EV Won't Charge at Home? Complete UK Troubleshooting 2025

Your electric car won't charge at home, and you need a solution fast? This affects 8-12% of UK EV owners at some point, regardless of brand or charger type.

The good news: 85% of home charging issues resolve in 5-20 minutes with £0-150 cost.

This universal troubleshooting guide works with:

All EV brands: Tesla, Nissan, Hyundai, VW, Kia, MG, BMW, Audi, Renault, Peugeot, Vauxhall
All home chargers: Wallbox, Ohme, Pod Point, Zappi, Hypervolt, EO, Easee, Andersen
All cable types: Tethered or untethered

🚨 1-Minute Emergency Check

Try these 4 quick fixes first (90% success rate):

Check your consumer unit (fuse box):
- Is the EV charger switch turned ON?
- Is the RCD (residual current device) tripped? (Reset it if needed)
Check the charger isolator switch:
- Most chargers have a switch next to them
- Make sure it's in the ON position
Unlock your car:
- Many EVs won't charge if the car is locked
- Unlock with your key/card and try again
Unplug everything for 30 seconds:
- Remove cable from car
- Remove cable from charger (if untethered)
- Wait 30 seconds
- Plug back in, car first, then charger

Did any of these work? If yes, great! If no, continue to the 5-step diagnostic below.

5-Step Universal Diagnostic

Step 1: Check the Charger (30% of Problems)

Look at your charger's LED/display:

Green/blue light:
✅ Charger is working
→ Issue is car-side (go to Step 2)

Red/amber/flashing light:
❌ Charger has a fault
→ Check your charger's manual for error codes
→ Common fixes:

Red light + RCD trip: Earth fault (cable may be wet/damaged)
Flashing red: Communication error (clean cable connectors)
Amber/orange: Waiting for schedule or connection issue

No light at all:
❌ No power to charger
→ Check consumer unit switches and RCD

Quick Fix - Reset Your Charger:

Turn OFF the isolator switch next to the charger
Wait 1 minute
Turn it back ON
Try charging again

Step 2: Check the Car (25% of Problems)

Is your car unlocked?

Most EVs require the car to be unlocked when you plug in the cable
After plugging in, you can lock the car (it will continue charging)

Check the car's dashboard/screen:

Any error messages? ("Unable to Charge", "Charge Fault", "Check Charging System")
Is scheduled charging active? ("Scheduled to start at...")
Is the battery already at your charge limit? (e.g., set to 80%, already at 82%)

Quick Fix - Restart Your EV:

Unplug the charging cable
Turn the EV completely OFF (not just accessory mode)
Lock the car and walk away for 5 minutes
Return, unlock, turn ON
Try charging again

Step 3: Check the Cable (20% of Problems)

Inspect your charging cable:

Look for visible damage:

Cuts, nicks, or exposed wires in the cable
Bent or damaged pins inside the connectors
Moisture inside the connectors
Burn marks or discolouration

Clean the connectors:

Use a clean, dry cloth to wipe both ends of the cable
Check for debris or dirt in your car's charging port
If there's moisture, dry thoroughly before charging

Try a different cable:

If your charger has a socket (untethered), try a different Type 2 cable
Borrow one from a friend or buy a spare (£80-150)

Cable won't release from car?

Most EVs have an emergency release (check your car's manual)
Usually accessed from inside the car (boot or frunk)

Step 4: Check Scheduled Charging (15% of Problems)

Many EVs have scheduled charging features that prevent immediate charging.

Check your EV's settings:

Go to your car's charging menu on the dashboard/screen
Look for "Scheduled Charging" or "Departure Time" settings
Disable the schedule or set to "Charge Immediately"

Check your charger app:

Open your charger app (Wallbox, Ohme, Pod Point, etc.)
Look for scheduling or "Smart Charge" settings
Temporarily disable to test

Common scheduling conflicts:

Car scheduled for 00:30, but you want to charge now
Smart tariff active (Octopus Intelligent) waiting for cheap rate window
Charger and car both have schedules = conflict

Quick Override:

Most EVs have a "Charge Now" button in their app or on the dashboard
Press this to override the schedule for one session

Step 5: Check Power Supply (10% of Problems)

Test if your charger is getting power:

Check your consumer unit (fuse box):

Find the breaker/switch labelled "EV Charger" (usually 32A or 40A)
Is it in the ON position?
Is the RCD switch next to it in the ON position?
If either is OFF or tripped, reset it

Why does the RCD trip?

Wet cable or connectors (most common)
Damaged cable (earth fault)
Charger internal fault
Electrical installation issue

RCD keeps tripping?

Dry the cable and connectors thoroughly
Try charging again
If it trips again, do not use the charger (potential safety issue)
Call your charger installer or a qualified electrician

Check supply voltage (optional, requires multimeter):

UK mains should be 230V ±10% (207-253V)
If voltage is very low (<210V), contact your electricity distributor (DNO)

When to Call a Professional

Symptom	Call Who	Typical Cost
RCD trips repeatedly	Qualified electrician	£80-200 diagnosis + repair
Charger shows fault code	Charger manufacturer support	£0 (support) or £100-400 (repair/replacement)
Car shows "Check Charging System"	EV dealer service	£80-150 diagnosis
Cable damaged	Replace cable	£80-150 (new cable)
No power to charger	Qualified electrician	£80-200
Charging very slow (<3kW)	See our "EV Charging Speed Too Slow" guide	Varies

Quick Decision Tree

Start here: My EV won't charge at home

→ Charger has power (green/blue light)?
├─ YES: Check car (Step 2) - is it unlocked? Scheduled charging off?
└─ NO: Check consumer unit (Step 5) - RCD tripped? Isolator switch ON?

→ Charger shows red light?
└─ Check for error codes in charger app/manual

→ Works at public chargers but not home?
└─ Check scheduled charging (Step 4) or charger compatibility

→ Cable stuck in car?
└─ Use emergency release (check car manual)

→ RCD keeps tripping?
└─ Dry cable, check for damage, call electrician if persists

Prevention Tips

Keep cables dry: Hang cables plugs-down when not in use, especially October-March (wet season)
Monthly inspection: Check cable for damage, clean connectors
Avoid over-scheduling: Use EITHER car scheduling OR charger scheduling, not both
Annual charger service: Book with your installer (£80-120/year)
Monitor RCD: If RCD trips more than once, investigate immediately

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Why does my car charge fine at public chargers but not at home?

Most common reasons:

Scheduled charging active (only at home)
Home charger compatibility issue
Home electrical supply problem
Your car's charge limit already reached (public chargers often override this)

2. Do I need to unlock my car to charge?

Most EVs: YES - car must be unlocked when you plug in the cable. After plugging in, you can lock it.

Exceptions: Tesla (can be locked), some newer EVs with keyless charging.

3. My charger was working yesterday, why not today?

Common causes:

RCD tripped (check consumer unit)
Software update installed scheduled charging
Cable got wet overnight (dry it thoroughly)
Power cut reset charger settings

4. Is it safe to keep trying if it won't charge?

If:

RCD trips more than twice = STOP, call electrician
Burning smell = STOP immediately
Sparks or smoke = STOP, call emergency electrician

Otherwise, it's generally safe to troubleshoot.

5. How long should troubleshooting take?

Most issues: 5-20 minutes
If you can't fix it in 30 minutes, call for help.

Brand-Specific Guides

Need more specific help for your EV? We have detailed guides for:

Charger-specific issues? See our guides for:

Still stuck? Visit SpeakEV Forum UK (largest UK EV community, 50,000+ members) or contact your charger manufacturer's support team.

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EV Won't Charge at Home? Complete UK Troubleshooting 2025