- Eased rules on electric vehicles and increased subsidies will arrive in April
- It will become easier for homeowners to install integrated pavement channels
- Councils will also receive funding for the next three years to help them strengthen local charging infrastructure.
Rule changes due to come into force on April 1 this year could help reshape the way UK drivers access electric vehicle charging, particularly those without driveways.
Following an announcement in February 2026, the UK Government said it had increased the amount of charging point grants by more than 40%, while also increasing support for local councils to make it easier for people without a private entrance to access an electric vehicle charging solution.
For example, the government is reportedly easing restrictions on “cross-channel” charging (which I have previously argued is a good but limited idea), making it simpler to run a compliant cable between a domestic residence and a car parked on the street.
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“Drivers without off-street parking have long faced ‘driveway discrimination’ when it comes to charging electric vehicles,” says Matt Galvin, managing director of Polestar UK.
Galvin then explained that Polestar welcomed the policy to make it easier to install home charging solutions which “will help more people move away from petrol and diesel cars, reducing running costs and reducing air pollution and traffic noise in our cities”, he added.
Analysis: a positive development for electric vehicle owners
The UK government’s recent announcement could be a real game-changer for electric vehicle owners, as one of the main barriers to widespread adoption of this technology is the frankly unacceptable cost of the public charging network.
As EV batteries get bigger, the efficient “tank” now costs more to fill, and if EV owners aren’t able to install a charger at home, it quickly becomes unaffordable.
After recently driving the Kia EV9 for a week, I was faced with a bill for over £150 in public charging charges. Traveling the same distance in my old diesel van would have cost half the amount.
Unfortunately, those without off-street parking, renters and even small business owners often face a lot of red tape when it comes to electric vehicle charging options, such as low-power units installed on existing street furniture or cross-charging solutions.
This is a small ravine cut into the pavement or pavement, which allows electric vehicle owners to safely run a charging cable from an apartment or terraced house without causing a dangerous tripping hazard.
It allows charging from a domestic outlet, without the need to install a 7kW charger.
“We are taking steps to make electric vehicle ownership an affordable choice for everyone, not just those with a driveway,” Minister for Aviation, Marine and Decarbonization Keir Mather said.
“Larger grants mean families, flat owners, renters and small businesses can now install a charger for almost half the usual cost, with home charging costing just 2p per mile,” he added.
In addition, local councils will receive funding over the next three years to help them strengthen local charging infrastructure.
Ben Beadle, chief executive of the National Residential Landlords Association, is also urging landlords to make the best use of the grants, saying almost 9 in 10 landlords with a suitable property would install electric vehicle charging points if a tenant asked them to undertake this work.
This recent announcement, along with the current £2 billion Electric Car Grant, which provides savings on some electric vehicles, aims to make the idea of owning an electric vehicle more attractive.
As fuel prices continue to rise due to conflict in the Middle East, Octopus Energy reported that sales of electric vehicle chargers are up 20% month-over-month as drivers seek to “escape unpredictable costs at the pump.”
The demand for EVs is there, it just needs to be as simple as possible so that future owners can recharge at home at a lower cost. Otherwise, making the change just doesn’t make sense.
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