What EV grants are still available? Can you get an EV charger grant if you live in a flat or only have on-street parking?

ev grants image showing ev charging point

There are various EV grants for electric vehicle owners. In March 2024, the overall number of them and the size of the grants are both dwindling. However, there was an important change to the rules that benefited people who don’t have off-street parking.

Can you get EV grants for buying cars?

If you want a grant to go towards buying a new electric car, you’re too late. The government stopped these EV grants in 2022.

You can get EV grants for vans. There’s a 35% discount – up to a maximum of £2,500 ‑ on specified vans. These include the Citroen e-Berlingo, Mercedes-Benz eCitan, Renault Kangoo ZE, Ford E-Transit, Vauxhall Vivaro-e and Volkswagen ID. Buzz Cargo Commerce. There’s a full list on this government web page.

Can you get an EV grant for home charging?

Until early 2022, there were EV grants for installing an EV charging point at your property if you had off-street parking. But this has changed. It is now broadly split in three: homeowners who park on the street, people who live in flats and landlords.

New EV grants for charging at the roadside

One of the great inequalities of EV ownership was that if you wanted to pay to have a charge point in your driveway, you got a grant; if you didn’t have a drive, there was no such grant. That has changed.

The government has given £185m to councils who want to enable people to put in kerbside charging. If you have adequate roadside parking, you can get up to £350 or a 75% discount (whichever is lower) off a charge point installation.

The idea is that you have a gully in the pavement that enables you to run a cable from the property to the car. When the council is happy you can have one of these and that it’s safe, you can install the charging point at the property.

EV grants if you live in a flat

If you own or rent your flat, you can apply for the EV Charge point Grant. The applicant must:

You cannot apply if you:

  • have already claimed for the grant (or its predecessors, the Electric Vehicle Home charge Scheme (EVHS) and the Domestic Recharge Scheme)
  • are moving house or planning on moving
  • want a new charge point, even if a new car is not compatible with the current one
  • want to move an existing charge point to a new property
  • live in a house that you own (not a flat that’s part of a house)
ev grants. Image of sleek home charging point
Government approved charging points come in all shapes and sizes

What about home charging grants for landlords?

You can apply for one of these if you’re a residential or commercial landlord and you own or manage flats, houses, apartment blocks or business premises in the UK.

The government’s EV Charge point Grant offers either £350 or 75% (whichever is lower) off the cost of buying and installing a charging socket.

The fitter will charge you the discounted rate. They will then claim back the grant from the government.

Who can apply for an EV home charger grant?

There are multiple individuals and organisations who’re entitled to grants for EV chargers. To make things simpler, we’ve cut them down to only those that apply in a domestic context.

These are:

  • an individual with property to let
  • a right to manage (RTM) company
  • a residents’ management company (RMC)
  • a company or person owning the freehold of a property
  • a company owning a building’s common areas, including shareholders who are the leaseholders
  • a property factor in Scotland
  • a private registered provider of social housing (PRP)
  • a public sector organisation – for example government departments, local councils, the armed forces or the NHS and emergency services
  • a charity that manages or owns residential property

The parking space that you want to install a charge point at must be:

  • off-street, private and clearly defined
  • accessible to the tenant/you at all times
  • owned by you or you must have a legal right to it.

You should also be able to prove that you have the correct permission to lay the cable over any public or private land that it might have to cross to reach your parking space.

Who can’t apply for an EV home charger grant?

You may not apply for these EV grants if you:

  • live in the property
  • rent it out as a holiday let
  • rent the parking spaces from someone else (ie. don’t have a share in the parking)
  • have already claimed from the EVHS scheme
  • are moving house or planning to move
  • already have a charge point but it’s not compatible with your car
  • live in a house that you own
  • have an existing charge point that you want to move.

When you apply for an EV home charger grant

You must use an Office for Zero Emissions Vehicles (OZEV) approved installer. You will find these on this government website. Be aware there are different approved installers depending on whether you’re having the charger installed at a residential or commercial property. Quotes will vary depending on the supplier you go to so it’s well worth shopping around.

Some installers might recommend you have a Pod Point home charger for example, others will say steer clear of them at all costs. Some might be happy to supply a charge point, others will ask you to supply your own. If you do supply your own, it must be an approved model. There’s a list here.

You must have any upgrades done to the property’s electrical supply if it’s required. Decide who pays for the charging point and how they pay for it. Arrange regular maintenance for the charge points and ensure they’re accessible.

Why have a home electric car charging point?

The government estimates that 80% of electric cars are charged at home. But do it with a three-pin plug and it’ll take ages because you’re only charging at a rate of 2-3kW. Use a purpose-built charger and you’ll be charging at a rate of 3.7 to 7kW. According to Pod Point, you’ll get around 8 miles range an hour with a three-pin plug and 15-30 miles per minute with a dedicated charger.

Most domestic properties have what’s called single-phase power meaning 7kW is the quickest charging you’ll get. Commercial properties frequently have a three-phase power supply so chargers up to 22kW can be installed.

Aside from speed, home charging points have another benefit. They will talk directly with your car. This means you can programme them to charge your battery to the manufacturer-recommended level – usually 80%. (Some say you shouldn’t charge batteries beyond 90-95% to assist with battery longevity).

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