End of the red tape for on-street EV charging in Britain
Key Points
- Cross-pavement EV chargers no longer need planning permission from 21 October
- The change saves up to £300 on installation and enables 2p-per-mile charging
- UK electric car sales rose 36% to nearly 100,000 in September 2026
- Two government consultations on renters’ charging and new car parks close 16 December
Drivers without a driveway can save up to £300 on home charging from Wednesday (21 October). The Department for Transport said households no longer need planning permission to install cross-pavement chargers, which run under the pavement from a home to a car parked on the street.
The change cuts up to £300 from installation costs and opens up home charging for as little as 2p per mile, the department said.
Residents without off-street parking can now plug into cheaper domestic electricity prices, which the government said could save them up to £1,750 on running costs.
“We’re saving drivers up to £300 off the cost of installing home charging by cutting unnecessary red tape,” said Buses and Local Transport Minister Simon Lightwood.
“By slashing unnecessary red tape for these home chargers, the government is speeding up installations, putting money back in drivers’ pockets and revving up the transition to electric,” Lightwood added.
Changes to permitted development rights will also make it quicker and cheaper for charge point operators to install larger, higher-powered public EV charging hubs.
Record electric car sales
UK electric car sales hit another record in September 2026, rising 36% year on year to nearly 100,000 cars in a single month.
The government’s Electric Car Grant has now helped over 190,000 drivers save up to £3,750 on a new electric vehicle.
“This might look like a small planning change, but for someone without a driveway, it could make the difference between being able to afford an electric car and ruling one out altogether,” said Vicky Edmonds, CEO of EVA England.
“Our research found that 60% of petrol and diesel drivers without off-street parking would never consider an EV. Being able to connect a car parked on the street to cheaper home electricity could help change that,” Edmonds said.
“It’s now up to local authorities and landlords to make these solutions easier to access in practice,” she added.
“The government’s decision to remove planning permission requirements for qualifying cross pavement charging solutions is another welcome step towards making EV ownership more accessible, particularly for households without off-street parking,” said Dickson Abegunde, Director of Strategic Partnerships at Zoopla.
New rules for landlords and new buildings
The government has also launched two consultations on home charging, which close on 16 December 2026.
The first proposes clear guidance for landlords, giving tenants and leaseholders a quicker and more consistent route to installing a charge point.
The government is also considering mandatory requirements that would make it harder for landlords and freeholders to refuse renters’ applications.
The second consultation could update building regulations to require charge points in new and refurbished covered car parks.
