Discuss EV Home Charger Installer / Smart Meter Installer Required Qualifications? in the Electric Vehicles Advice Forum area at ElectriciansForums.net

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M70

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I have previously worked as a field service and installation engineer (AV DATA CAT5 areas) for over 12 years, although i am currently working in IT but i am interested in a career change as a EV home charger installer, or smart meter installer.

What are the required qualifications to become one of the above? Do they only employ fully trained electricians? The info i found on one job listing mentions 17th edition, but also mentions "you must be a fully qualified electrician TO 17th edition"

The only info i could find is -

"REQUIREMENTS
You must be a fully qualified electrician to 17th Edition Inspection & Testing (Level 3), with a clean driving license, with excellent customer service and able to work under your own initiative. This is a field-based support role and includes strong organisational and client-facing skills. Preference will be given to candidates who also hold an electrical Inspection and Test certificate."

I am not looking to become a electrician, just work in one of the above areas.

Thanks.
 
does this help?

EV Home Charger Installer / Smart Meter Installer Required Qualifications? {filename} | ElectriciansForums.net



Why not take the opportunity of attending our City & Guilds 2919 EV Charging courses running throughout July, August & September whilst the price is still only £295 + Vat for the 1 day Course and become a qualified EV Installation engineer???

Friday 14th Sept - 8 places left
Friday 17th Aug - 6 places left
Friday 27th July - 3 places left



Call us on 01246 588589 (Monday to Friday 9am - 5pm) for more information or book your place now at www.gretraining.co.uk
 
Hi - appreciate you've said you don't want to become an Electrician, but the EV charger installation job requires new circuits to be designed, installed, tested and certified (so you'll need to be one). Maybe the companies need a tech specialist to look at the chargers themselves - diagnostics and repairs etc. Just a thought :) .
For smart meter installation, the large supply companies will have their own training schools and there is Google-able info :)
 
I install EV chargers, and unless you offer nationwide coverage you will struggle to sustain a business on just them alone unless in a large city such as greater London. simply isn't the numbers/demand yet. Also a lot of car firms have tied up deals with larger installers.

At the bare minimum to install chargers in the domestic setting you will need to join a part p / competent persons scheme as its notifiable to building control. This in itself is a bit of a touchy subject on here, but will involve 17th/18th edition, a testing qualification, some insurance and several books and a expensive multi function tester and calibration certificate. The whole level 3 thing is debatable. oh and a valid debit card for the fees!

To get OLEV approval and access government subsidies you need to do at the very minimum manufacturer one day course and send the certificate along with all the scheme registration info, insurance etc to OLEV. You can then claim £500 back from OLEV towards the install bringing it in around £200-300 rather than the £800 mark.
Some charger firms will let you install commercial chargers under the workplace scheme when only domestic approved with say NICEIC others insist on AC status or other schemes equivalent.
From my own experience I have been pushing the EV chargers since the spring and putting out that I can install them, I have installed since March. With the new government funding increase and equipment allowances it is in effect free for companies to install one now at a workplace. Which due to my promo at networking events has led to several promising enquiries but even though the job might be for £3.5k for a decent commercial charger install job, only a few hundred of that is actual labour costs.
You will need other work to sustain the business until fully established.
As for smart meter installers they are recruiting in most job centres for people to train as one, good pay but again its pretty much dominated by either in house install teams for the power companies, or the likes of G4s , Capita etc have the contracts. Don't think you will get much work on your own working with electric meters unless you are well connected to the local cannabis growers as they always have a need for a reliable and discreet meter man!
 
does this help?

EV Home Charger Installer / Smart Meter Installer Required Qualifications? {filename} | ElectriciansForums.net



Why not take the opportunity of attending our City & Guilds 2919 EV Charging courses running throughout July, August & September whilst the price is still only £295 + Vat for the 1 day Course and become a qualified EV Installation engineer???

Friday 14th Sept - 8 places left
Friday 17th Aug - 6 places left
Friday 27th July - 3 places left



Call us on 01246 588589 (Monday to Friday 9am - 5pm) for more information or book your place now at www.gretraining.co.uk

Thanks for the info.

Surely there would be other City & Guilds training to take as mentioned by one of the forum members above?
 
Hi - appreciate you've said you don't want to become an Electrician, but the EV charger installation job requires new circuits to be designed, installed, tested and certified (so you'll need to be one). Maybe the companies need a tech specialist to look at the chargers themselves - diagnostics and repairs etc. Just a thought :) .
For smart meter installation, the large supply companies will have their own training schools and there is Google-able info :)

So, if i understand your reply, that if i wanted to become a home charger EV installer, i would have to be a 'proper fully qualified electrician'?
 
I install EV chargers, and unless you offer nationwide coverage you will struggle to sustain a business on just them alone unless in a large city such as greater London. simply isn't the numbers/demand yet. Also a lot of car firms have tied up deals with larger installers.

At the bare minimum to install chargers in the domestic setting you will need to join a part p / competent persons scheme as its notifiable to building control. This in itself is a bit of a touchy subject on here, but will involve 17th/18th edition, a testing qualification, some insurance and several books and a expensive multi function tester and calibration certificate. The whole level 3 thing is debatable. oh and a valid debit card for the fees!

To get OLEV approval and access government subsidies you need to do at the very minimum manufacturer one day course and send the certificate along with all the scheme registration info, insurance etc to OLEV. You can then claim £500 back from OLEV towards the install bringing it in around £200-300 rather than the £800 mark.
Some charger firms will let you install commercial chargers under the workplace scheme when only domestic approved with say NICEIC others insist on AC status or other schemes equivalent.
From my own experience I have been pushing the EV chargers since the spring and putting out that I can install them, I have installed since March. With the new government funding increase and equipment allowances it is in effect free for companies to install one now at a workplace. Which due to my promo at networking events has led to several promising enquiries but even though the job might be for £3.5k for a decent commercial charger install job, only a few hundred of that is actual labour costs.
You will need other work to sustain the business until fully established.
As for smart meter installers they are recruiting in most job centres for people to train as one, good pay but again its pretty much dominated by either in house install teams for the power companies, or the likes of G4s , Capita etc have the contracts. Don't think you will get much work on your own working with electric meters unless you are well connected to the local cannabis growers as they always have a need for a reliable and discreet meter man!

Thanks for all the info Gavin.

I know from reading on here that these short training courses are frowned upon by electricians, but i just noticed this training package from one of the Adverts on here.

Blue: Domestic EV Car Charging Point Installers Package - https://www.tradeskills4u.co.uk/courses/domestic-ev-installers-package

Now, would this just be a total waste of money for being taught how to pass a few exams and also no possibility of becoming a EV installer?


I would be looking to try and gain a home installer role for one of the larger installation companies, rather than be a independent. I don't mind working in a large radius, I'm in Cambridgeshire.
 
Hi - appreciate you've said you don't want to become an Electrician, but the EV charger installation job requires new circuits to be designed, installed, tested and certified (so you'll need to be one). Maybe the companies need a tech specialist to look at the chargers themselves - diagnostics and repairs etc. Just a thought :) .
For smart meter installation, the large supply companies will have their own training schools and there is Google-able info :)
Judging by some of the posts regarding Smart Meter installers, a pulse is all that's required, oh and a degree in " not my job Mate".
 
So, if i understand your reply, that if i wanted to become a home charger EV installer, i would have to be a 'proper fully qualified electrician'?
No.. you would just have to become a domestic installer which will cost you around £3-4k and about 18 days of your time to obtain some certificates. doesn't mean you know what you are doing though!
 
@M70 that course package at ts4u will give you the certificates to join a scheme and install chargers or whatever else you want in a house/domestic setting. does not give you experience, real knowledge or mean you are any good at it though, think of it as a means to an end.
 
@M70 that course package at ts4u will give you the certificates to join a scheme and install chargers or whatever else you want in a house/domestic setting. does not give you experience, real knowledge or mean you are any good at it though, think of it as a means to an end.
Thanks Gavin.

Yes, thats understandable that such a short course will not give the person enough time or knowledge. Im just wondering if it is enough to get a job in the industry, or would the training and paperwork be worth about as much as toilet roll?

When i was working as a service/install engineer, i made sure my jobs were top notch. So i have the practical and customer service skills, just not the paperwork, or EV related working experience.

I was thinking about contacting a few companies about offering to work for free 2 days a week alongside a EV installer (As a tool hander/Joey) , to gain some actual on site relevant working experience. :)
 
Here's a thought for you...for the actual number of electric vehicles,they are pretending there will be...the electrical bit will be small potatoes...

The real money will be earned by the civil lads,installing the various ducts,grooves and slips,which will enable charging leads to get to the millions of vehicles whose owner does not have parking within their properties.

...I am standing by,with my grooving tackle...giggerty
 

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