Once an EV charger is installed and working, it’s easy to treat it the way most of us treat a plug socket, something you use every day without giving it a second thought. Unlike a socket, though, an EV charger is outdoor electrical equipment carrying a serious amount of current, day after day, in all weathers, and that’s exactly why it benefits from more attention than most people give it.
There’s no single legal number, but there is a sensible approach
For domestic installations, there isn’t one fixed legal interval that applies to every EV charger the way there is, for example, with a landlord’s five-yearly EICR obligation. Instead, the guidance from the IET’s own FAQs on BS 7671 and EV charging installations takes a risk-based approach: the right inspection interval depends on the type of installation, how it’s used, and what external influences it’s exposed to, rather than a single number that fits every situation.
In practice, that risk-based approach points fairly consistently toward an annual check for equipment like a home EV charger, given it sits outside, gets used daily, and carries meaningfully more current than a standard household circuit. It’s worth noting that workplace and commercial chargers are treated more formally under the Electricity at Work Regulations, which place a legal duty on employers to keep equipment maintained and safe to use, typically interpreted as at least an annual inspection in the absence of a more specific risk assessment. Domestic chargers don’t carry that same legal duty, but the underlying logic, that equipment used this heavily and exposed to the weather this consistently benefits from regular checking, applies just as much to a driveway in Chineham as it does to a commercial car park.
What can safely wait for a professional, and what you can check yourself
There’s a reasonable amount you can keep an eye on between professional services without needing any tools or expertise. Looking over the cable for cuts, cracking, or exposed wiring, checking the unit’s casing for cracks or signs of water ingress, and simply noticing if charging feels slower than usual or the unit displays an error you haven’t seen before are all things worth a quick check every so often. None of this replaces a proper electrical test, but it can help catch an obvious problem early, between the annual visits that handle everything else.
What a proper service actually checks
A worthwhile EV charger service goes well beyond a glance at the unit. It should include testing the RCD or RCBO protecting the circuit to confirm it still trips within the correct time, and, where an open-PEN protection device or independent earth electrode was fitted as part of the original installation, verifying that protection is still functioning as intended rather than simply assuming it still is because nothing’s gone wrong yet.
It should also cover a physical check of the cable, enclosure, and connections for weather damage, wear, or loose terminals, since these are the parts most exposed to the elements and most handled day to day. Loose terminals in particular are worth taking seriously, a connection that’s gradually worked loose through repeated thermal expansion and contraction can generate heat exactly where you don’t want it, and it’s not something that shows up from the outside until it’s already a problem.
And increasingly, a proper service should include confirming the unit’s firmware and smart functionality are up to date, given home chargers sold since 2022 are legally required to maintain their smart charging capability under the Electric Vehicles (Smart Charge Points) Regulations. An outdated firmware version isn’t usually a safety issue in itself, but it can mean missing performance improvements, losing compatibility with newer tariff features, or in some cases a slow decline in how reliably the unit connects to your home network.
Why outdoor equipment ages differently
It’s worth being honest about why this matters more for an EV charger than for most of the electrics in your home. Equipment mounted outside is exposed to UV, rain, and temperature swings that indoor circuits simply don’t experience, and a charging cable that’s plugged and unplugged twice a day sees a level of physical wear that a fixed socket never does. According to NICEIC’s guidance for householders on EV charger installation and maintenance, this level of use and exposure is exactly why an annual check from a qualified installer is generally recommended, rather than treating the charger as a fit-and-forget appliance.
Warranty and insurance implications are real too
This isn’t purely a safety conversation. Many charger manufacturers make their warranty conditional on some form of periodic check, in much the same way solar and battery warranties often are, and a fault that arises after years with no documented maintenance can be a harder warranty claim to make. Insurers are paying closer attention to this too. Allianz Insurance’s own engineering inspection services for EV charging equipment reflect a wider trend of insurers treating EV charging equipment as something worth its own inspection regime, rather than an afterthought bundled in with general buildings cover. Keeping a simple record of when your charger was last checked, and by whom, is a small habit that can save a genuine headache later, whether that’s a straightforward warranty claim on a faulty unit or a smoother conversation with your insurer if you ever need to make a claim involving your electrics more broadly.
Why this isn’t really a DIY job
Testing an RCD’s trip time or verifying earth loop impedance properly requires calibrated test equipment and the training to interpret the results correctly, not a visual once-over with a torch. This is squarely electrician’s work, not a weekend DIY task, and getting it wrong, or skipping it because everything seems fine, defeats the purpose of having the protection there in the first place.
GU Solutions is a NICEIC Approved Contractor and Domestic Installer, and our EV charger services cover exactly this kind of proper electrical testing, not just a quick look at the unit, along with a written record you can point to for warranty or insurance purposes whenever it’s needed.
It’s also worth thinking about servicing your charger alongside other periodic electrical checks around the property, rather than treating it as a completely separate job every time. If you’re already having an EICR carried out on the rest of your home’s electrics, or a solar or battery system serviced, it often makes sense to have the charger checked at the same visit, since much of the same testing equipment and expertise applies, and it saves arranging multiple separate appointments for what is, ultimately, all part of the same property’s electrical installation.
What to ask before booking a service
Before booking a check, ask exactly what tests are included, specifically whether RCD trip time and earthing arrangement are being tested, not just visually inspected. Ask whether firmware and smart charging functionality will be confirmed as up to date. And ask for a written record of the visit, since that’s the part that actually protects you if a warranty or insurance question comes up later.
Keeping your charger working the way it should
An EV charger doesn’t need constant attention, but for homes across Basingstoke, Old Basing, Chineham, Oakley and Sherborne St John using theirs daily, a proper annual check is a sensible habit rather than an unnecessary expense, given what the equipment is actually exposed to.
If it’s been a while since your charger was last looked at, GU Solutions is the first port of call. As NICEIC Approved Contractors and Domestic Installers, we’ll test it properly and leave you with a clear record of what was checked.
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