UK Government Cuts Red Tape for EV Home Charging

The Government of the United Kingdom is implementing a series of measures to reduce costs and bureaucracy for electric vehicle (EV) owners. On October 1, 2026, the government reduced VAT on domestic electricity supply from 5% to 0%, a move expected to save home-charging users up to £40 annually. This creates a significant price gap compared to public charging, where VAT remains at 20% and costs can reach 50p per kWh.

Starting October 21, 2026, new regulations will allow homeowners and renters without off-street parking to install cross-pavement solutions, such as pavement gullies, without traditional planning permission. These systems enable a safe connection between a home chargepoint and a vehicle parked on the street, allowing more users to access cheaper domestic electricity rates. However, residents in approximately 10,000 conservation areas are excluded from this streamlined process and must still seek full planning permission to protect the character of those neighborhoods.

While the government has also removed planning requirements for essential electrical infrastructure like substations to accelerate the delivery of rapid charging hubs, industry reactions are mixed. James Court of Octopus Electric Vehicles described the cross-pavement changes as a positive step but warned that shifting approval to local highway authorities could create a postcode lottery of enforcement and approval speeds across different councils.