Do you need a switchboard upgrade before your EV charger
Sometimes yes, usually no. The tell signs, what an upgrade actually costs, and how to avoid one if you legitimately can.
Every Perth EV charger quote includes a switchboard assessment. Sometimes we find the board is fine, sometimes we find it needs a small tidy, sometimes it needs a full replacement. Here is how to read what your board is likely to need before we even open the cover.
The obvious tells that an upgrade is coming
- Ceramic fuses instead of breakers. Almost always means a pre 1990s board.
- No RCDs on any circuit. Mandatory since 1991 for new work, but plenty of older homes have never had them added.
- The main isolator is a rewireable fuse, not a breaker.
- Every slot is already occupied and there is no spare capacity for a new EV circuit.
- Any sign of scorching, browning, or a burnt plastic smell inside the board. This is not an EV problem, it is an urgent problem full stop.
What a switchboard upgrade actually costs
A partial upgrade (adding a Type A RCD for the new EV circuit only, keeping the rest of the board as is): $200 to $500, usually rolled into the EV install quote.
A full board replacement with modern breakers and RCDs across all circuits: $1,200 to $2,500 depending on circuit count and access.
A service upgrade (single phase to three phase from the street): $2,000 to $6,000 and needs Western Power involvement. Only worth doing if you have other reasons to want three phase.
The board upgrade you shouldn't skip
If your board is older than the mid 1990s and does not have RCDs on every circuit, we will usually recommend an upgrade regardless of the EV charger. Not because the EV needs it, but because the house does. The EV job is a good reason to finally do it.
Ready to talk it through
Free site visit, fixed price quote.
Send us a couple of photos of your switchboard and where the car parks. Our team will call you back with a firm number, and answer any questions from the article.