Labour boosts electrical automotive house charger grants by £150 – however many are locked out from the low cost
The Government has increased the amount electric car owners can get off a home charger to £500 in a bit to ‘make EV ownership more affordable’ – but many people are ineligible for the discount.
Previously, the Electric Vehicle Chargepoint Grant was capped at £350. But a £150 boost announced this week, Labour hopes, will drive more installations.
However, the scheme is only open to people who live in rented properties, own flats, run businesses or occupy houses without driveways.
It means those living in detached, semi-detached, or terraced houses with off-street parking – representing between 80 and 95 per cent of existing UK electric car owners – receive no Government support.
Not since the Conservative Government discontinued the EV Homecharge Scheme in March 2022 have motorists with off-street parking been eligible for grants towards device installations.
The Department for Transport has confirmed the higher rate for the scheme will be available from 1 April and will last for 12 months. However, this is the curtain call for homecharger grants, with the Government pulling funding at the end of March 2027.
The Government has increase its Electric Vehicle Chargepoint Grant to £500 but it is not available to people in detached, semi-detached or terrace houses
The DfT says the new £500 grant will ‘typically cover nearly half the cost of having an EV charger installed’.
The 40 per cent increase in the chargepoint grant amount will ‘help thousands more drivers access cheaper domestic electricity rates at home or work’.
This could, according to ministers, enable EV owners to charge for as little as 2p per mile – the equivalent of London to Birmingham for £3.50.
Ninety per cent of electric vehicle charging is done at home, as this is the easiest and cheapest way to charge.
As well as flat owners, landlords, renters and businesses, schools will be eligible for grants of up to £2,000 per socket, building on 3,700 sockets already installed.
The grant increase is the latest in a string of action from the government to tackle two of the biggest barriers to driving electric – upfront costs and worries about finding somewhere to charge.
Aviation, Maritime and Decarbonisation Minister, Keir Mather said: ‘We’re taking action to make EV ownership the affordable choice for everyone – not just those with driveways.’
‘Combined with our Electric Car Grant, we’re backing the EV revolution for drivers, businesses, and industry.’
90% of electric vehicle charging is done at home, as this is the easiest and cheapest way to charge
The DfT says that the updates will also simplify the current 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’.
The Electric Car Grant (ECG) offers EV buyers up to £3,750 off an eligible new electric car.
Models such as the Puma Gen-E, Nissan Leaf and Renault 5 e-Tech qualify for the top, most sustainable Band 1 discount of £3,750.
Models such as Volkswagen ID.3, Peugeot e-2008 and Vauxhall Corsa Electric all qualify for the lower, Band 2, £1,500 discount.
