Can You Install Two EV Chargers at One Address?

When you look at the data, it’s perhaps no surprise that more drivers are wanting to know how they can keep multiple electric cars charged at home.

Electric cars have surged in popularity over the last few years, with data from Zapmap reporting over 1.6 million EVs on the UK roads as of August 2025. With over a third (34%) of UK households having two or more cars in 2024 according to data from the Department for Transport (DfT), homes in the UK are increasingly becoming multi-EV households.

Being able to charge two or more EVs makes them even more convenient as you can plug them both in and get them both charging at the same time, rather than having to swap the cable over to the other EV when one has finished charging.

Similarly, having separate chargers makes it easier to manage charging and monitor energy usage for people living in shared households. Or, alternatively, landlords may want to offer multi-EV charging via multiple chargers for tenants.

From a practical standpoint, getting multiple electric car chargers installed at home depends on your home’s setup.

For starters, the main limitation will be the property’s power supply. Most households in the UK have single-phase power and between 60 to 100 amp main fuses. This means that even if your household does have enough power for the additional charger, you won’t necessarily get the same charging rate from both.

For example, two 7 kW chargers installed on a single-phase power supply won’t actually charge each car at 7 kW, but more like 3-3.6 kW. So you’ll effectively be getting half the charging rate with each vehicle.

One way around this is to upgrade your home’s power supply to three-phase, but this can be costly and might not be possible for your home. However, it’s worth contacting your DNO (Distribution Network Operator) - in other words, the company that operates your electricity network - to ask about upgrading your power supply, which can in some circumstances be free.

However, this is also dependant on whether you have smart chargers installed with load balancing capability. Load balancing may sound complicated, but it effectively means the charger has the ability to evenly balance charging. Most modern chargers are considered smart chargers and so they have this capability, but older models may not.

So if you want a second charger but have an older model, you may need to upgrade it at the same time. Otherwise, the charging rate might not be evenly spread across both chargers, and you won’t get the same charging experience or have any way to control it.

Whenever you get an EV charger installed, you need to get permission from your DNO. This is so they can assess your home’s power supply and confirm whether your property can safely handle the increased load or if it needs an upgrade.

This is usually handled by the installer, who will conduct an assessment of your home before submitting the relevant forms to the DNO on your behalf. In the case of a second EV charger, you’ll need to get similar permission from the DNO, which may be harder to get approved as your home may not be able to cope with the additional load without an upgrade.

For tenants and renters, you’ll also need to get permission from your landlord to install a charger.

It may be obvious but, as well as technical limitations, it’s important to bear in mind when thinking about getting more than one charger installed that you’ll have to pay for it. Electric car chargers can have a significant upfront cost, not just in terms of the hardware but also its installation.

It’s also unlikely that you’ll be able to claim any grants to reduce the cost for the additional charger. Any home EV charger grants that have been or are currently available have had a limit of one charger, meaning the second charger won’t be eligible for the discount.

You’ll also want to factor in any potential costs for upgrading your power supply so it can accommodate the extra load from the second charger. Sometimes this can be offered for free by your DNO, but often it can come at a significant cost.

Similarly, charging a second car at home will no doubt increase your energy bill, so you’ll need to have planned for that in your household budget.

Even after accounting for the additional costs and any technical limitations, you may find that you don’t actually need to get a second charger installed.

A common misconception about EVs is that they have low ranges. This is simply not true, with many EVs having driving ranges well into the hundreds. Plus, most people actually have a much lower weekly mileage than they think they do, with the average being somewhere around 25 to 30 miles. This means you won’t necessarily need to charge as often as you might think as it’s likely your electric car can more than easily cover your weekly driving on a single charge.

This means a single 7 kW home charger will likely be sufficient for your charging. For example, a typical EV with a 60 kWh battery will take just 8 hours to fully charge on a 7 kW charger. If you can comfortably cover your weekly mileage on a single charge, you could simply charge one EV one night and the other the next. This would be much simpler, and not to mention cheaper, than getting a second charger installed.

Plus, if you do have a higher-than-average weekly mileage, you may find it more beneficial and convenient to rely on the UK’s public charging network and top up your EV throughout the week. And in fact, you might find that having half the charging rate due to the second charger doesn’t give you enough miles overnight to do the longer journey.

Whilst in theory it’s possible to get two chargers installed, sometimes it isn’t always possible, or even necessary. Fortunately, households do have other options that can be just as convenient, and even cheaper, than opting for a second home charger:

1. One charger, two schedules

As already mentioned, a standard 7 kW charger is more often than not sufficient for most of your charging needs. If you have more than one electric car, you will probably be able to get by simply by alternating charging each night, and won’t really need to have both charging at the same time.

2. Make use of the UK’s public network

As of August 2025, there are over 85,000 public charging stations across almost 43,000 locations in the UK according to Zapmap. So if both your EVs need a charge, you could always take one (or both) somewhere and use a public charger for a top up, but do bear in mind it is cheaper to charge at home than in public.

3. Use a 3-pin plug, but carefully

In a pinch, you can always use a charging cable that plugs into a standard 3-pin plug. However, this should only be done in emergencies, and even then only sparingly. Charging like this is incredibly slow, so it will take a very long time for the car to charge to full. This can be unsafe as standard home sockets aren’t designed to handle the long-duration load needed to charge an EV, and they don’t have anything like the protections that dedicated home chargers do.

4. Home chargers with multiple sockets

Although rare, some EV charging providers offer home chargers that have more than one charging socket, as well as the load balancing capability to evenly distribute the charging rate. But again, as mentioned, there are some downsides to charging two cars at the same time, such as a slower charging rate.

As we’ve seen, provided your property has, or can upgrade to, the requisite power supply needed, it’s entirely possible to get two EV chargers installed at one address. However, there are many factors that need to be considered, including having chargers installed with smart load management capabilities and getting permission from your energy supplier, which may make it harder than it’s worth.

Plus, just because you can doesn’t necessarily mean you should, as there are plenty of alternative options for multi-EV households to keep their cars charged, and most of the time a single 7 kW charger will suffice.

Is it safe to run two EV chargers at once?

Provided both chargers have been installed correctly and safely by a qualified EV installation professional, it’s perfectly safe to have two EVs charging at two home EV chargers simultaneously.

Will two chargers slow down my charging speed?

This depends primarily on your home’s power supply and whether it’s single- or three-phase. But in general, yes, even if both chargers are 7 kW chargers, you may find that two EVs plugged into each at the same time will charge at different rates. With smart chargers, load balancing should ensure the cars charge at the same rate, but it will still be at less (around 50%) of a single charger’s charging rate, so around 3 to 3.6 kW each rather than 7 kW each.

Can I apply for a government grant on the second charger?

Whether you’re getting two installed at the same time or adding a second charger to your home, only one of them will be eligible for a government grant. You may also find that you have to install each one separately, rather than at the same time, to qualify for a grant.

Can landlords get multiple chargers installed for their tenants?

Using one of the two government grants available, landlords can indeed provide multiple chargers for their tenants. This can be especially beneficial as it can help make your property more appealing to tenants who are EV drivers, whilst also giving them an easy way to ensure they only need to pay for their own charging, rather than everyone else’s.