Government to consult on easier access to home charging

Plans revealed by the Department of Transport and the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles aim to make it easier and cheaper for for renters and those without a private driveway to charge their EVs at home.

Renters and leaseholders will be able to install electric vehicle (EV) chargers by mandating chargepoints in new covered car parks and consulting on removing planning permission currently needed for those without driveways to install discreet cross pavement charging gullies.

The reforms, which the government will soon launch a consultation on, would also give more people access to domestic electricity rates, enabling families to run their EVs for as little as 2p per mile.

The move to make it easier to install cross pavement charging solutions aims to speed up applications save users up to £250 in application fees.

The government will also work with Ofgem to ensure public costs are fair and strengthen protections against landowners overcharging tenants for home charging above the market rate.

The government and Ofgem are also working to ensure operators offer high quality connections as well as smooth and rapid connections for public charging, to ensure the network is resilient and supports the ongoing rollout.

Transport Secretary, Heidi Alexander, said:

"These reforms will improve infrastructure for the EV revolution, increase chargepoints across the country and open up affordable home charging to thousands more households. It’s good news for drivers and a big boost for the growing British EV industry – cutting costs and supporting jobs to deliver our Plan for Change."

Launched earlier this year, the Electric Car Grant (ECG)  offers discounts of up to £3,750 off 39 car models. 

In July, a £25 million scheme was announced to support local authorities to provide discreet cross-pavement channel charging solutions for residents. The government is also investing £381 million to roll out more than 100,000 local public chargers across England.