At a glance
- Three fault categories cover almost every home EV charging problem: vehicle-side (car settings or battery), charger-side (connector, fault light, connectivity), and supply-side (switchboard, safety switch). The category tells you what to do next. energy.gov.auView source
- Vehicle-side and charger-side checks are non-invasive and take under two minutes. No tools needed, no electrical risk.
- If the safety switch at your switchboard has tripped: reset it once only. If it trips again, stop immediately and call a licensed electrician. energy.gov.auView source electricvehiclecouncil.com.auView source
- Stop and call a licensed electrician immediately if you notice a burning smell, heat, discolouration, smoke, or melted plastic on the charger, cable, or connector. energy.gov.auView source
- A licensed electrician is required by law for any work on the fixed wiring of a home EV charger. energy.gov.auView source
Something stops your EV charging. The fault is in one of three places: your car, your charger, or your home's electrical supply. Two of those you can check in under two minutes with no tools. The third is where a safety line sits: one reset of the safety switch, and if it trips again, stop and call a licensed electrician.energy.gov.auView source electricvehiclecouncil.com.auView source
That's the map. The sections below tell you which domain your fault is in, and where to go next. For the full symptom-by-symptom walk-through, see EV charger not working.
Stop and call a licensed electrician if any of these apply
Before you check anything else: if you see or smell any of the following, stop using the charger and call a licensed electrician. Don't attempt to reset or inspect. These are active safety signals, not minor faults to troubleshoot. energy.gov.auView source energy.gov.auView source
The safety switch re-trips after one reset. A burning smell from the charger, cable, or connector. Heat or discolouration on any part of the charging setup. Smoke or melted plastic anywhere on the unit or cable. Sparking, arcing, or visible burn marks. Exposed or damaged wiring on the cable or at the wall plate. energy.gov.auView source electricvehiclecouncil.com.auView source
A persistent fault light that won't clear after you check the connector seating and the charger app also warrants a call. If you can't identify the symptom from the charger's own manual, that's the right answer too. A licensed electrician can diagnose most charger faults on a single visit. energy.gov.auView source electricvehiclecouncil.com.auView source
What does an EV charger fault inspection cost?
A licensed electrician can diagnose most home EV charger faults on a single visit. What they find determines whether it's a minor fix or a more involved repair.
Three fault categories every EV owner should know
Every home EV charging fault starts in one of three domains. The domain tells you what the safe response is before you do anything else.
Vehicle-side faults come from the car. Charger-side faults come from the wall unit and its connection. Supply-side faults involve your home's fixed electrical installation, the switchboard, and the safety switch (RCD) on the charger circuit. The first two domains have safe homeowner checks. The third has a hard rule, and that rule is not negotiable.
Your car is often the cause, not the charger
A charge limit set to 80% looks exactly like a broken charger. The car tells the charger to stop, the charger sits idle, and nothing visible tells you why. Scheduled charging does the same. These are vehicle-side faults, and they account for a large share of calls where the charger turns out to be completely fine.
The safe homeowner check: open the vehicle app or the infotainment screen before you do anything else. Look for a charge limit, a scheduled departure time, or an error message from the car. If your battery is sitting at 80% and that is your set limit, nothing is broken. Adjust the setting and try again.
If the vehicle has no dashboard lights at all and the app shows nothing, the 12V auxiliary battery may be flat. That's a vehicle issue, not a charger issue. Contact your manufacturer's roadside assistance.
For the full vehicle-side check sequence, see EV charger not working.
Charger-side faults show up as a fault light or a connection error
If the vehicle checks come back clear, look at the charger itself. Two quick checks cover most charger-side faults: the connector seat and the indicator light. Neither needs tools. Neither requires you to open anything.
A wall-mounted charger checks the connection before it lets current flow. A plug that's not fully latched will stop charging. Unplug the cable completely, push it back in firmly until you hear or feel the latch click, and try again. It's one of the most common causes of a fault that clears itself.
If a fault light is showing and doesn't clear after you reseat the connector, check the charger's manufacturer app for alerts or pending firmware updates. The exact meaning of fault-light colours is brand-specific, so check your charger's manual too. A persistent fault light that won't clear after those steps means it's time to call the manufacturer's support line or a licensed electrician. Don't open the unit.
The one stop trigger in this domain: if the charger, cable, or connector feels genuinely hot to the touch, shows heat marks, smells of burning, or has charred or melted parts, stop immediately. Call a licensed electrician. Do not use the charger. energy.gov.auView source
Installation quality also matters here. A charger installed on an undersized circuit, or with a cable run that was not built for high continuous current, is more likely to fault. For more on how your charger was installed, see the installation guide.
For the full charger-side diagnosis sequence, including fault-light colour meanings and connectivity troubleshooting, see EV charger not working.
Supply-side faults involve your switchboard, and this is where the rules are strictest
A home EV charger draws high, steady current. It is one of the biggest loads in a home, which is why it has its own dedicated circuit with a safety switch (RCD) built for it. When the charger trips the safety switch, the circuit is doing exactly what it was built to do. electricvehiclecouncil.com.auView source
The Australian wiring rules (AS/NZS 3000:2018) set out how an EV charger circuit must be wired, covering the circuit breaker and the RCD. Appendix P of those rules covers how the right RCD is chosen. Where the charger's install manual calls for RCD protection, that protection is required. Standards AustraliaView source electricvehiclecouncil.com.auView source
A home EV charger is hardwired into your fixed supply. All work on that fixed wiring, including finding a supply-side fault, must be done by a licensed electrician. energy.gov.auView source The one safe homeowner check here: go to the switchboard and see whether the EV charger's RCD or circuit breaker has tripped. That is the next section.
The one-reset rule for your safety switch
Go to your switchboard. Find the circuit labelled for the EV charger, or look for a switch that has flipped off or is sitting in the middle position. If you find a tripped RCD or breaker, reset it once and try charging again. electricvehiclecouncil.com.auView source
If the safety switch trips again: stop. Do not reset it a second time. A safety switch that re-trips on the EV charger circuit means there is an active electrical fault. It could be a wiring problem, the wrong RCD type for a charger that puts out DC leakage current, moisture, or another supply-side fault. Only a licensed electrician can find and fix it. This is fixed-wiring work, not a job for a homeowner. energy.gov.auView source Standards AustraliaView source electricvehiclecouncil.com.auView source
That's the rule. One reset. If it trips again, stop and call a licensed electrician.
Find the right guide for your fault
- symptom triageEV charger not workingEV plugged in but not charging? Start here for the full symptom-by-symptom triage across all three fault domains, including the safe-check sequence and comparison table.
- repair & electricianEV charger repairNeed a licensed electrician to fix your EV charger? This guide covers the supply-side and RCD repair pathway, what a diagnostic visit covers, and how to get quotes.
- brand-specificHypervolt not workingGot a Hypervolt home charger? Brand-specific fault codes and resolution steps are covered in the dedicated Hypervolt fault guide. For now, the EV charger not working guide covers the general fault sequence for all charger brands.
Common questions
Most home EV charger problems fall into three groups: vehicle-side (charge limit set to 80%, scheduled charging active, or a 12V battery issue in the car), charger-side (connector not fully latched, a fault light, or a connection drop), and supply-side (a tripped safety switch or RCD at the switchboard). Start with the vehicle app. If that's clear, check the connector and the charger's indicator. Then check the switchboard. For the full step-by-step, see the EV charger not working guide.
When a home EV stops charging, the fix follows the fault type. Vehicle-side: open the app and check the charge limit, schedule, or error message. Charger-side: reseat the connector firmly and check the fault light against the charger's manual or app. Supply-side: check the switchboard and reset the safety switch once only. If it trips again, you need a licensed electrician. For a step-by-step by fault type, see the EV charger not working guide.
A ChargePoint or any wall-mounted home charger that will not start follows the same three-domain triage. Check the vehicle app first: a charge limit or scheduled time is the most common cause. Then check the connector seat (unplug and reseat firmly). Then check your switchboard for a tripped safety switch. If it has tripped, reset it once. If it trips again, stop and call a licensed electrician. A persistent fault light that will not clear after those steps also needs a licensed electrician or the manufacturer's support line.
The most common reason an EV stops charging at home is vehicle-side: a charge limit set to 80%, a scheduled departure time, or a vehicle error. Open the app first. If that is clear, reseat the connector and check the charger's fault light. Then check the switchboard. A tripped safety switch gets one reset. If it trips again or if you smell burning or see damage at any point, stop and call a licensed electrician. A home charger is hardwired into your fixed supply, and supply-side faults need a licensed electrician by law. energy.gov.auView source
EV charger problems at home fall into three groups: vehicle-side (the car's settings or battery causing the stop), charger-side (a connection issue, fault light, or dropped connection), and supply-side (a tripped safety switch or RCD at the switchboard). The group tells you what to do. Vehicle-side and charger-side problems have safe homeowner checks. Supply-side problems at the switchboard or wiring need a licensed electrician. The same approach works regardless of charger brand.
Yes, once. If the safety switch on your EV charger circuit has tripped, go to the switchboard, find the tripped switch, and reset it once. Try charging again. If it trips again, stop. Do not try a second reset. A safety switch that keeps tripping is a sign of an active electrical fault in the fixed supply. A licensed electrician must find and fix it. Resetting it again won't solve the root problem and can make things worse. energy.gov.auView source electricvehiclecouncil.com.auView source
Call a licensed electrician when: the safety switch trips again after one reset, you smell burning, see heat, discolouration, or smoke on the charger or cable, there is visible damage or bare wiring, a fault light won't clear after checking the connector and the charger app, or you can't identify the symptom from the charger's own manual. Supply-side faults, any RCD that keeps tripping, and all work inside the charger unit require a licensed electrician by law in Australia, because the charger is wired into your fixed supply. energy.gov.auView source electricvehiclecouncil.com.auView source
No. A safety switch that trips again after one reset means there is an active electrical fault. Stop charging. Do not reset the switch again. Using the charger with the fault still present can make things worse and puts the wiring at real risk. A licensed electrician must check the fault before you use the charger again. This is fixed-wiring work, and it requires a licensed electrician by law in Australia. energy.gov.auView source electricvehiclecouncil.com.auView source
EV charger fault you can't clear yourself?
A licensed EV charger electrician can diagnose most home charger faults on a single site visit. Get a fair-price estimate up front, then connect with vetted local electricians who specialise in EV charging faults. For an overview of home EV charging, see the home EV charging hub.
Sources
General information only. This guide is not a substitute for advice from a licensed electrician. Electrical work on fixed wiring in Australia requires a licensed electrical contractor.
- energy.gov.auView source
- energy.gov.auView source
- electricvehiclecouncil.com.auView source
- Standards AustraliaView source