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EV charging guide

EV chargers, switchboard upgrades and load management

A 7 kW charger running for hours is one of the biggest loads a home can have. Whether your switchboard and supply can take it decides how much the installation costs.

Why a charger can need switchboard work

An electrician checks your switchboard and supply before quoting. Reasons they may recommend work include:

  • No room on the board for the charger's new circuit and its safety protection
  • Older fuses or wiring that don't meet current requirements for a new circuit
  • Total demand: the charger plus air conditioning, an oven and a hot water system at once may be more than the supply allows
  • A three-phase charger on a single-phase home, which needs a supply upgrade first. Ask whether it's possible and what it would cost

Load management: charging without overloading the supply

Load management slows the charger down when the rest of the house is using a lot of power, then speeds it up again. It usually needs a sensor at the switchboard that measures the home's total use. It can avoid a supply upgrade, because the charger only uses the capacity that's spare.

Load management is set up by your installer, so ask whether the charger you're quoted supports it and whether the sensor is included. Some brands need their own sensor or meter: the notes on our charger brand pages say what each maker states.

Network rules in Queensland

Energex (South East Queensland) and Ergon Energy Network (regional Queensland) set these rules.

  1. Step 1: Single phase, up to 32 A

    Since 1 October 2026, a single-phase charger of up to 32 A (about 7.4 kW) can be installed without a network control device. Before that, chargers above 20 A needed one. Your electrician still checks that the home's total demand suits its supply.

  2. Step 2: Three phase, up to 22 kW

    Energex allows a three-phase charger of up to 22 kW (32 A per phase) without active management, if it switches across all three phases together.

  3. Step 3: Network-managed options

    A dynamic connection lets the network reduce the charging rate at peak times, keeping at least 1.5 kW. Basic active management uses a device at the meter board that can switch the charger circuit off at peak times. Homes that already have one of these devices can keep it.

Ask each installer

  • Does my switchboard need work for this charger, and why?
  • What's my supply's capacity, and how close will I get to it when the charger runs?
  • Can load management avoid an upgrade, and is the sensor in the quote?
  • What protection will be installed on the charger circuit?
  • Is the switchboard and wiring work itemised separately from the charger?

EV charger installation by area

Network rules, tariffs and suburbs for your area.

Sources

Facts on this page were checked on 15 October 2026. Rules and programs change, so confirm details with your installer.

Frequently asked questions

Do all EV chargers need a switchboard upgrade?

No. Many homes can take a charger on the existing board. It depends on the space on the board, its condition and your home's total demand, which an electrician checks before quoting.

Is load management the same as a network device?

No. Load management is your own equipment, protecting your supply from overload. A network device lets Energex or Ergon reduce or switch off charging at peak times, and since 1 October 2026 a new single-phase charger up to 32 A doesn't need one in Queensland.

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