CareHomeDeskCareHomeDeskStaff and visitor EV charging -- planning, electrical capacity, grants and safety considerations.
As the UK's EV fleet grows, care home staff, visitors and increasingly residents' family members expect EV charging to be available on-site. Proactively planning for EV charging now is more cost-effective than retrospective installation when the charger has to compete for capacity with a fully-loaded electrical installation.
Before installing EV chargers, commission an electrical capacity assessment from a qualified electrical engineer. Care home electrical installations were not designed with EV load in mind. Adding multiple 7kW or 22kW chargers without a load management system can require significant and expensive upgrade of the incoming supply, distribution boards and main cables.
The EV Infrastructure Grant for Staff and Fleets provides up to 75% of the cost of charge point installation (capped at 350 per socket) for eligible businesses including care homes. A specialist EV charge point installer can confirm eligibility and handle the grant application. The grant requires OZEV-approved charge points and installation.
EV chargers must be installed to BS 7671 (18th Edition) and the NICEIC/NAPIT EV Installation Standard. All EV charging circuits require dedicated RCD protection. Charge points installed in car parks should be IP54 rated minimum. Fire separation between the charging area and the building should be considered in the FRA.
CareHomeDesk gives you compliance checklists, maintenance logs, and contractor management tools built around exactly this kind of knowledge.