EV Charger Installation Requirements in South Australia

South Australia has a clear set of rules, and your electrician carries most of the load.

Since 1 July 2024, any in-scope AC charger going in at a home must comply with the EVSE technical standard set by the Technical Regulator. EVSE stands for electric vehicle supply equipment. It is the trade name for the wall unit that feeds power to your car.

The work must be done by a licensed electrician. When it is finished, they lodge an electronic Certificate of Compliance, which is the proof that the job was done to the rules.

Only a licensed SA electrician can wire in a home charger. A handyman, a friend with a toolbox or a keen DIYer cannot do it legally, even if the charger is small.

Consumer and Business Services (CBS) issues the electrical licence, and the Office of the Technical Regulator, known as OTR, sets the technical and safety rules. Businesses that carry out or organise electrical work must hold a contractor licence as well. That covers sole traders, partners and companies.

A licensed person is also the one accountable for the safety of the circuit behind the wall. That circuit carries a heavy load for hours at a time, so the wiring matters as much as the charger.

The standard shapes which chargers suit a home and how they are set up. A Level 2 charger is the wall-mounted AC type that fills a car overnight, and it is the usual home choice. Level 2 charging is much quicker than the granny charger that plugs into a normal powerpoint.

Wall chargers installed from 1 July 2024 are set up to the OTR guideline. Where it applies, that includes demand response. This is a form of smart charging, where the charger can ease back its draw when the network is under strain.

Your electrician knows which chargers fall in scope and how to set them up.

A good electrician starts with your switchboard and supply. A car charging for hours puts steady load on the board, and an undersized board is why some chargers trip the power once the car plugs in.

You should see a written price before work starts, including any switchboard work. The electrician also plans the cable run, which matters when the board sits on the far side of the garage.

If a larger charger needs SA Power Networks approval, the electrician lodges it and closes it out. Solar and battery systems are worth raising early, since the charger can be set up to work alongside them.

Often a unit you already own can go on the wall, and the electrician checks it before quoting. The charger has to meet the EVSE standard for an install from 1 July 2024, and it has to suit your supply.

If it does not, the electrician can say so before any wiring starts. That saves you paying for an install you would need to redo.

When you are ready, use Request an Install Quote and tell the electrician which charger you have and where the car parks.