Starting an EV Charger Installation Business in the UK (2026)

The EV charger market: why demand is structural

The UK's Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) mandate requires that 22% of new cars sold by manufacturers in 2024 must be zero emission, rising to 80% by 2030 and 100% by 2035. New car registrations in the UK run at roughly 1.5–1.8 million per year. Even at current adoption rates, that means hundreds of thousands of new EV owners every year who need home charging infrastructure.

The Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV) — formerly known as OLEV — administers several grant schemes that subsidise home and workplace charger installation. The Electric Vehicle Homecharge Scheme (EVHS) provides a £350 grant for eligible homeowners and renters, and the Workplace Charging Scheme (WCS) provides up to £350 per socket for businesses installing charge points. Both require work to be completed by an OZEV-approved installer — which is where the compliance barrier creates commercial opportunity.

Property developers are another significant demand driver. New residential buildings with parking are now required by building regulations to include EV charging provision or at minimum cable routes. Large housing developers are increasingly including EV charger installation in standard plot specifications rather than offering it as an optional extra — creating consistent volume for approved installers in their supply chains.

Fleet operators transitioning to electric vehicles need workplace charging at depots and employee home-charging solutions. This commercial market segment typically involves larger contracts, more complex electrical infrastructure and longer sales cycles, but the average job value is substantially higher than domestic installs.

OZEV Approved Installer Scheme: what you need

To submit OZEV grant applications on behalf of customers — which is required for grant-eligible installs — you must be registered as an OZEV Approved Installer. This is not optional if you want to access the grant-funded domestic and commercial market; customers will specifically request approved installers because they need the grant to be processed.

The requirements for OZEV approval include: a valid NICEIC, NAPIT or equivalent approved contractor status; public liability insurance of at least £2 million; confirmation that all operatives completing EV charger installations hold City & Guilds 2919 (EV Charging Equipment Installation) or equivalent qualification; and compliance with the relevant British Standards (BS 7671 18th Edition and BS EN 62196).

City & Guilds 2919 is a two-unit qualification covering EV infrastructure and installation. It typically takes 2–3 days to complete as a short course and costs £400–£800 including assessment. If you are already a qualified electrician with 18th Edition, this is a straightforward add-on that unlocks the entire OZEV grant market.

The application process itself is done through the OZEV website and is relatively straightforward once you have the qualifications. Processing typically takes 2–4 weeks. Renew your approval annually and keep your qualifying credentials current — lapsed approvals are a common operational issue for growing EV charging businesses.

Smart charger regulations: Schedule 3 and SMETS2

Since June 2022, all new home charge points sold and installed in the UK must comply with the Electric Vehicles (Smart Charge Points) Regulations 2021. This is commonly referred to as the “Schedule 3” requirement and has significant practical implications for which hardware you can install and how you configure it.

Schedule 3 requires that all domestic charge points must be “smart” — capable of communicating with the grid and responding to demand signals. In practice this means the charger must be able to: shift charging to off-peak periods, respond to grid signals through smart meter (SMETS2) integration, allow the user to set charging schedules via an app, and default to charging during off-peak hours (23:00–07:00) unless overridden.

Non-compliant hardware cannot legally be installed in domestic settings. This applies even to units that were compliant before the regulations came into force if they lack the required smart functionality. Make sure any charger hardware you supply or recommend to clients is currently Schedule 3 compliant — the major manufacturers (Ohme, Zappi, Easee, Pod Point) all produce compliant units, but legacy stock from some suppliers may not be.

SMETS2 smart meter integration is where most customer confusion occurs. The full grid-responsive functionality requires a SMETS2 meter, which not all properties have. As an installer you should check meter type during site survey and advise accordingly — clients without SMETS2 meters can still have a smart charger installed and use app-based scheduling, but will not benefit from automatic grid response until their meter is upgraded.

Pricing domestic home charger installations

Domestic EV charger installation is the bread-and-butter volume work for most EV charging businesses. The job typically takes 3–5 hours for a straightforward installation (dedicated circuit from consumer unit, containment, 7kW wall charger with earthing and testing) and 6–8 hours if a consumer unit upgrade is required.

• Standard 7kW home charger (supply and fit, dedicated circuit): £800–£1,100 before grant
• After EVHS grant (£350 off): effective customer cost £450–£750
• With consumer unit upgrade: add £180–£350
• Long cable run or difficult containment: add £75–£200
• Tethered vs untethered unit: price parity — your margin depends on hardware supplier terms

Margin on hardware is where domestic EV charger installation becomes very profitable. Chargers purchased at trade price from Rolec, Myenergi, Ohme or Pod Point typically carry 20–40% gross margin before any installer volume rebates. Becoming a trade account holder with two or three manufacturers is worth doing early — minimum order thresholds are low and the margin improvement is material.

Commercial charge point installation: car parks, workplaces and public

Commercial EV charging is a larger, more complex and more profitable market than domestic. A typical commercial project — a car park with 20 charge points, a workplace depot with 10 units or a hotel car park — will run from £15,000 to £150,000+ depending on electrical infrastructure requirements.

The Workplace Charging Scheme (WCS) provides up to £350 per socket for eligible businesses, meaning a 20-socket installation qualifies for up to £7,000 in grant funding. As the OZEV-approved installer you administer the grant application — building this into your sales process as a value-add (rather than leaving it to the client) differentiates you from less organised competitors.

Commercial projects typically require a more detailed site survey, DNO (Distribution Network Operator) assessment to check available grid capacity, and potentially a load management system if the existing supply is insufficient for simultaneous charging. DNO upgrades are expensive (£5,000–£30,000+) and take time — flag this early in the sales process so it does not delay installation.

Rapid chargers (50kW DC) and ultra-rapid chargers (150kW+) for public charging locations are a specialist segment requiring additional qualifications and significantly higher infrastructure investment. Most electricians entering the EV market start with domestic and light commercial AC charging before moving into rapid charger installation.

Marketing to car dealerships and property developers

Car dealerships are an underused referral channel for domestic EV charger installation. When a customer buys an EV, the dealership often arranges a home charger installation as part of the handover experience — but most dealerships do not have an in-house installation team. Approach sales managers at EV-selling dealerships (every major brand now has EV models) and offer a white-label referral arrangement: the dealership refers customers, you install, and you pay a referral fee of £50–£100 per completed job.

Volume from a single dealership with strong EV sales can run to 15–30 installs per month. At £850 average margin per install, one dealership partnership is worth £12,000–£25,000 in monthly revenue — and dealerships typically want exclusivity in exchange for volume commitment.

Property developers are the other high-volume channel. New residential developments of 10+ units with parking will increasingly include EV charging as standard, driven by planning conditions and building regulations. Identify active planning applications in your area through the local authority planning portal and contact the developer's commercial team or site manager directly. A track record with one developer often leads to inclusion on their preferred supplier list across multiple sites.

Google Ads targeting “EV charger installation [city]” generates domestic inbound leads efficiently. Cost-per-click is £2–£5 and conversion rates are high because customers searching this term are ready to buy — they already own the EV, they just need the charger. A well-managed campaign can generate 20–40 domestic leads per month in a mid-sized UK city at £40–£80 per converted lead.

Trade2Base for compliance cert storage and recurring maintenance

EV charger installation generates significant compliance documentation: OZEV grant application records, electrical installation certificates (EIC), Electrical Installation Condition Reports (EICR) where required, test results and Schedule 3 compliance declarations. Managing this paperwork properly is not optional — OZEV can audit grant claims and clients need documentation for warranty purposes.

• Compliance cert storage: attach EIC, EICR and OZEV grant paperwork to each job record — retrievable instantly when clients or auditors ask
• Recurring maintenance scheduling: set annual service reminders against commercial charge point installations — a recurring revenue stream that most EV installers miss
• Customer portal: clients can log in to view their installation certificate, grant confirmation and charger manual — reduces support calls and builds trust
• Quote-to-invoice workflow: generate itemised quotes showing hardware, labour and grant deduction, then convert to invoice without re-keying
• Campaign attribution: track whether each job came from a dealership referral, developer programme, Google Ads or direct enquiry — essential for understanding your most profitable channels

The recurring maintenance angle is particularly valuable. Commercial charge points need periodic inspection and servicing — manufacturers typically recommend annual checks. Building a maintenance contract into every commercial installation quote, at £120–£250 per visit per charge point annually, creates a recurring revenue base that smooths income through quieter installation periods.