What is electrical overloading? How to charge safely at home

Prevent damage to your house with safe EV charging practices. Understand your home's power limits, when to charge, and most importantly: how to charge your EV.

All Evnex chargers come with home overload protection. Want one installed? Get a quick quote now.

Flickering lights, hot power outlets, mysterious scorch marks — don’t worry, it's not a ghost. It’s electrical overload. And there’s a cure!

If you’ve recently purchased an electric vehicle, you might be noticing symptoms of home overload, also known as electrical overload. Your EV is likely the most power-hungry device you'll ever plug in at home, so without proper safety features your fuse box will struggle.

That’s why home overload protection is built into every charger Evnex makes. But what causes overloads, and how did we cure it?

Why does my home overload when charging my EV?

A standard home EV charger draws about 32 amps. To put this in perspective:

• Your washing machine uses about 10 amps

• An air conditioner might use 20 amps

• An induction cooktop can use up to 32 amps

This means if you’re using a lot of other electrical appliances — maybe you’re hosting a dinner party on a wintery night and need to run a heat pump, oven, lights, and dishwasher — then charging your EV on top of this could cause an overload.

Why does my house power goes out?

When you overload your home’s electrical circuit, you might notice your power cutting out. If it doesn’t cut out, you’ll get:

• Overheating wires

• Fires

• Flickering or burst light bulbs

• Scorch marks

• Strange buzzing or sizzling sounds

The power goes out because your circuit breakers trip. This “tripping” turns off the flow of electricity to prevent damage to your home.

While this safety feature protects your home, it's also extremely inconvenient to lose power to your entire house.  

How can I prevent electrical overload when charging at home?

Getting an EV doesn’t mean you need to run the risk of overloading your home’s electrical system. There are plenty of ways to keep your circuits running uninterrupted.

1. Install a circuit breaker for your EV charger

Have a licensed electrician install an appropriate circuit breaker specifically for your EV charging circuit. This provides basic protection but won't prevent your whole home overloading.

2. Use a smart charger with overload protection

Your EV probably came with charging cables you can plug into your wall for basic 1.8kW charging. Maybe you bought an entry-level “dumb” home charger that charges at 7.4kW but doesn’t know when to turn off.

There’s a third option: smart EV chargers, like the Evnex E2 range, can automatically adjust the car’s charging rate based on your home's power use.

These smart chargers monitor your total household power consumption and reduce charging speed when other appliances are running. This means you can cook dinner, run the air con, and charge your car without worrying about overload.

They also include cost-saving features like solar diversion and charge scheduling, so the small extra cost to purchase ends up being paid back over time.

3. Track all home appliance power use

This is the most manual option. If you’ve got the administrative skills, you could set up an appliance-tracking list for your household to use.

This would include all the household appliances (including your EV charger), how many amps they use, and your total household capacity. You can use the list to check off whether the appliance is in use or not, and therefore how many amps of wiggle room you’ve got left.

Sound like a horrible amount of admin? Yeah, a smart charger might be better.

Ensure your EV charger is safe for your home

1. Make sure your charging equipment is approved for use in Australia (look for the RCM tick).
2. Have a licensed electrician inspect your home’s wiring before installing a charger. A good electrician will do this as part of the standard install process.
3. Purchase an EV charger with home overload protection.

Your home can be a safe place to charge your EV

While you'll likely charge your EV in different places — at home, work, or public charging stations — knowing your home set-up is safe gives you one less thing to worry about. By following these guidelines and using the right equipment, you can charge your EV efficiently and safely for years to come.

Remember: if you're unsure about anything related to EV charging installation or safety, always consult a licensed electrician.

Want to get started charging safely? Get a quote now.

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