EV charge point certificates and the IET Code of Practice
An EV charge point certificate records what the EIC does not: the earthing assessment for the charging circuit, the protective measures chosen, whether the network operator had to be notified, and whether the charger meets the smart charge point rules. It is normally issued alongside an EIC or minor works certificate, not instead of one.
Last updated 15 October 2026. Written by the CertSync team and checked against the standards.
The short answer
An EV charge point certificate records the EV-specific elements of an installation that a BS 7671 certificate does not capture on its own: the assessment of the supply earthing arrangement, the protective measures chosen for the charging circuit, whether the Distribution Network Operator had to be notified, and whether the equipment meets the smart charge point requirements. It is assessed against the IET Code of Practice for Electric Vehicle Charging Equipment Installation, 5th edition, and is normally issued alongside an EIC or MEIWC for the electrical work itself rather than instead of one.
Why an EIC on its own is not the whole record
A charge point circuit is, electrically, a circuit — so the installation work is certified to BS 7671 in the usual way, on an EIC for a new circuit or an MEIWC for an addition that does not create one. What that document does not have a place for is the reasoning behind the EV-specific choices: which earthing arrangement the supply presents, what was done about it, whether the network operator was told, and what kind of equipment was fitted.
That is the gap the EVCP certificate fills. The two documents cover the same job from different angles, which is why most installers issue both and keep them together — one evidences the wiring, the other evidences the EV decisions.
The earthing assessment — the decision that shapes the job
Most UK supplies present a PME earthing arrangement, also described as TN-C-S. Because a charge point puts a large exposed metal object and a person outdoors at the same time, the IET Code of Practice sets out an assessment to establish whether the PME earth is suitable for the proposed installation before work proceeds.
Where the assessment concludes it is not suitable, the Code of Practice describes alternative protective measures — the options broadly being to provide a separate earth arrangement for the charging equipment, or to use equipment that detects the relevant fault condition and disconnects. The certificate records which route was taken, which matters later: an inspector reading the installation cold needs to know the decision was made deliberately rather than defaulted into.
DNO notification — connect and notify, or apply first
Whether the Distribution Network Operator must be told before or after the work depends on the connected load per phase and the characteristics of the supply. Smaller single charge point installations typically fall within the connect-and-notify route, where the installer proceeds and notifies afterwards; larger or multiple-charge-point installations, and anything that exports to the network such as vehicle-to-grid equipment, fall on the application-first side of the boundary.
The exact boundary is published by the Energy Networks Association and stated per phase, so a three-phase supply and a single-phase supply of the same total rating can land on different sides of it. Check the current criterion for the installation in front of you rather than working from a remembered figure — the certificate records whether notification was required and whether it was completed, and that record is only as good as the check behind it.
Smart charge points — a statutory duty, not a standard
The Electric Vehicles (Smart Charge Points) Regulations 2021 (SI 2021/1467) are law rather than guidance, and they apply to new domestic and workplace charge points sold for use in Great Britain. In outline they require the equipment to be a smart device — able to receive and respond to demand-side signals — along with security and default-setting requirements aimed at protecting the network at peak times.
The first tranche of requirements applied from 30 June 2022 and the remainder from 30 December 2022. This is an equipment duty rather than an installation method, so what the certificate records is whether the charge point fitted meets the requirements — a question about the product, answered at the point it is installed.
Frequently asked questions
- Do I need an EVCP certificate if I have already issued an EIC?
- They record different things. The EIC certifies the electrical installation work to BS 7671; the EVCP certificate records the EV-specific elements — the earthing assessment, the protective measures chosen, DNO notification and smart charge point compliance. Most installers issue both for the same job.
- What is a PME earthing assessment?
- It is the assessment the IET Code of Practice sets out for establishing whether a PME (TN-C-S) supply earth is suitable for a proposed charge point installation. Where it is not, the Code of Practice describes alternative protective measures, and the certificate records which was used.
- When does the DNO need to be notified for an EV charger?
- It depends on the connected load per phase and the supply arrangement. Smaller installations generally fall within the connect-and-notify route; larger ones, and anything that exports to the network, need an application first. The criterion is published per phase by the Energy Networks Association — check the current one for the job rather than a remembered figure.
- Is a vehicle-to-grid charger treated the same way?
- No. A unidirectional charger is a load; equipment that exports to the network is treated as generation for connection purposes and follows a different notification route, with its own criterion. That distinction is worth settling before quoting the job, not after.
- Does the smart charge point law apply to every installation?
- The Electric Vehicles (Smart Charge Points) Regulations 2021 apply to new domestic and workplace charge points sold for use in Great Britain. They are an equipment duty rather than an installation method, so the practical question at handover is whether the unit fitted meets them.
- Which standard is an EV charge point certificate assessed against?
- The IET Code of Practice for Electric Vehicle Charging Equipment Installation, 5th edition, for the EV-specific elements, with the installation work itself certified to BS 7671 on an EIC or MEIWC.
Disclaimer
This guide is general information, not professional advice, and does not replace professional judgement, training, scheme-body guidance, the network operator’s current connection criteria or the current edition of the IET Code of Practice for Electric Vehicle Charging Equipment Installation. CertSync does not verify the qualifications of the people using it. The contractor named on a certificate is responsible for what it certifies.
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