The IET Code of Practice for Electric Vehicle Charging Equipment Installation is the UK guidebook for fitting EV chargers properly. Published by the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) and now in its 5th edition, it translates the general wiring rules into EV-specific practice: assessing the supply, choosing protection, earthing the installation, and testing the finished job. If a UK installer says a job was done “to the Code of Practice”, this is the book they mean.
Key Takeaways
- The IET Code of Practice is the UK’s EV-specific installation guidebook, published by the IET and now in its 5th edition.
- It builds on the BS 7671 wiring regulations rather than replacing them.
- It covers supply assessment, earthing, protection, installation practice and final testing.
- For buyers, its value is a benchmark: ask how the supply was assessed and where the certificate is.
How It Differs From the Wiring Regulations
UK electrical work rests on BS 7671, the wiring regulations — the general rulebook for all installations. The Code of Practice does not replace it. Instead it answers the questions BS 7671 leaves open for this one job type: how to judge whether a home supply can take a charger, how to handle the earthing a charge point needs, and what to check on a commercial site. Think of BS 7671 as the law of the land and the Code as the specialist field guide.
| Document | What it is | Who uses it |
|---|---|---|
| BS 7671 wiring regulations | The general standard for electrical installations in the UK | Every electrician, on every job |
| IET Code of Practice (EV charging) | EV-specific good practice built on BS 7671: design, installation, inspection and testing | EV charger installers, designers and specifiers |
| Smart Charge Points Regulations 2021 | Legal requirements for the functions of charge points sold in Great Britain, such as smart capability | Manufacturers, sellers and installers |
What the Code Covers
The Code follows a job from first visit to final certificate. Its main areas, in general terms:
- Site and supply assessment — checking the incoming supply, consumer unit and spare capacity before promising a charger, and knowing when the network operator must be involved.
- Earthing and protection — the earthing arrangement, fault protection for a cable handled outdoors daily, and the protective devices the design calls for. Our overview of armoured cable for UK charger runs shows one physical choice this work produces.
- Installation practice — siting, cable routes, and the details that separate a tidy, durable job from a rough one, including cases like those in our guide to cables across the pavement.
- Inspection, testing and paperwork — verifying the finished installation and issuing the certification that closes the job.
Why It Matters to Buyers, Not Just Installers
You do not need to read the Code to buy a charger. It matters to you in two ways. First, it is the benchmark behind the installer schemes in our guide to becoming an approved UK installer — an installer who works to it follows the industry’s agreed method rather than improvising. Second, it gives you questions to ask: how was the supply assessed, what earthing arrangement was used, where is the test certificate? Ready answers signal Code-of-Practice habits. Product rules are a separate layer: the marks a charger itself must carry are covered in UKCA vs CE for chargers sold in Great Britain.
Equipment That Expects a Proper Installation
EVDANCE makes the hardware side of the job. The EV-ACT3204PE 22 kW wallbox — three-phase, tethered Type 2 cable, RFID and app control, IP65/IP66, CE — is designed to be installed by a qualified local installer working to the applicable code, and our portable EV-ACS3210E Type 2 charger serves homes not yet ready for a fixed point. We supply the equipment and documentation; installation design, earthing and certification stay with your installer, exactly as the Code intends.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the IET Code of Practice a law?
No. It is guidance — the industry’s agreed statement of good practice, written to help installers meet the requirements that do apply, above all the wiring regulations. Following it is how an installer shows a job was designed and tested properly.
Which edition is current?
The 5th edition. Editions are revised as equipment and rules change, so an installer working from an old copy may miss newer practice — one more reason to use a currently active installer.
Do I need the Code if I am only buying a plug-in portable charger?
No. The Code governs fixed installation work. A portable charger plugging into an existing suitable socket involves no new fixed wiring — but that socket’s circuit still had to be installed properly, and any new circuit belongs to a qualified electrician.
Related Reading
- How to Become an Approved EV Charger Installer in the UK (OZEV)
- UKCA vs CE for EV Chargers Sold in Great Britain
- Does an EV Charger Cable Need to Be Armoured? (UK)
- Can You Run an EV Charging Cable Across the Pavement? (UK)
