Power ratings, plainly
A 22kW charger sounds three times better than a 7kW one. For nearly every home in Northern Ireland it isn't an option at all, and even where it is, most cars can't use it. Here is the honest version, so you don't pay for speed you'll never see.
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Last reviewed: 26 October 2026
For nearly every home in Northern Ireland, the right charger is 7kW. A 22kW charger at home needs a three-phase connection that most NI houses do not have, and many cars cannot accept 22kW of AC anyway. So 7kW is not a compromise here, it is the correct answer.
The standard home charger across Northern Ireland. It runs on the single-phase supply nearly every house already has and supplies at most 7kWh per hour before losses. Check the energy you need against the hours available overnight. Fitted, a 7kW unit typically runs £800 to £1,500.
Delivers more power, but only if you have a three-phase supply feeding it and a car that can accept 22kW of AC. Getting three-phase to a home means a connection alteration from NIE Networks, which is costly and often impractical. Most homes never have this option on the table.
These are generic usable battery capacities, not named-car specifications. The 7kW column shows home AC charging. The 11kW and 22kW columns need a three-phase supply and a car that can accept that power. Each example assumes the stated power is sustained. A unit advertised as 7.4kW gives slightly different times if it delivers that rate.
| Usable battery capacity generic examples |
7kW
Your driveway single-phase, 0 to 100% | 11kW three-phase, 0 to 100% | 22kW three-phase, 0 to 100% |
|---|---|---|---|
| 40 kWh | ~6.3 hrs | ~4 hrs | ~2 hrs |
| 60 kWh | ~9.4 hrs | ~6 hrs | ~3 hrs |
| 77 kWh | ~12.1 hrs | ~7.7 hrs | ~3.9 hrs |
The maths. Every figure is usable battery capacity × 1.1 ÷ power for a full 0% to 100% charge, rounded to 0.1 hour. The 10% extra energy is an illustrative allowance for losses, not a measured rate for every car. It is the same convention as our how long to charge an electric car table. A 20% to 80% top-up needs 60% of the usable battery capacity, so it takes less time than a full charge. A 22kW AC installation also requires a suitable three-phase supply.
The catch behind the fast columns. They only hold if the car can accept that power. Many cannot, which is the point below.
Both push the answer firmly towards 7kW for homes.
The limit is set by the car's onboard AC charger, and most EVs cap it at 7kW or 11kW. Only a small number of models accept the full 22kW of alternating current. Fit a 22kW unit to a car that maxes at 7kW and it charges at 7kW, no faster. Rapid public charging is a separate DC system and isn't affected by this.
To feed a 22kW charger you need a three-phase supply. Bringing three-phase to a single-phase home is a connection alteration from NIE Networks: it can be expensive, involve external works, and isn't always feasible. For the money, almost every homeowner is better served by a 7kW unit that just works with what they already have.
A charger's kW rating is the most it can offer. What your car actually pulls is set by its onboard AC charger, and then capped again by your home's supply. Fit a 22kW unit to a car that maxes out lower, and it charges at the lower figure. Here are generic examples of AC limits, not specifications for particular models.
| Generic example | Onboard AC limit | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Car with a 6.6kW AC limit | 6.6kW single-phase | Below 7kW already, so a 22kW unit charges it at 6.6kW and no faster. |
| Car with an 11kW three-phase AC limit | 11kW three-phase | Needs three-phase to reach 11kW. Check its separate single-phase limit before estimating home charging time. |
| Car with a 22kW three-phase AC limit | 22kW three-phase | Can use a 22kW AC unit with a suitable three-phase supply; a single-phase connection supplies less. |
Check the AC and single-phase limits for your exact model and version in its manufacturer specification. A quoted maximum DC rate does not tell you how fast it charges at home. Sources checked 26 October 2026: DfT on rated versus delivered power and SEAI on onboard AC limits.
22kW is not a bad charger, it is just the wrong tool for a house. It earns its place where a three-phase supply already exists and vehicles need turning around quickly rather than sitting overnight:
If that is you, say so on your quote and we'll route you to installers who cover commercial and higher-power work. Weighing up install cost either way? Estimate your install cost first.
A daily top-up can fit overnight even when a full charge cannot. For a generic 60kWh usable battery at a constant 7kW, allowing 10% extra energy for losses, 20% to 80% takes about 5.7 hours and 0% to 100% about 9.4 hours. Compare your target with your actual window; a larger battery or lower AC limit can need longer.
It pairs with the cheap night rates
A smart 7kW charger can schedule charging for the low overnight window on an EV tariff. A large top-up can need extra hours outside that window. As of July 2026, Economy 7 nights run about 18.95p per unit and EV-specific tariffs such as Nightshift about 17.79p, versus a standard rate closer to 30p.
See which NI tariffs make overnight charging cheap and how long a full charge really takes.
Ready to pick a unit? Our best home EV charger guide covers the 7kW models worth fitting in NI.
Find your situation and follow it.
Fit 7kW.
It suits a single-phase supply. Check your car's AC limit and whether the energy you need fits the hours available.
22kW may fit.
With three-phase and a need for quicker turnaround, it can earn its place. See workplace and commercial charging.
Ask on your quote.
A NICEIC-registered installer will confirm your supply and tell you straight whether 22kW is even possible.
Tell us your property and we'll match you with up to three vetted, NICEIC-registered NI installers. They'll confirm whether you're single-phase or three-phase, fit the right 7kW unit for your home, check your OZEV grant and handle NIE Networks notification as standard. If you're a business weighing higher-power charging, say so and we'll route you to installers who cover commercial work.
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For generic usable battery capacities from 0% to 100% at a constant 22kW, allow about 2 hours for 40kWh, 3 hours for 60kWh and 3.9 hours for 77kWh, assuming 10% extra energy for losses. These are arithmetic examples, not named-car charging times. They require a suitable three-phase supply and a car that accepts 22kW AC. A lower vehicle AC limit or reduced power makes charging slower.
In almost all cases, no. A 22kW charger needs a three-phase electricity supply, and the overwhelming majority of NI homes are single-phase. On a normal single-phase supply the practical ceiling for a home charger is 7kW. Getting three-phase installed means a connection alteration from NIE Networks, which is expensive and often impractical for a domestic property, so 7kW is what nearly everyone fits.
Only if the supply and your car support a higher AC rate. A car limited to 7kW AC cannot draw more from a 22kW unit. A car that accepts 11kW three-phase can charge faster than at 7kW on a suitable three-phase supply, but cannot use the full 22kW. Check the AC specification for your exact model and version; its maximum DC rapid-charging rate is a separate figure.
Single-phase is the standard domestic electricity supply in NI: one live conductor delivering up to around 7.4kW at a normal home. Three-phase uses three live conductors and can deliver much more power, which is why it is common in factories, farms and larger commercial premises. A 22kW charger needs three-phase; a 7kW charger runs happily on single-phase.
At business and commercial sites that already have, or can justify, a three-phase supply, and that run vehicles able to take faster AC charging or need to turn cars around quickly. A depot, workplace car park or fleet base can be a good fit, as can a rural property that already has three-phase for other reasons. For a typical home it rarely stacks up, because of the supply upgrade cost and the fact that most cars cannot use the extra speed.
Check your consumer unit and meter, or ask a NICEIC-registered electrician to confirm. Most homes will be single-phase. If you are a business considering higher-power charging, an installer can check your supply and advise whether a NIE Networks connection alteration is needed and roughly what it involves.
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