7kW vs 22kW: which do you need?
Unless you have a 3-phase supply and two EVs, the answer is almost always 7kW. Here's the side-by-side.
Prices updated Jun 2026
Live cost context: across our sampled UK installs, a 7kW home charger averages £1,073 and a 22kW install averages £1,150. The 22kW premium is modest on paper, but it only delivers its full speed on a 3-phase supply most homes don't have — see our live cost index for the latest figures.
7kW vs 22kW: the short answer
When people search “7kW vs 22kW”, they’re usually trying to work out whether the faster charger is worth paying for. For nearly every UK home the answer is no: a 7kW charger is the right choice, and a 22kW charger will not actually run any faster on the electricity supply you already have. The reason is the supply, not the charger.
A 7kW charger draws 32 amps on a single-phase 230V supply — the standard domestic supply in the overwhelming majority of UK homes. A 22kW charger needs a three-phase supply (three live conductors instead of one) to deliver its full speed. Plug a 22kW unit into a normal single-phase house and it is electrically capped at around 7kW anyway, so you pay more for hardware and gain nothing.
How much faster is 22kW, really?
On paper a 7kW charger adds roughly 30 miles of range per hour and a 22kW charger roughly 90 miles per hour — three times quicker. In practice that gap only exists if your home has three-phase power. Most UK homes are single-phase, so the headline 22kW figure is unreachable without a costly supply upgrade from your network operator.
It also rarely matters at home. The typical UK car sits on the driveway overnight for 10–14 hours. A 7kW charger replaces a full day’s average driving (around 20–30 miles) in under an hour, and tops a battery from low to full overnight with room to spare. The extra speed of 22kW solves a problem most home chargers never have.
When 22kW actually makes sense
There are genuine cases for 22kW. If your property already has a three-phase supply, you run two EVs that both need fast turnaround, or you’re fitting a workplace or fleet point where vehicles cycle through during the day, the extra capacity earns its keep. A three-phase supply also gives you headroom to load-balance several high-draw appliances and chargers at once.
If you don’t already have three phases, installing one is a separate, often expensive job arranged with your Distribution Network Operator — frequently far more than the charger itself. For a single family car, that spend is hard to justify when a 7kW unit charges overnight regardless.
What this means for your install
Before you choose, the simplest check is your fuse box and supply: a single-phase supply (the norm) means 7kW is your practical ceiling and the sensible pick. A qualified installer confirms your supply type during the site survey and will tell you honestly whether three-phase is even present. Most of the popular home chargers — the units on our 7kW guide — are 7kW for exactly this reason.
If you’re weighing up cost, see our breakdown of what an installation costs and use the side-by-side above. For the vast majority of readers, the right move is a 7kW charger from a reputable brand, fitted by an accredited installer.
Related reading: 7kW EV chargers explained, the best home EV chargers, and EV charger installation cost.
For the vast majority of UK homes, 7kW fully charges your EV overnight on the supply you already have. 22kW only pays off with 3-phase power and two cars — most homes can't use the extra speed.
Frequently asked questions
Is a 7kW charger enough for my home?
Yes — for nearly every UK home a 7kW charger is enough. It adds around 30 miles of range per hour and fully recharges a typical EV overnight, replacing far more than the average daily drive. Unless you run two EVs or do exceptionally high mileage, you won’t feel any benefit from a faster charger at home.
Can I install a 22kW charger at home?
You can buy a 22kW charger, but it will only deliver 22kW on a three-phase electricity supply, which most UK homes do not have. On a standard single-phase supply the unit is capped to around 7kW, so you gain no extra speed. Installing a three-phase supply is a separate job arranged with your network operator and is usually far more expensive than the charger.
Why is a 22kW charger only as fast as 7kW in most homes?
Charge speed at home is limited by your electricity supply, not just the charger. A 7kW charger uses a single-phase 230V supply (the UK standard); 22kW needs a three-phase supply to reach full speed. Connect a 22kW unit to a single-phase home and it is electrically limited to roughly 7kW.
Do I need a three-phase supply for a 22kW charger?
Yes. A 22kW charger needs three-phase power to deliver its rated speed. If your home is single-phase (the norm), you’d have to pay your Distribution Network Operator to upgrade the supply before a 22kW charger would run faster than 7kW — a cost that rarely makes sense for a single family car.
How much more does a 22kW install cost than a 7kW?
A 22kW three-phase install costs more than a standard 7kW one, both because the unit is dearer and because it needs three-phase power — and if your home is single-phase, a supply upgrade adds a large separate cost on top. Our live cost index tracks both metrics from real completed jobs, so you can compare the current 7kW and 22kW averages side by side before deciding rather than relying on a rule of thumb.
Which should I choose, 7kW or 22kW?
For almost everyone the answer is 7kW: it fully recharges a typical EV overnight on the single-phase supply your home already has, and it’s the cheaper install. Only choose 22kW if you genuinely have a three-phase supply and a real need for faster charging — for example running two high-mileage EVs. Paying for 22kW speed you can’t use on single-phase power is the most common overspend we see.