UK increases EV charger grants to £500 for renters, flat owners, and businesses in push to boost electric vehicle adoption
Renters, flat owners, homeowners without driveways and businesses will be able to save up to £500 when installing electric vehicle (EV) charge points, thanks to an over 40% increase in chargepoint grant amounts the government announced on Wednesday (25 February).
“The uplift will cover almost half the cost of a typical charge point installation until March 2027, helping thousands more drivers access cheaper domestic electricity rates at home or work to power their car for as little as 2p per mile – the equivalent of London to Birmingham for £3.50,” it said in an accompanying statement.
Expanded access to home charging is expected to help more households make the switch and UK businesses gear up for the EV revolution, as latest figures show EV drivers can save up to £1,400 on running costs versus a comparable petrol car when accessing cheaper domestic rates.
The updates will also simplify the current EV charge point support schemes available by reducing eight grant types down to five, streamlining the system so people can navigate and select schemes and discounts more easily.
Last year, a £25 million scheme was also launched making it easier for residents without driveways to install home chargers. Accessed through local authorities, the scheme supports the installation of discreet, embedded pavement channels and is additional to the expanded charge point grant. This means those with on street parking could get help with installing the charger and the cross-pavement channel.
The following updates will be introduced from 1 April 2026:
- People living in rented accommodation, flat owners, residential landlords, households with on-street parking and businesses will all be able to receive higher grants of up to £500 per charge point, rising from the previous discount of £350.
- Schools will be eligible for grants of up to £2,000 per socket, building on 3,700 sockets installed to date.
Alongside the ECG and home and workplace charging grants, the government is expanding the national 88,500 strong public charge point network.
In total, £600 million was announced last year to accelerate the charging rollout, and this funding builds on the 100,000 additional new public chargers the government is already helping councils install in the coming years.
Councils will receive funding for the next three years to help them boost local charging infrastructure, alongside the continuation of a government funded support service for local authorities which helps ensure charge point installations and locations best serve communities.
“Many small businesses want to switch to electric vehicles, with half of small businesses (51%) saying that more charging infrastructure would incentivise them to make the switch,” said Tina McKenzie, Policy Chair of the Federation of Small Businesses.
“Small firms want to cut their emissions and reduce their fuel bills, and removing or lowering the barriers which currently tip the scales against electric vehicle adoption can only be a good thing – for small businesses, for the economy and for the planet.”
