Do I need to buy the charger before getting a quote?

No, and it's often better not to — tell us your car and typical driving distance, and we can help you land on the right charger spec rather than you guessing and buying the wrong one.

Are all home EV chargers compatible with any switchboard?

No — that's exactly the assessment that needs to happen before installation, not after you've already bought the unit. A charger that needs more than your board can safely supply means either a smaller charger or a switchboard upgrade first.

Is a cheaper charger always a false economy?

Not always, but cheap and unbranded is where I'd be more cautious — this is a device pulling serious continuous current in your garage for years. It's not the place to shave the last ten percent off the budget.

Home EV Charger Buyer's Guide

Buying a home EV charger involves more decisions than the marketing makes it look like. Here's the actual buyer's guide — the questions worth answering before you buy, not after.

Question One: What Can Your Switchboard Actually Supply?

This is the question that should come before charger speed, brand, or any of the marketing features, because it determines what's even possible. An older switchboard, especially one still on fuses, may need an upgrade before it can safely take a charger's load at all. Answer this first, or risk buying a charger your board can't support yet.

Question Two: What Charging Speed Do You Actually Need?

Faster isn't automatically better — it's a question of how far you actually drive and how long the car sits at home. For most households, a 7kW charger fully tops up an EV overnight, which is all most people need. Higher-power options need three-phase power, which not every home has, and cost more for a speed advantage most daily drivers won't use.

Question Three: Garage, Carport, or Driveway?

An internal garage install is usually the simplest wiring job. An outdoor install — carport or open driveway — needs a weatherproof, correctly IP-rated unit and proper isolation switching, which is a different (and typically slightly more involved) job than an indoor one.

Question Four: Are You Planning to Add Solar, or Already Have It?

Existing or planned solar changes the numbers on charger sizing and sometimes opens up smart-charging features worth knowing about before you buy, not after installation. Mention it upfront.

Question Five: What's Actually Included in the Installation Quote?

A charger unit price and an installation price are two different numbers. Ask specifically whether the quote includes the switchboard assessment, any necessary circuit work, and the isolation switch — not just "installation" as a vague line item.

The Buying Order That Actually Makes Sense

Get your switchboard assessed first, decide on charging speed based on real driving habits second, then choose the specific unit. Doing it in reverse — buying the charger, then discovering the board can't support it — is the expensive way to find this out.

Our EV Charger Installation page covers what we check and how we quote it, or get in touch before you buy anything and we'll help you land on the right spec.