What does BS 7671 Section 722 mean for your EV chargers?

Section 722 covers electrical installation requirements for EV charging alongside the general wiring rules [S2]. For a business host, the key task is obtaining a documented design, suitable protection and installation evidence. Amendment 4 to BS 7671 was published in April 2026 [S1]. Ask your installer to identify the current design basis rather than relying on an older checklist. Checked October 2026.

Last checked 16 October 2026

What does BS 7671 Section 722 cover?

BS 7671 is the wiring standard for electrical installations. Section 722 addresses electric vehicle charging installations in addition to the general requirements elsewhere in the standard. The IET distinguishes those installation requirements from the standards governing charging equipment itself [S2].

For your business, that means buying a charger is only part of the job. Ask the designer to assess the incoming supply, existing installation, proposed circuits, equipment location and protective arrangement. Request a drawing and a written description of what the quotation includes.

This overview helps you brief and question an installer. It is not a design specification or a substitute for the current standard. Use the installer selection guide to request evidence of relevant competence and experience.

Which amendment should your installer use in October 2026?

The IET and BSI published BS 7671:2018+A4:2026 on 15 April 2026. The announcement said the previous version, incorporating the earlier amendments, would be withdrawn six months later [S1]. Ask the installer to identify the applicable edition and amendment in the design documents.

Do not accept a checklist simply because its title contains Section 722. Check the edition quoted in its text. For example, the IET’s detailed charging RCD article explains requirements under the earlier amended standard [S2]. It is useful background, but the designer must check the current wording before applying it.

If an existing project was designed earlier, ask the designer to explain the specification being followed and whether changes affect the work now proposed. Keep that explanation with the quotation and installation records. This avoids turning a short web article into an assumed approval for a particular design.

Is BS 7671 a statutory document?

Distinguish a technical standard from legislation. The IET describes compliance with standards as voluntary, while explaining their role in demonstrating conformity with relevant legislation [S2]. HSE sets out the duty to maintain electrical equipment so it does not create danger and to use competent people for electrical work [S5].

That distinction does not make a wiring assessment optional for a host seeking a safe installation. Ask your installer what design standard it will follow and what evidence it will provide. Ask your solicitor to check the statutory and contractual requirements for your premises and project.

Keep public charging duties separate. Electrical design and operation of a public charging service raise different questions. The public charging checklist covers the latter so your project brief can assign both.

What RCD and DC protection questions should you ask?

A residual-current device (RCD) detects certain fault currents and disconnects a circuit. Alternating current (AC) and direct current (DC) protection need consideration together. The IET’s 2026 guidance describes Type A or Type F arrangements with suitable DC detection, and an integrated protective-device option [S3].

The same guidance discusses protection rated at no more than 30 milliamps (mA) and DC detection at 6 mA [S3]. Those figures identify technical requirements to discuss; they do not tell you which product to buy for your site.

Ask the designer to list the selected protective devices, their relevant product standards, their location and how the equipment works together. Include protection already present upstream. The IET’s earlier detailed article warns that a product described as having an integrated RCD may not meet the standards required for that role [S2].

Use the RCD glossary for terminology. Leave device selection and coordination to the competent designer.

How should earthing and the electricity supply be checked?

Protective multiple earthing (PME) is a supply earthing arrangement. A protective earth and neutral (PEN) conductor combines those functions in part of the network. The IET’s neutral-current research explains why apparently separate neutral and earth arrangements may still need careful assessment where network construction has changed [S4].

Ask the designer to confirm the supply arrangement and the chosen response to relevant faults. Record nearby accessible metalwork, proposed equipment positions and any adjoining electrical installation for assessment. Read PME and TT earthing alongside that discussion.

Your distribution network operator (DNO) runs the local electricity network. Ask the installer to establish the necessary connection process and supply information rather than inferring spare capacity from an unused breaker. For the load assessment, kilowatts (kW) describe power and kilowatt hours (kWh) describe energy. Use site power checks to gather the relevant records.

What evidence should you request before accepting the work?

Agree the handover pack before placing the order. HSE advises that electrical systems and equipment should be suitable and maintained to prevent danger [S5]. Ask the installer to explain how the completed work and future maintenance arrangements support that duty.

Ask the installer to name the certification appropriate to its scope and any existing-installation limitations. See installation certificates.

Do not replace that handover with a portable appliance testing label. HSE says inspection and testing frequency depends on equipment and use; there is no blanket annual PAT requirement [S6]. Allocate fixed-installation inspection and portable-equipment maintenance explicitly.

What should you do next?

Gather your existing electrical records and a proposed bay plan. Request a site-specific design basis, then get matched with an installer that covers your area.

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