Your home EV charger has stopped working, is showing an error, or keeps tripping the RCD. This guide explains the five most common fault categories — error codes, EVSE communication, supply voltage, RCD tripping, and earthing — and tells you when to call an OZEV-approved installer.
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Written and reviewed by Andrew Moore, founder of Elec-Mate, against BS 7671:2018+A4:2026, IET Guidance Note 3 and the IET On-Site Guide.
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Home EV chargers communicate faults through LED indicators, app notifications, and numeric or alphanumeric error codes. The exact codes vary by manufacturer, but the underlying fault categories are consistent across all EVSE equipment.
Always check the manufacturer's app or web portal first — most modern smart chargers log fault events with timestamps and error descriptions that significantly narrow the diagnosis.
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The IEC 61851-1 standard defines how an EVSE (Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment) communicates with the vehicle. This communication happens via the control pilot (CP) and proximity pilot (PP) pins of the Type 2 connector. Faults in this communication path are one of the most common causes of home EV chargers appearing to work but failing to start a charge session.
Home EV chargers are among the highest continuous loads in a residential electrical installation — a 7.4 kW (32 A) charger running for 8 hours overnight draws significantly more energy than most other appliances. Supply voltage problems that are imperceptible under normal loads can become apparent when the EV charger is running.
If low voltage is confirmed under load, the supply network operator (DNO) must be informed. The DNO is responsible for maintaining supply voltage within statutory limits to the meter terminals.
RCD nuisance tripping is one of the most frequently reported problems with home EV charger installations. Understanding the cause is essential — tripping is a safety response and should not be defeated by substituting a less sensitive RCD.
Never remove or bypass an RCD on an EV charger circuit. If nuisance tripping is occurring, the correct response is to identify and address the root cause with a qualified electrician.
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EV chargers incorporate earth continuity monitoring as a fundamental safety feature. The EVSE will not authorise a charging session if the earth path resistance is above the equipment's threshold — typically a few ohms. Earthing faults are therefore both a safety concern and a cause of operational failure.
Some EV charger faults can be resolved by the vehicle owner without specialist intervention — a soft reset, a cable swap, or a router restart. However, any fault involving the electrical installation itself requires a qualified electrician, and specifically an OZEV-approved installer for grant-related compliance.
EV charger fault finding is a growing area of work for domestic electricians. As the UK EV fleet grows — there are now over a million registered EVs — the installed base of home chargers requiring maintenance and remediation is expanding rapidly.
Use the Elec-Mate EV charging certificate app to complete installation and minor works certificates on site. Covers BS 7671 Section 722 requirements, RCD type recording, earthing arrangement, and OZEV compliance fields.
When carrying out an EICR on a property with an existing EV charger, verify RCD type, earth conductor continuity, and PME compliance at the charger location. Use the Elec-Mate EICR app to record observations against the specific circuit and generate the report on site.
Join 1,000+ UK electricians using Elec-Mate to certificate EV charger installations, complete EICRs, and generate BS 7671-compliant documentation on site.
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