There is no single RCD a UK buyer can name in advance. As of October 2026, the device for a charger circuit comes out of two documents — the current UK wiring regulations as your installer applies them, and the chosen charger’s manual, which states the unit’s position on DC fault currents. The design lands on one of two routes: an RCD that itself detects DC faults, or an RCD paired with DC detection the charger states as its own. Your job: appoint a registered installer and keep the design they record.
Key Takeaways
- As of October 2026, the UK answer comes from the wiring regulations plus the charger’s manual — applied by a registered installer, not chosen from a shelf.
- The design takes one of two routes: a Type B RCD, or a Type A RCD with the charger’s stated DC detection.
- No EVDANCE listing states a built-in RCD or DC detection; protection is specified in the installation design.
- Keep the certificate: it records the device fitted, for every future change.
Why EV Circuits Raise a DC Question at All
An RCD watches for current leaking where it should not go, and disconnects when it finds some. EV charging adds a waveform the older devices were not built for: in a fault, a car’s electronics can put smooth DC current onto the supply side. A sensing core that works on change alone can miss that steady current — and respond worse to a later AC fault. That is why the UK’s wiring regulations and the IET Code of Practice treat the DC question as a deliberate part of EV installation design, as our guide to RCD protection for EV chargers sets out.
The Two Routes the Design Can Take
| Route | What watches for DC faults | What has to be true |
|---|---|---|
| Type B RCD on the circuit | The RCD itself: AC, pulsating DC and smooth DC residual current | The installer specifies it in the design; nothing is asked of the charger |
| Type A RCD plus the charger’s stated detection | The charger, for the smooth DC shape a Type A device cannot see | The charger’s documentation states the detection function, and the regulations as applied accept the pairing |
Three things decide which route a given installation takes:
- The manual’s wording. A stated detection function in the charger’s own documentation counts; a silent manual means the charger is treated as having none.
- The regulations in force. They set the floor for the circuit whatever brand is on the wall.
- The property itself. Its earthing arrangement and consumer unit are installer-read design inputs.
What the Homeowner Actually Does
- Choose the installer, not the RCD. Use a registered electrician with EV work in their scope — our guide to approved UK installer routes shows what registration means.
- Hand over the exact model and its manual. The design reads the manufacturer’s stated position, not a brochure summary.
- Expect the device to be named in the paperwork. The installation certificate records what was fitted and why — keep it with the charger’s documents.
- Do not buy the protective device first. Bought before the design exists, it can be the wrong answer bought early.
Where EVDANCE Chargers Stand in the UK
No EVDANCE listing states a built-in RCD or DC fault detection, so with our chargers the protection is specified in the installation design. The EV-ACT3204PE (22 kW three-phase wallbox, tethered Type 2 cable, RFID and app, IP66, CE) is the fixed-installation case: its upstream device is confirmed from the manual and the installer’s design. The EV-ACS3210E portable (32 A, Type 2, about 7 kW, IP66) raises the same question for the circuit it plugs into; a portable on an ordinary socket is a different case from a fixed UK installation, and neither page claims a UK-specific installation approval. Confirm the UK version of any unit, and any protective function its specification does state, in writing before fitting.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I simply specify a Type B RCD and be done?
Type B sees every fault shape, so it never depends on detection inside the charger. Whether it is required, or more than the design needs, is still the installer’s call — and fitting protective devices is installation work, not a DIY swap.
My consumer unit already has an RCD. Is that enough?
Not by assumption. Its type, plus the charger’s manual, decide whether it can serve the new circuit. An older device that predates the DC question is not an EV answer.
Who signs off the choice?
Your registered installer, in the installation design and the certificate handed over at completion. That record is what a future electrician relies on at replacement.
Related Reading
- RCD Protection for EV Chargers: Type A, Type B and DC Detection Explained
- How to Become an Approved EV Charger Installer in the UK (OZEV)
- What Is a Standard EV Charger Installation?
- EV Charger Certifications Explained: CE, UKCA, UL, ETL, CB and What Buyers Should Ask For
