You can charge an electric car from an ordinary three-pin socket, and the emergency lead that comes with most cars is designed for exactly that as a get-you-home option. The catch is that a standard domestic socket and its circuit were never built to deliver that much power continuously for hours on end. Charging this way is slow, often adding only a handful of miles an hour, and running a socket close to its limit overnight, night after night, can heat up the plug, the socket and the wiring behind it, more so on older circuits or through an extension lead, which should never be used for charging.
A dedicated home charger solves all of that. It runs on its own circuit straight from the fuse box, with the correct earthing and protection, and charges far faster than a plug ever could, typically filling the battery overnight so it's ready for the morning. Across Stroud and the Five Valleys we survey the supply first, fit a smart charger positioned for your drive, and test and certify the installation under our NAPIT registration. If you only ever top up occasionally the three-pin lead has its place, but for daily charging a proper unit is safer, quicker and kinder to your wiring.
The lead is a backup, not a routine
The three-pin cable supplied with the car is fine for the occasional emergency top-up, but not for charging every night.
Never through an extension lead
Extension leads and multi-way adaptors aren't rated for hours of continuous charging load and are a genuine fire risk.
A dedicated charger is faster and safer
Its own protected circuit charges the car overnight and takes the strain off your everyday sockets and wiring.
Your questions, answered
Is it dangerous to charge an EV from a normal socket?
Occasionally, and on a sound circuit, it's generally fine. The risk comes from doing it daily: a socket run near its limit for hours can overheat, especially on older wiring or through an extension lead, which should never be used.
How much slower is a three-pin socket than a home charger?
A lot. A three-pin socket adds only a few miles of range an hour, so a full charge can take more than a day, while a dedicated 7kW home charger typically fills the battery overnight.
Do I need my supply checked before a charger is fitted?
Yes, and we do it as part of a free survey. We confirm your incoming supply, earthing and fuse box can take a charger before quoting, so the price you get is the price you pay.
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