7kW vs 22kW Home EV Charger: Which Do You Need?

Should you get a 7kW or 22kW home charger?

For almost every UK home, a 7kW charger is the right choice. A 22kW charger needs a three-phase electricity supply that most homes simply don’t have, and even if yours did, most electric cars can’t accept 22kW of AC charging. A 7kW charger comfortably refills most EVs overnight, which is all the vast majority of drivers need.

Why 22kW rarely works at home

The headline number on a charger is its maximum power, but two things limit what you can actually use at home:

Your electricity supply. Standard UK homes have a single-phase supply, which maxes out at about 7.4kW. Delivering 22kW needs a three-phase supply, which is uncommon in homes and expensive to install.
Your car’s onboard charger. Even on three-phase power, most EVs have an onboard AC charger limited to 7.4kW or 11kW. So a 22kW wall charger would still be throttled by the car.

The simple rule

If you have a normal home with single-phase power, fit a 7kW charger. It’s cheaper, fully compatible with your car, and charges overnight while you sleep.

7kW vs 22kW at a glance

*Only if both your supply and your car support the full 22kW.
	7kW (single-phase)	22kW (three-phase)
Supply needed	Standard home supply	Three-phase (uncommon)
Range added per hour	~25–30 miles	~75–90 miles*
Works with most EVs	Yes	Limited by car's onboard charger
Typical install cost	Lower	Higher (+ possible supply upgrade)
Best for	Almost all homes	Homes with three-phase & a capable EV

How fast is 7kW, really?

What each charging option actually adds per hour, from a zero baseline. The 22kW figure is theoretical for most households.

A 7kW charger adds around 25–30 miles of range per hour. For a typical 60kWh battery, that’s roughly an 8-hour full charge from low, exactly the kind of slow, steady top-up that’s ideal overnight. You plug in when you get home, set it to charge during your cheap off-peak window, and wake up to a full battery.

The bottom line

Don’t pay extra chasing a 22kW number you can’t use. For homes, 7kW is the sweet spot of cost, compatibility and convenience — every unit in our best home chargers round-up is a 7kW smart charger. If you genuinely have three-phase power and an EV that can use it, find an installer used to three-phase work. But for almost everyone, a 7kW smart charger is the answer.

Frequently asked questions

Should I get a 7kW or 22kW home charger?

For almost every UK home, 7kW is the right choice. A 22kW charger requires a three-phase electricity supply, which the vast majority of homes don't have, and most electric cars can only accept 7kW or 11kW of AC charging. A 7kW charger fully charges most EVs overnight.

Why can't I just get the faster 22kW charger?

Two reasons. First, 22kW AC charging needs a three-phase supply; standard UK homes have single-phase, which tops out at about 7.4kW. Second, even on three-phase, most EVs have an onboard charger limited to 7.4kW or 11kW AC, so they couldn't use the full 22kW anyway.

How long does a 7kW charger take to charge an EV?

A 7kW charger adds roughly 25–30 miles of range per hour. For a typical 60kWh battery, a full charge from low takes around 8 hours, perfect for overnight charging while you sleep, ready for the morning at the cheapest electricity rates.

Can I get three-phase power installed at home?

Sometimes, but it's usually expensive and rarely worth it just for car charging. Because overnight 7kW charging already covers most drivers' needs, paying to upgrade to three-phase for 22kW home charging almost never makes financial sense for a household.