- New proposed planning reforms to cut red tape giving renters
and motorists without driveways greater access to cheaper
charging at home
- Residents could save up to £250 on application fees with
wider proposals to help renters and leaseholders install chargers
- More households could run their electric vehicles for as
little as 2p per mile – saving families cash and helping more
people to make the switch
Electric car owners will find it easier and cheaper to charge
their vehicles at home under new plans unveiled today (Wednesday
29th October) by the Government, designed to make
it fairer for renters and those without a private driveway.
The plans would make it easier for renters and leaseholders 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, as the
Government bolsters its drive to make it easier than ever to plug
in wherever you live.
The reforms would give more people access to domestic electricity
rates, enabling families to run their EVs for as little as 2p per
mile – the equivalent of London to Birmingham for
£2.50.
The Government has confirmed it will consider cutting red tape
for EV drivers without driveway to make it easier to install
cross pavement charging solutions, speeding up applications and
putting money back in driver's pockets by saving them 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.
On top of this, Government and Ofgem will work to ensure
operators offer high quality connection as well as smooth and
rapid connections for public charging, to ensure the network is
resilient and supports the ongoing rollout.
The Government will shortly launch a consultation on the
package, enabling industry to inform how the reforms can best be
implemented.
Transport Secretary, said:
“Wherever you park your car we're making it fairer, easier, and
cheaper to make the switch to electric.
“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.”
The commitment builds on the launch of the £650m Electric Car
Grant earlier this year which is offering discounts of up to
£3,750 off 39 car models. The grant has sparked increased demand
in EVs and has helped more than 25,000 drivers to make the switch
so far.
The move follows a £25m scheme announced in July to support local
authorities to provide discreet cross-pavement channel charging
solutions for residents so more people without a driveway can
charge easily and cheaply at home. The Government is also
investing £381m to rollout more than 100,000 local public
chargers across England.
The UK is leading the EV transition after it ranked number one in
Europe's EV market in 2024 and sales are up nearly a third
so far this year. The Government is taking unprecedented action
to support people with the move to electric, targeting
historically higher upfront costs through the Electric Car Grant
and addressing charging anxiety – with 86,021 chargers available
across the UK. This latest package will help give drivers
the confidence to make the switch to electric and ensure the
infrastructure is there to power their journeys when they do.
Notes to editors
- The Government has announced a package of six measures to
enhance EV charging accessibility.
- These include consulting on ways to ensure more people can
charge from home by removing barriers for renters and
leaseholders, requiring the installation of chargepoints in new
covered car parks, and introducing permitted development rights
for cross-pavement solutions to make installations easier and
cheaper.
- Additionally, the Government commits to working with Ofgem
and industry to ensure fair public EV charging costs, reviewing
the maximum resale price for domestic charging to prevent
landlords from overcharging tenants, and improving grid
connections to support faster and cheaper EV charging rollout.
