Start with your home's electricity meter

A 7 kW wall charger, the size most homes use, draws about 32 amps continuously for hours. A home with a 15(45) amp meter, the most common size, cannot cope when the air conditioning and other appliances are running at the same time.

There are two options.

• Upgrade the meter to 30(100) amps, then replace the main cable and main breaker to match.
• Request a second circuit dedicated to the charger. A separate main cable runs from the meter without touching the home's existing wiring. This suits older houses where you do not want to rebuild the consumer unit.

You can find the meter size in the numbers on the meter face or on your electricity bill. Then contact the Metropolitan Electricity Authority (MEA) or the Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA), depending on your area. A meter upgrade takes anywhere from one week to about a month, so start before you take delivery of the car.

Safety equipment you must have

• An RCD (residual current device) that can detect DC leakage. The electricity authority requires Type B or equivalent. The RCD in an ordinary home is not enough for an EV charger.
• A dedicated breaker and wiring for the charger only, not shared with other outlets.
• A proper earth (ground) rod. Many older houses have none, or have one that no longer works.

Do not try to save money here. A charger runs at full power for hours every night. Loose connections or undersized cables cause heat to build up. Use an installer who is certified and provides documentation, and follow the latest technical requirements from the electricity authority in your area.

What the costs are

Some new EV models come with a free charger and installation as part of a campaign, which changes from time to time. Ask the showroom whether one is included, how many meters of cable it covers, and whether it includes the meter upgrade. If you are buying a used EV, ask the previous owner whether the charger comes with the car.

Prices are estimates from installers and media as of October 2026. Electricity authority fees can change. Get quotes from at least two installers, and ask the electricity authority directly about fees.

Is a TOU meter worth it?

A TOU (time of use) meter charges by time of day. From 10 p.m. to 9 a.m. Monday to Friday, and all day on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays, electricity is much cheaper than the standard rate: about 3 baht per unit including the Ft charge and tax. But weekday daytime rises to about 6.4 baht per unit.

Worth it if nobody is usually home on weekday daytimes and you set the car to charge after 10 p.m. Not worth it if someone is home with the air conditioning on all day, because the rest of the household's electricity will cost more, eating up what you save on charging the car.

If you get a second circuit with a separate meter for the charger, you can make that meter TOU without affecting the household's electricity bill. Switching to a TOU meter costs a fee in the thousands of baht. Ask the electricity authority for the latest rate.

Living in a condo: what are your options?

• Ask the juristic person (building management) before buying the car whether there are shared chargers, how many, how billing works, and how long the queue is.
• Ask whether you can install a charger at your own parking space. Most condos require approval, and the building's electrical system may have limited capacity.
• Look for a regular charging spot elsewhere: at work, a mall near home, or a fast charger on your regular route.

If every option is a no, work out your energy cost using public charger prices in the calculator before deciding, and read Buying your first EV: what to check as well.