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What happens on installation day

A standard fit takes 2 to 4 hours. The electrician checks the board and the earthing, fixes the charger where the car parks, runs its own cable and protection from the fuse board, turns the power off to connect it, then tests the circuit, sets up the charger and leaves you a certificate. A long run, a trench or board work can take a full day.

Before the day, the day itself step by step, and the paperwork you're left with.

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  • 2–4 hoursfor a standard fit
  • 30–60 minfor a survey visit, if one is needed
  • A full daywith a trench, a long run or board work
  • 1Completion Certificate for you
Gloved hands testing the connections in an electrical panel

Before the day

  • Apply for the grant and wait for the Letter of Offer. Nothing should happen before its start date.
  • Send the electrician a photo of the fuse board and of where the car parks. Some jobs need a survey visit: 30 to 60 minutes.
  • Decide where the charger goes, and where the car's charging flap ends up when you park.
  • Clear the route: the wall by the board, the garage, the path a trench would take.

The day, step by step

  1. Checks first. The board, the earthing and the supply, even if a survey was done.
  2. The charger goes up. Fixed to the wall or the post, close to where the car's charging flap ends up.
  3. The cable goes in. Clipped along the wall, through the wall, or in a duct underground, from the charger to the fuse board.
  4. Power off. The electrician switches off at the main switch to connect the new circuit at the board. Plan for a few hours without electricity.
  5. Tests. The circuit and its protection are tested and the results written on the Test Record Sheet.
  6. Set up. The charger is connected to its app and your Wi-Fi, and set to charge when you want it to.
  7. Paperwork. You get a Completion Certificate. For the grant, the electrician sends Certificate Number 3 to Safe Electric and completes the Installation Details Form.

Match a charger to your car and your house

Four quick taps. Your plan builds up as you go: the charger that suits your car, the price range for your house, the grant and the time on site. Your number is only asked for at the end, if you want a fixed price.

A fully electric car, a charger on the house wall a few metres from a newer fuse board: €1,000 to €1,500 fitted, €700 to €1,200 after the €300 SEAI grant, including VAT.

Step 1 of 6

Where does the car park at night?

This decides the grant, the cable route and the price.

How this is worked out

We start from what a 7 kW smart charger costs fitted in Ireland, including VAT, with a standard fit: the charger, its own circuit from the fuse board and up to 5 metres of cable. A solar-aware charger costs more. Then we add what installers charge for a longer cable run, a trench to a garage or post, and fuse board work on an older board. The SEAI home charger grant comes off the charger and fitting, never off the board or earthing work. It is an estimate to plan with, never a quote: the electrician prices your house after looking at it.

When it takes longer

A trench to a garage or post, a cable run over 25 metres, or a new fuse board turn 2 to 4 hours into a full day, and sometimes two visits. If the board needs replacing first, that can be a separate day. What the board checks find.

Home Car Charger Installation guides & price breakdowns

Straight answers to what people ask most: itemised costs, specifications, planning or grants, and what to check before you book.

Cost & Pricing GuideCar charger installation cost in IrelandWhat a home car charger costs fitted in Ireland: €1,000 to €1,500 incl. VAT for a 7 kW smart charger, €700 to €1,200 after the €300 grant, and the extras.Read the guide →Grants & RegulationsThe SEAI home charger grant: €300, and how to get itThe SEAI home charger grant: up to €300, who qualifies, off-street parking, the Smart Charger Register, the steps in order and what to send to claim.Read the guide →Grants & RegulationsSix ways to lose the €300 charger grantSix ways to lose the €300 SEAI home charger grant: starting early, the wrong charger or electrician, a second claim, the deadline and a weak claim.Read the guide →Specification GuideFuse board and earthing checks before a charger goes inThe four checks before a home car charger goes in: a spare way, RCDs, earthing and supply. What older boards need, and what the grant won't pay.Read the guide →Specification GuideWhat happens on installation dayWhat happens when a home car charger is fitted: the checks, the cable, the power off, the tests and the certificate. 2 to 4 hours for most.Read the guide →Timeline & PreparationHow long it takes: from the first quote to chargingFrom the first quote to charging at home: 3 to 6 weeks. Grant offer in 5 to 10 working days, 2 to 4 hours on site, SEAI pays in 4 to 6 weeks.Read the guide →

More guides & resources: The certificate and paperwork for a home charger · All guides & calculator hub · Technical & trade glossary · Frequently asked questions

Questions people ask

How long does a car charger take to install?

2 to 4 hours for a standard fit. A full day with a trench, a long run or board work.

Will the power be off?

For part of the visit, while the new circuit is connected at the fuse board.

Do I need to be home?

Yes, or someone over 18: the electrician needs the house for the fuse board, the power and the set-up.

What paperwork do I get?

A Completion Certificate, and for the grant, a Test Record Sheet. The electrician sends Certificate Number 3 to Safe Electric Ireland.

Home Car Charger Installation across all 26 counties

Requests from all 26 counties go to one vetted local specialist who covers your county — from Dublin, Cork, Galway and Limerick to Kildare, Meath, Wicklow, Waterford and Donegal. Pick your county below for local prices, specifications and advice.

A car plugged into a wall charger in front of a double garage with solar panels on the roof

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Match it in under a minute, see the price and the grant, and one Safe Electric registered electrician who covers your county rings you.

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