What installers actually
need from an EV charger
When it really matters, what matters most?
Article Published: Monday 13th April 2026
What installers actually need from an EV charger…
By Fraser Koefman, Commercial Director, VCHRGD
This article was originally produced for our partners at Volta EV
Five years ago, a lot of EV charger decisions came down to price.
If the charger was available, compliant and competitively priced, there was a good chance it would get fitted.
Today, that question has shifted. To be blunt, installers need to know which charger is least likely to waste their time.
For most installers, time has become far more valuable than the £20 or £30 difference between products.
A charger that takes longer to install, causes commissioning headaches or generates call-backs quickly becomes expensive, regardless of what the cost on the invoice.
As the EV charging market matures, installers are rightly becoming more selective. The products gaining traction aren't necessarily the ones with the biggest marketing budgets or the longest feature lists. They're the ones that make life easier and more predictable on site.
Every installer has experienced it.
A job that should have been straightforward suddenly turns into a half-day exercise in workarounds, additional components and unexpected complications.
The initial knock-on effect is frustration. Then the effect spreads, impacting profitability, scheduling, customer experience and installer reputation.
That's why installer-friendly design has become such an important factor when choosing a charger.
Features such as built-in PEN protection, supplied CT clamps and clear internal layouts don't grab headlines, but they save time. Installers can arrive on site knowing they have everything they need and can complete the job without unnecessary surprises.
It's one of the reasons wholesalers and installation businesses are increasingly looking beyond headline specifications and focusing on how products perform in the real world – on driveways, on the side of homes, in public car parks, offices and industrial units.
The hidden cost of a complicated install…
Customers remember the setup experience
The installation might take a couple of hours and the handover to the customer should be ten minutes.
In those ten minutes, that’s where the customer experience is most in-play.
If the app won't connect, the charger refuses to commission properly or the setup process feels unnecessarily complicated, customers rarely blame the manufacturer. Unfortunately, it’s the installer who’s dealing with this frustration.
That's why commissioning has become such an important part of charger selection.
Installers want products that connect quickly, commission reliably and allow them to show customers how everything works without standing on a driveway for an extra half hour.
When setup is straightforward, everybody wins.
Call-backs – the secret profit killer
Ask most installers what they want from a charger and they probably won't start by talking about RFID cards, solar integration or OCPP compatibility.
They'll talk about delivering the job in one visit and not having to go back.
One unnecessary call-back can wipe out the profit from a job, turning a happy customer into a frustrated one.
Reliability sounds boring until you're driving across town to investigate a fault that shouldn't have happened in the first place, and it’s becoming one of the biggest differentiators in the market.
Electrical wholesalers see this first-hand. If a charger causes problems, it's often the wholesaler who hears about it before the manufacturer. The same applies to installation businesses managing dozens or hundreds of chargers in the field.
The chargers that earn repeat recommendations and win installer confidence are usually the ones that simply do the job.
The support test
Even reliable products occasionally need support and it’s something that we’re laser focused on at VCHRGD. When needed, installers need to know:
They can speak to somebody who understands the product
The issue can be resolved quickly
They won’t spend the next three days exchanging emails and screenshots
Installers are putting their reputation and profit on the wall alongside every charger they fit; they need confidence that somebody will be there if help is required.
Smart tariffs have changed the conversation
Smart tariff compatibility is increasingly important.
Customers are looking at off-peak electricity rates, solar generation and smart scheduling. Installers are often expected to explain the benefits and recommend suitable solutions.
A charger that works with leading EV tariffs can become a genuine selling point. At VCHRGD we offer So Energy’s innovative off-peak So EV tariff, and are compatible with Octopus Energy’s Intelligent Octopus Go tariff helping customers reduce running costs and helping installers win work.
It's no longer simply about charging a vehicle. It's about helping customers get the most from their energy.
The chargers' installers keep coming back to…
The EV charging market is far more competitive than it was a few years ago with plenty of products available, many with similar specifications.
Installers tend to stick with chargers that:
Install quickly
Commission without drama
Rarely generate call-backs
Work with the tariffs customers want
Have a support team that picks up the phone
In other words, chargers that protect their time and business.
