EV Chargers and Smart Home Electrics: What's Changed for Homeowners in 2026

Short answer: most homeowners don't need planning permission for a home EV charger, but the electrical installation is always notifiable work under Building Regulations Part P and Part S, and every new charger sold or installed in Great Britain has had to be a smart charger since June 2022.

Planning permission — usually not needed

A wall-mounted EV charger installed within standard size and position limits generally falls under permitted development and doesn't need a planning application. That changes if you live in a listed building or a conservation area, where it's worth checking with your local authority first, and renters or leaseholders need written consent from their landlord or freeholder before installing one.

Building Regulations — always required

Installing an EV charger involves creating a new electrical circuit, which makes it notifiable work under Part P, regardless of planning permission. It needs to be carried out by a Part P registered electrician who can self-certify the work, or have it inspected and signed off separately. You should end up with an Electrical Installation Certificate and a Building Regulations compliance certificate — keep both, since you'll likely need them if you sell the property.

Smart charging is not optional

Since 30 June 2022 it has been illegal to sell or install a new domestic EV charger in Great Britain that isn't a smart charger, meaning it can communicate and respond to signals — for example, to avoid charging during grid peak demand periods. If you're getting a charger installed now, this isn't a choice to make, it's simply how current chargers work.

Smart home electrics — the other big request

Alongside EV chargers, we're seeing steady demand for smart lighting, heating controls and video doorbells and cameras wired in properly at the consumer unit rather than bolted on as an afterthought. Doing this at the same time as an EV charger installation, a rewire, or a consumer unit upgrade is usually more cost-effective than treating each as a separate job, since it avoids paying for a second call-out and re-opening walls you've only just closed up.

Getting it done properly

Our electrical team handles EV charger installation, consumer unit upgrades and smart home wiring as NICEIC-registered work, with full certification provided at completion. If your consumer unit is older, our guide to fuse box versus consumer unit upgrades is worth reading first.

Regulations, certification requirements and grant limits referenced here are correct at the time of publication and are reviewed and updated from time to time by government and local authorities. Always confirm the current position with a qualified, registered professional or your local authority before relying on it.