A 32 A single-phase wallbox adds about 7.4 kWh per hour. For a car using 17 kWh per 100 km, that is roughly 43 km per hour of charging.
The grid operator for Bucharest and Ilfov assesses a power-increase request within 10 working days, then issues a technical connection notice (ATR) once its invoice is paid.
AFM's Rabla Auto 2026 funds a new electric car, not the charger. We found no AFM programme open in 2026 for a home wallbox for individuals.
EV charging at home in Romania: the short answer
To charge an electric car at a villa in Romania you need three things: a grid connection with enough approved power, a dedicated circuit installed by a qualified electrician, and a home charging station (a wallbox) that suits the car. In most houses the slow part is not the wallbox. It is raising the approved power with the distribution operator.
In Bucharest and Ilfov county the operator is Rețele Electrice România, Muntenia region. Its website names a home charging station in the garage as a typical reason to ask for a power increase (spor de putere). The process runs through a technical connection notice, a connection contract, the works and a new connection certificate.
On grants: the Environment Fund Administration (AFM) runs Rabla Auto 2026, which gives up to 18,500 lei towards a new fully electric car. We did not find an AFM programme open in 2026 that funds a home wallbox for private individuals.
In plain words: first check the approved power of the house, then plan the charger, and only then look for a grant.
Three layers to sort out
| Layer | Who is responsible | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Grid connection | The distribution operator | The approved power on the connection certificate or technical notice, and whether the supply is single-phase or three-phase |
| The installation in the house | An electrician or firm certified by ANRE, the energy regulator | Space in the consumer unit, a dedicated circuit, suitable protection, cable length and cross-section |
| The charging station | You, based on the car | Charging power, app control, load management, solar compatibility |
The approved power is the maximum you may draw at any one moment. According to the operator, it appears on the connection certificate (certificat de racordare) or the technical connection notice (ATR), and on your electricity bill. You must not exceed it.
How much power you need: the basic table
The figures below are simple physics, voltage times current. They are the same in Romania as anywhere else on a 230 V grid.
| Type of charging | Supply | Power, approx. | Energy added per hour |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ordinary socket, 10 A | Single-phase | 2.3 kW | about 2.3 kWh |
| Wallbox, 16 A | Single-phase | 3.7 kW | about 3.7 kWh |
| Wallbox, 32 A | Single-phase | 7.4 kW | about 7.4 kWh |
| Wallbox, 16 A | Three-phase | 11 kW | about 11 kWh |
| Wallbox, 32 A | Three-phase | 22 kW | about 22 kWh |
A worked example: a car that uses 17 kWh per 100 km gains roughly 43 km for each hour on a 7.4 kW wallbox. An 8-hour night covers most daily driving. Check your car's consumption and the maximum power its on-board charger accepts. A car limited to 7.4 kW will not charge faster on a 22 kW wallbox.
An ordinary socket is fine for occasional top-ups. For daily use, electricians recommend a dedicated wallbox on its own circuit.
Raising the approved power: the steps
Rețele Electrice publishes two routes: a power increase without changes to the connection installation, and one with changes (the installation from outside your property up to the meter). These are the steps and timings it publishes:
- Check your approved power on the connection certificate or your bill.
- Add up what runs at the same time: wallbox, heat pump, air conditioning, oven, water heater. The operator provides a helper table.
- File a connection request online or through your electricity supplier, ticking "development of an existing user".
- The operator assesses the request within 10 working days, then sets the technical solution and issues the technical connection notice (ATR) once you pay its invoice. The site gives 30 days for this step.
- You can contest the ATR within 30 calendar days of receiving it if the solution or the cost does not look right.
- Ask for the connection contract. The operator sends a draft within 5 working days. You sign and pay the connection fee.
- The works are done by the operator or by an ANRE-certified firm of your choice. With changes to the installation, the site estimates 90 calendar days after permits are obtained.
- Submit the file for the in-house installation through a certified firm. Its price is agreed directly with that firm.
- Inspection and energising within 5 working days, a new connection certificate within 3 working days, and the meter reprogrammed within 5 working days.
If you live abroad, most steps can be filed online. The work inside the house still needs a certified electrician on site.
Load management: getting by with less power
Many wallboxes manage load: they measure the house's consumption and slow the charging down when the heat pump, the oven and the air conditioning run together. That can mean a smaller power increase, or sometimes none.
First check the approved power of the house, then plan the charger, and only then look for a grant.
It does not solve everything. In a house heated by a heat pump (see our heating guide), winter is when both the heating and the car need the most electricity. Plan for a cold January evening, not a mild spring day.
Charging from solar panels
Pairing a wallbox with rooftop panels makes sense when the car is at home in daylight. Many wallboxes can charge only from surplus solar production, or mix grid and solar.
Two questions before you pair them:
- If you work from home or drive little during the day, you will use more of your own production. If you leave in the morning and return in the evening, you will mostly charge from the grid at night.
- The rules for household producers (prosumers) changed in 2026. We covered them in our solar panels guide.
Grants and programmes in 2026: what actually exists
| Programme | What it funds | Status we checked |
|---|---|---|
| Rabla Auto 2026 for individuals | A new car: 18,500 lei for a fully electric car, 15,000 lei for a plug-in hybrid | Registration opened on 20 July 2026, until 31 December 2026 or until the budget runs out. A further round opened on 25 August for funds that were freed up |
| AFM normal-power charging stations | Stations in localities | The guide dates from 2022 and targets stations in towns and villages, not private homes |
| AFM electricity storage systems | Batteries for household prosumers | Listed among running programmes. Check the AFM site for an open session |
Rabla's 2026 budget for individuals is 300 million lei, of which 120 million is for plug-in hybrid and fully electric cars. Rabla funds the car, not the charger. Full eligibility conditions are in the programme guide on the AFM site.
Do not build your budget around a grant until a session is open and your file is accepted.
Buying a new villa: what to ask the developer
In a new build, preparing for a charger costs little. Once the walls are closed, it costs a lot more. Ask these questions in writing:
- What is the approved power of the house, and is the supply single-phase or three-phase?
- Is there an empty conduit from the consumer unit to the parking space?
- Is there spare space in the consumer unit for another circuit?
- Who handles a power increase if you need one, and what is the status of the connection certificate at handover?
- Do the community rules restrict anything on the façade or in the parking area?
The full list of connections for a villa in Ilfov is in our utilities guide.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a building permit to install a wallbox at home?
We did not find a provision in the new Planning and Construction Code (Law 169/2026) that deals with a home wallbox inside a private yard. What is certainly needed: work by a certified electrician and, if you need more power, a request to the distribution operator. In a gated community, check the community rules too.
How long does a power increase take?
According to the operator, the works themselves are estimated at 30 days without changes to the connection installation, and 90 days after permits with changes. Add the assessment, the technical notice and the contract on top. Plan a few months ahead.
Is there a grant for a home wallbox in 2026?
We did not find an AFM programme open in 2026 that funds a home wallbox for individuals. Rabla Auto 2026 funds the purchase of a new electric car, up to 18,500 lei. Check the AFM site before buying, because programmes open and close with the budget.
Can I just charge from an ordinary socket?
For occasional top-ups, yes, at about 2.3 kW. For daily use a dedicated circuit and a wallbox, installed and checked by a certified electrician, is the better choice.
What happens if I exceed the approved power?
According to the operator, the customer must not exceed the approved power. In practice, a wallbox with load management prevents the problem in the first place.
The bottom line
Home charging is first an electricity question and only then a wallbox question. Check the approved power, work out what runs together on a winter evening, and start the power increase early.
If you are looking at a villa near Bucharest, with us or anywhere else, book a 30-minute call with me. We will go through the questions worth asking before you sign.
Moti Azulay, Compass Group Romania
Sources: Rețele Electrice România: power increase · Power increase with changes to the installation · Power increase without changes to the installation · AFM press release on Rabla Auto 2026 for individuals, 07.07.2026 · AFM: new Rabla 2026 registrations, 24.08.2026 · AFM: normal-power charging stations programme · AFM: list of funding programmes
This article is for general information only and is not legal, tax or financial advice. The rules are correct as of 22 October 2026. Funding programmes open and close with their budgets, and connection conditions are set case by case by the distribution operator. Check the official sources and a certified electrician.
Now you know more.
This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult local professionals before any transaction.
