EV Charger install

Tourershine

Tourershine

Senior Citizen.
VIP Member
T6 Master
Not T6 related, but I know there are some EV owners on here, plus some knowledgeable people.

I've recently collected my wife's new Mini full Electric (Awesome car by the way) but we seem to be hitting a brick wall with a charger installation.

I've purchased another house which I'm currently renovating and this is the house the charger needs to be fitted in. The house has a 60amp main fuse which I'm told needs upgrading to a 100amp. This fuse, as most will know, has to be changed by the main electricity owner, which in my case is Western Power. This is where we are hitting the wall.

Western Power are saying they don't upgrade fuses anymore, unless an EV charger installer puts in an application. They claim that this cannot be done by the home owner.
The issue is, from those charger suppliers that actually got back to me, none say it's their responsibility to make an application for fuse upgrade, and just say it's my responsibility. Hence the current issue (excuse the pun)

I've tried to explain to Western Power that the EV charger companies don't seem interested, but without this application, they won't even send out an engineer.

I'm aware that I can install a 7kw charger on a 60amp fuse theoretically, but no one will and as I'm having a lot more tech installed into the house than it originally had when it was built in the 60s, I would sooner upgrade the main fuse.

I've exhausted my research and it's the usual mixed opinions on the internet, so wondered if anyone has had this issue and got around it?
 
Last edited:
You could try Ofgem, you can’t be the only one in this situation.
I always thought that 100A was the standard installation, obviously not.
www.ofgem.gov.uk

Energy advice for households

Our tips on switching, government grants, benefits and energy efficiency schemes to save money and get greener with your energy use.
www.ofgem.gov.uk www.ofgem.gov.uk
 
DXX said:
You could try Ofgem, you can’t be the only one in this situation.
I always thought that 100A was the standard installation, obviously not.
www.ofgem.gov.uk

Energy advice for households

Our tips on switching, government grants, benefits and energy efficiency schemes to save money and get greener with your energy use.
www.ofgem.gov.uk www.ofgem.gov.uk
Click to expand...

I've dropped Western Power one more email before I take it further.

I think some older houses were fitted with 60 or 80 amp fuses. My current house is a large detached house built in 68 and this also has a 60 amp fuse.
 
Tourershine said:
I've dropped Western Power one more email before I take it further.

I think some older houses were fitted with 60 or 80 amp fuses. My current house is a large detached house built in 68 and this also has a 60 amp fuse.
Click to expand...
I found this, looks like corporate BS but there might be something useful in there
 
DXX said:
I found this, looks like corporate BS but there might be something useful in there
Click to expand...


I found that the other day.
I think some of this is box ticking because the reality is rather different from what I've been told.
I spoke to an engineer mate of mine and he claimed that there are thousands of streets in the UK that if just half of the residents switched to EVs, the power network is too old to cope. I wonder if this is why the electricity owners are making it harder to upgrade fuses.

It's a real shame that I've made the conscious decision to move to EVs and the first major hurdle is actually getting it charged. A few stories like this in the press and we will start going backwards and that's not what I want.

There are enough EV sceptics out there that love stuff like this.
 
If the house dates back to the 60’s the fuse may not be the issue, the infrastructure and cabling will be the limiting factor.
It is quite possible the sub main cable serving your house may not be up to providing the additional load, indeed the local sub station may not have the capacity either, these all need to be verified (probably by UKPN) before providers can increasing the main fuse.
 
T5-heath said:
If the house dates back to the 60’s the fuse may not be the issue, the infrastructure and cabling will be the limiting factor.
It is quite possible the sub main cable serving your house may not be up to providing the additional load, indeed the local sub station may not have the capacity either, these all need to be verified (probably by UKPN) before providers can increasing the main fuse.
Click to expand...


Exactly what my research has concluded. Yet none of this was indicated at initial purchase.
 
There’s a form we fill in when doing an EV charger install/inspection to assess the supply at the property and determine if it’s sufficient, Im just walking out the door but will come back tonight with the details so you know the process and the form name etc, your installer should really be sorting this for you, have you used a local sparks or one of these nationwide EV install companies ?
 
Pauly said:
There’s a form we fill in when doing an EV charger install/inspection to assess the supply at the property and determine if it’s sufficient, Im just walking out the door but will come back tonight with the details so you know the process and the form name etc, your installer should really be sorting this for you, have you used a local sparks or one of these nationwide EV install companies ?
Click to expand...

I wondered if you'd reply. I should of just texted you. I've asked a few sparks but they don't want to get involved and said its better left with the EV charger suppliers.
 
I watched a vid on this the other day...well looped house supply, but mentioned the same thing.

They said.

Like @Pauly said the spark's company needs to fill in the new supply request form.

Sounds like you need to get new firm in to fit the EV charger.. your existing ppl are not up to speed.


I'll see if I can find the vid.
 
Interesting that, just checked my 2nd property which is a 2000 converted barn, terrace arrangement. Non looped but with only a 60a fuse. My main concern would be my parking is out the front and my electricity stuff at the back...
 
Sackmycook said:
Interesting that, just checked my 2nd property which is a 2000 converted barn, terrace arrangement. Non looped but with only a 60a fuse. My main concern would be my parking is out the front and my electricity stuff at the back...
Click to expand...


Same here, but my house is currently a shell with everything ripped out, so now would be a perfect time to run cables, so I can hide them behind walls as we go forward.
 
Bargy62 said:
what size are the batteries in the car power wise
Click to expand...
The battery of the Tesla Model 3 Standard Range has an estimated total capacity of 50 kWh. The usable capacity is 40 kWh (estimate). An estimated range of about 165 miles is achievable on a fully charged battery.

...

www.carmagazine.co.uk

Electric car batteries: everything you need to know

A layperson's guide to electric car batteries: capacity, battery types, tech explainers, costs and how long they last
www.carmagazine.co.uk


.
 
A 60A main fuse isn’t really an issue unless you have electric space heating

lots of houses built after around 1970 are more likely to have 60A, with earlier properties generally having 100A

getting the fuse upgraded is a task the installing company needs to undertake
 
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