On a new London house with its own parking space, a charge point is part of the Building Regulations, so the EV charger wiring has to be designed rather than added at the end. Fix the parking position early, give the charger its own circuit from the consumer unit and run a network cable with it, and the charge point becomes one more neat item on the front of the house. Leave it late and the cable ends up clipped across the brickwork or the driveway gets dug up after it has been laid.
London self builds are rarely roomy. A typical plot is an infill site, a rebuild on a suburban street or a narrow house with a garage built into the ground floor, and the car often has one space and one possible spot for the charger. That makes the early decisions more important, not less.
What Approved Document S asks of a new house
In England, charging for new homes is covered by Part S of the Building Regulations. The government's Approved Document S took effect on 15 June 2022 and expects a new dwelling with an associated parking space to have a charge point. The government's own questions and answers on Part S give the example of a new detached house with two spaces, which needs one charge point, and the approved document sets a minimum rated output of 7kW for each one.
Associated parking means a space within the site boundary for the people who live there or their visitors. A house that relies on parking on the street has no associated space, so the requirement does not apply in the same way. Building control will check what is planned, so show the charge point and its cable route on the drawings from the start.
Where the charge point fits on a tight plot
Choose the position from the car, not from the cable. A few questions settle it quickly:
- Which side is the charging port? Most people park the same way every night. Put the charger where the lead reaches the port without trailing across the pavement or the front path.
- Front wall, side wall or garage? An integral garage keeps the charger dry and out of sight. On an open front space, a neat unit on the house wall is usually tidier than a post.
- What does the elevation look like? On a house where the front has been carefully detailed, agree the charger position with the architect, along with the lights, the doorbell and any camera.
- Is there a new crossover? If the drive needs a new dropped kerb, check with your borough early, because the parking space and the charger depend on it.
The EV charger wiring to plan at first fix
A charge point is one of the heaviest loads in a house, so it gets a dedicated circuit and its own protection. Adding a new circuit is notifiable work under Part P, so it is done by a registered electrician who can certify it, or checked by building control. We plan the route and the extras; the electrician sizes the cable for the charger and the run.
| Item | What it does |
|---|---|
| Dedicated cable to the charge point | Feeds the charger on its own circuit from the consumer unit |
| A spare way in the consumer unit | Leaves room for the charger's protection without a new board |
| Cat6 from the rack to the charge point | A wired link for the smart charging app and updates |
| A duct under the drive or through the garage wall | So a cable can be added or replaced without lifting the paving |
| Sealed entry through the outside wall | Keeps the airtight layer and the damp proofing intact |
| A note of the route on the drawings | So nobody drills into the cable when the front is finished |
The charge point often shares the front of the house with a video doorbell, a camera and the entrance lights. Our security wiring guide for London self builds covers those cables, and our first fix wiring guide shows how everything comes back to one rack.
Smart chargers and the rest of the house
The government's Part S questions and answers also point out that charge points sold in Great Britain for private use must have smart functions. In practice the charger can be scheduled for cheaper overnight rates and report what the car has used. It needs a reliable connection for that, and a charger on an outside wall is often where the Wi-Fi is weakest, so a Cat6 cable from the rack is the safer choice. Our Wi-Fi installation in London page explains how we plan the network for a whole house.
New London homes increasingly have a heat pump, an induction hob and underfloor heating as well, and the charger adds to the total. Ask your electrician to look at the whole load while the design is still on paper. A smart home system can then show the charger alongside the heating and the lighting; see our home automation in London page.
A simple plan from drawings to handover
| Stage | Charge point work |
|---|---|
| Design | Parking space, charger position and cable route on the drawings for building control |
| Groundworks | Duct under the drive or into the garage, with a draw cord |
| First fix | Dedicated cable and Cat6 to the charger position, labelled at both ends |
| Second fix | Charger fitted, tested and certified, then joined to the network |
| Handover | Charging schedule set and the certificates kept with the house documents |
How we help
We design, supply, install and programme the systems in a new home, and we give your electrician drawings and cable schedules so the charger, the network and everything else is wired in one pass. Our founder, Kieran McGuire, is an electrician, so the drawings are made with the wiring in mind. Our survey and design service explains how it works.
Questions we are often asked
Does every new London house need a charge point?
A new house with an associated parking space within its site is expected to have one under Part S. A house with no parking of its own is treated differently, so check with building control.
What power should the charger be?
Approved Document S sets a minimum rated output of 7kW for a charge point on a new home. Your electrician will confirm the cable and protection for the charger you choose.
Can the charger go inside an integral garage?
Yes, and it keeps the unit dry and out of sight. Plan the cable route and a network cable into the garage at first fix.
Does a smart charger need a wired connection?
Smart chargers rely on a connection for scheduling and updates. A wired link from the rack is steadier than Wi-Fi on an outside wall.
Can I fit a charger later if I do not drive an electric car yet?
The cable, the duct and the consumer unit space can all be in place before you need them, which makes fitting or changing the charger a quick job.
Book a consultation or call our head office on 01344 937999 (London office 0208 064 0196).
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