant chargers because we have seen too many proprietary units stranded.
The Distribution Network Operator needs to be notified for every EV charger install. For most 7 kW domestic chargers it is a notification only, no waiting period. For 22 kW or where supplies are tight, we may need to wait for an approval before install. We handle the paperwork on your behalf and tell you upfront if there is a wait involved.
