It’s the most common home EV charging question — and the answer is clearer than the marketing suggests. For almost every UK home, 7kW is the right choice. Here’s why, and the specific cases where 22kW genuinely earns its (considerable) cost.

The deciding factor: your electricity supply

The single most important fact: most UK homes have a single-phase supply, which physically caps charging at about 7.4kW — no matter what a charger’s box says. To charge at 22kW you need a three-phase supply, which the majority of homes don’t have.

So this isn’t really “which charger” — it’s “do you have, or want to pay for, three-phase power?”

7kW: right for ~95% of homes

A 7kW charger:

• Is the practical maximum on a standard single-phase supply
• Adds very roughly 25–30 miles of range per hour — easily a full charge overnight for most EVs
• Installs at a typical ~£800–£1,200 all in
• Pairs with cheap overnight tariffs to charge for very little

For anyone who parks overnight and charges at home, 7kW is more than enough.

22kW: the real cost

To charge at 22kW you’d need to upgrade from single- to three-phase, which typically costs £5,000–£12,000+ including DNO charges and the new board (see our three-phase cost guide). That’s a lot to pay for charging speed you may never use at home.

The catch: many EVs can’t even accept 22kW

Even with a 22kW charger and three-phase supply, your car has to be able to accept it on AC — and many can’t. A lot of popular EVs cap AC charging at 7.4kW or 11kW (for example, Teslas are commonly limited to 11kW AC in Europe). Only certain models accept full 22kW AC. So you could spend thousands on three-phase and still not charge at 22kW, because the car is the bottleneck.

(Note: rapid public chargers use DC, which is different — your home AC charger speed doesn’t change how fast you charge on a motorway rapid.)

When 22kW actually makes sense

It’s worth it in a few specific cases:

• You already have a three-phase supply (some larger or rural properties, or you’re upgrading for other reasons like a heat pump + battery)
• You charge twice a day or have a very large battery with limited overnight window
• You run a small fleet or multiple EVs from one location
• A business premises with three-phase and high charging demand

For these, 22kW (or balancing several chargers across three-phase) is genuinely useful.

Quick decision guide

• Single-phase home, charge overnight? → 7kW. Done.
• Single-phase, tempted by 22kW for speed? → Almost certainly not worth a £5k–£12k upgrade; your car likely caps at 7–11kW anyway.
• Already have three-phase, or fitting a heat pump + battery too? → 22kW worth considering.
• Business / fleet with three-phase? → 22kW or multi-charger setup.

The smarter spend

Rather than chasing 22kW, most homeowners get more value from a good 7kW smart charger with load balancing and (if relevant) solar integration — see our best EV chargers guide. The smart features save real money; the extra kW usually wouldn’t be used.

Get honest advice

We’ll tell you straight whether 7kW or three-phase makes sense for your home and car — no upselling. GFL Electrical are NICEIC EV charger installers across East London. See our EV charger installation service or call 020 3774 5604.