A new EV charge point is certified on an Electrical Installation Certificate (EIC). Regulation 722.533.101 of BS 7671 requires every charging point to have its own final circuit, and a new circuit always means an EIC. The certificate has to show the Section 722 design decisions: a 30 mA RCD of at least Type A with protection against d.c. fault current, and how the PME restriction in Regulation 722.411.4.1 has been met. Around the EIC sit Part P notification in England and Wales, and notification to the DNO within 28 days where the whole property's maximum demand stays at or below 60 A.
- A new charge point is a new circuit, so it needs an EIC with schedules of inspection and test results. A Minor Works Certificate only fits a like-for-like charger swap on a circuit that already complies.
- Each charging point needs its own 30 mA RCD of at least Type A, plus d.c. fault protection: a Type B RCD, or a Type A or F RCD with d.c. detection to BS IEC 62955.
- A PME earth cannot simply be taken out to a vehicle charged outdoors. Record which method you used: a TT electrode for the charging point, or one of the four methods left in Regulation 722.411.4.1.
- RCD testing changed with Amendment 2:2022: one a.c. test at 1 × IΔn, 300 ms maximum, whatever the RCD type.
- Connect and notify applies only up to 60 A maximum demand for the whole property with a sound, unlooped service. Anything else is an application to the DNO first.
- BS 7671:2018+A2:2022 with A3:2024 is withdrawn on 15 October 2026. From then on, new work is designed and certified to BS 7671:2018+A4:2026.
Which certificate does an EV charger installation need?
The EIC is the BS 7671 certificate for a new installation or a new circuit added to an existing one. Because each charging point must be supplied individually by a final circuit with its own overcurrent device (Regulation 722.533.101), a charge point install is new-circuit work even when the charger takes the place of an outdoor socket on an existing radial. For a single domestic charger one person normally signs as designer, constructor and inspector.
| Work | Certificate |
|---|---|
| New charge point on a new circuit | EIC |
| Like-for-like charger replacement on an existing circuit that already meets Section 722 | Minor Works Certificate |
| Alteration to an existing charger circuit, such as changing the RCD to the right type or adding an open-PEN device | Minor Works Certificate |
| Second charger fed from an existing charger circuit | Not permitted: each charging point needs its own final circuit |
| Periodic inspection of an existing charger | EICR |
The differences between the forms are covered in EICR vs EIC: what's the difference?, the EIC explained and when to use a Minor Works Certificate.
What does Section 722 require?
Section 722 sits in Part 7 of BS 7671, so it adds to or modifies the general rules. These are the points that shape the design, and so the paperwork.
Dedicated circuit, diversity and cable
Each charging point has its own final circuit, and Regulation 722.311 treats that circuit as running at the charger's rated or configured current: no diversity on the final circuit. A 7.4 kW single-phase unit is a 32 A continuous load (32 A × 230 V = 7.36 kW). In 6 mm² twin and earth at 7.3 mV/A/m, the 5% volt drop allowance of 11.5 V is used up at roughly 49 m, so long garden and garage runs need the sum doing; see cable sizing and volt drop basics. On a TN supply a 32 A Type B circuit-breaker needs a measured Zs within the 1.37 Ω maximum in Table 41.3, less the usual temperature allowance (maximum Zs values).
RCD protection and d.c. fault current
Regulation 722.531.3.101 requires each charging point to be protected individually by an RCD of 30 mA or less, and the RCD has to disconnect all live conductors. Type A is the minimum, so Type AC is not acceptable. A vehicle's on-board charger can leak smooth d.c., which can stop a Type A device operating, so d.c. fault protection is needed as well.
| Option | Where it sits | What to check and record |
|---|---|---|
| Type B RCD or RCBO | Consumer unit or EV enclosure | RCD type and IΔn on the schedule; a.c. trip time at 1 × IΔn |
| Type A or Type F RCD with an RDC-DD to BS IEC 62955 | RCD upstream, d.c. detection inside the charger | RCD tested as normal; RDC-DD confirmed from the charger data sheet and written in the remarks |
Most domestic chargers include 6 mA d.c. detection, which is why a Type A RCBO at the board is the common arrangement. Confirm it from the data sheet rather than assume. NICEIC's Amendment 4 guidance also notes that A4:2026 brings RDC protective devices (RDC-PD) into the EV requirements, so check the published text if a manufacturer quotes one.
PME supplies and the open-PEN problem
Regulation 722.411.4.1 is the one everyone remembers. If the combined neutral and earth (PEN) conductor in the supply breaks, the installation earth can rise towards line voltage, and a person touching the car body while standing on the drive is in the path. So a PME earthing facility must not be used for a charging point that is outdoors, or that might reasonably be used to charge a vehicle outdoors, unless one of the listed methods is applied. Amendment 1 (2020) listed five. The three-phase load-balance method was deleted by Amendment 2:2022, and the "not reasonably practicable" let-out for dwellings went with Amendment 1, which leaves four:
- Earth electrode on the main earthing terminal that keeps the voltage to Earth at or below 70 V if the PEN opens. Annex A722 gives the calculation. The resistance needed is usually far lower than a rod on a domestic plot will give.
- A device that monitors the voltage between the circuit protective conductor and Earth and disconnects within 5 seconds if it exceeds 70 V rms.
- For single-phase supplies, a device that monitors line-to-neutral voltage and disconnects within 5 seconds above 253 V or below 207 V rms.
- An alternative device giving no lesser degree of safety than the two above.
The device must open line, neutral and the protective conductor, provide isolation and be selected against Table 537.4. Many chargers have this built in, and IET 01:2024 now gives manufacturers a product standard for open-PEN detection devices (OPDDs) in household EV charging, so look for it on the data sheet.
The other route is not to use the PME earth at all: make the charging point TT with its own electrode. The IET's guidance warns that TT is not automatically the safe choice, because you need enough separation between the electrode and buried metalwork connected to the PME earth, and nobody should be able to touch the car and PME-earthed metalwork at once. The background is in earthing arrangements explained and outbuilding and garden supplies.
Earth electrode
Where the charging point is TT, Regulation 411.5.3 requires RA × IΔn to be no more than 50 V. That is 1,667 Ω for a 30 mA RCD, but the note to Table 41.5 says a value above 200 Ω may not be stable, so 200 Ω is the working limit. Measure it and record it; methods are in earth electrode testing for TT systems.
Mounting height and location
BS 7671 no longer gives a mounting height. The original 18th Edition asked for 0.5 m to 1.5 m; Amendment 1 removed it. The IET's EV charging FAQ points instead to BS 8300: socket-outlet 0.75 m to 1.2 m above finished floor level. Outdoor equipment needs to be at least IPX4, and positioned where a car is unlikely to hit it.
How do you test and record an EV charger circuit?
Test it like any new circuit, in the usual order, then add the Section 722 details so the next inspector can follow the design.
| EIC section | What to record for the charger circuit |
|---|---|
| Description and extent | "New dedicated circuit for 7.4 kW EV charging point, make and model, front wall" |
| Supply characteristics | Earthing type, Ze, prospective fault current, supply fuse rating |
| Earthing arrangement | Whether the charging point is TT while the house is TN-C-S; electrode type, location and resistance |
| Schedule of test results | Cable size, OCPD type and rating, RCD type and IΔn, R1+R2, insulation resistance, polarity, Zs, RCD trip time |
| Remarks | Open-PEN device make and model; RDC-DD present in charger; load-limiting (CT) setting; charger self-test carried out |
Insulation resistance is measured at 500 V d.c. with the charger disconnected, minimum 1 MΩ (insulation resistance testing). On a TT charging point disconnection relies on the RCD, so the trip time matters more than the Zs figure.
RCD testing is where older habits are out of date. The IET's Wiring Matters (issue 91, July 2022) confirms that since Amendment 2:2022, Regulation 643.8 asks for a single alternating-current test at 1 × IΔn regardless of RCD type, with a 300 ms maximum for a non-delay device. The five-times test is no longer required and the half-times test is optional. A Type B RCD is therefore tested on the instrument's a.c. setting. The IET's EV charging FAQ adds that any RCD inside the charger is tested too, following the manufacturer's instructions. A 6 mA d.c. test of the charger's RDC-DD is a manufacturer's check, not a BS 7671 requirement. More in RCD testing explained and how to fill in a schedule of test results. Surge protection is a separate decision under Regulation 443.
Which edition of BS 7671 do you certify to in October 2026?
BS 7671:2018+A4:2026 was published on 15 April 2026 and could be used from that day. NICEIC's guidance gives 15 October 2026 as the date A2:2022 with A3:2024 is withdrawn. A design completed before that date can still be signed off to the earlier amendment, with the client told, and the EIC declaration should name the amendment you actually worked to. The Section 722 requirements described here (own circuit, 30 mA RCD with d.c. protection, the PME restriction) run through both. The IET Code of Practice for Electric Vehicle Charging Equipment Installation is still the 5th Edition, written to A2:2022 and ENA Engineering Recommendation G12/4, so check the regulation text itself where the two differ.
Is an EV charger installation notifiable under Part P?
Yes, in England and Wales. A new circuit in a dwelling is notifiable whether the charger is on the house, a detached garage or a post in the drive. Registered installers notify through their scheme after completion and the householder gets a Building Regulations compliance certificate; otherwise building control is told before work starts. See Part P notification explained. Scotland and Northern Ireland do not use Part P, but the work still needs an EIC.
On new-build work in England, Part S of the Building Regulations (Approved Document S, in force since 15 June 2022) requires new homes with associated parking to have a charge point of at least 7 kW with an untethered socket.
What DNO notification does an EV charger need?
The Energy Networks Association (ENA) process is used by every GB network operator. The test is the maximum demand of the whole property after the charger is added, not the size of the charger.
| Situation | Process | Timing |
|---|---|---|
| Maximum demand 60 A or less, cut-out adequate, service not looped | Connect and notify | Notify within 28 days of installing |
| Existing demand above 60 A but the charger has load curtailment holding the property to 60 A, and no service issues | Connect and notify | Notify within 28 days |
| Maximum demand above 60 A or above the supply capacity | Apply to connect | DNO answer before installation |
| Looped service, unmetered supply, damaged or unidentifiable cut-out | Apply to connect | Before installation |
Notification goes through the ENA Connect Direct portal or the DNO's own form, with the MPAN, charger details and your maximum demand figure. The ENA is clear that the installer answers for the demand figures, including the effect of any load-limiting device. The IET Code of Practice allows one calendar month, but work to the ENA's 28 days. A 60 A cut-out with an electric shower, hob and heat pump already on it is the common reason a job becomes an application.
The Electric Vehicles (Smart Charge Points) Regulations 2021 apply to anyone selling a private charge point in Great Britain. Units sold since 30 June 2022 must be smart, with pre-set off-peak default hours and a randomised delay, and the security requirements followed on 30 December 2022. The Office for Product Safety and Standards enforces them. If you supply the charger as part of the job you are selling it, so buy compliant units.
What do the OZEV grants expect from the installer?
GOV.UK lists three home grants running until 31 March 2027: for renters and flat owners, for residential landlords, and for households with on-street parking. From 1 April 2026 the maximum went up from £350 to £500 per socket (the renters and flat owners grant pays 75% of the cost up to that cap), and the Workplace Charging Scheme pays up to the same figure for as many as 40 sockets. The staff and fleets grant, the commercial landlord grant and the residential landlord infrastructure grant closed to new applications on 31 March 2026.
Only an OZEV-authorised installer can claim, and the installer takes the grant off the invoice. Since 1 April 2026 a claim needs four photos: a close-up of the charge point, the model and serial number, the parking space, and a wide shot of the building. The customer must not have the charger fitted until OZEV has confirmed eligibility. Keep the EIC, the Part P certificate and the DNO notification with each claim.
How is an EV charger coded on a later EICR?
On a periodic inspection, a charger outdoors on the PME terminal with no open-PEN protection and no electrode is commonly coded C2, and so is a charging point with no 30 mA RCD. A Type AC RCD in front of a charger, or d.c. protection you cannot confirm, needs judgement and a look at the data sheet. Under A4:2026 an FI on its own no longer makes the report unsatisfactory, according to NICEIC's guidance. Electrical Safety First's Best Practice Guide 4 remains the reference for coding, and the codes are explained in EICR codes: C1, C2, C3 and FI.
How Certio helps
Certio produces the EICR, EIC, Minor Works certificate and PAT records on the BS 7671 model forms and turns them into branded PDFs. Photograph the consumer unit and the circuit schedule drafts itself; point the phone camera at a Megger MFT-X1 and the reading goes straight into the schedule of test results, or dictate it while your hands stay on the probes. Suggested observation wording with the regulation reference is there for you to check and confirm. The judgement stays yours; the typing goes. Starter is free for 7 days, then £4.99 a month.