Electric car owners without driveways will benefit from new rules from October 21, overseen by Andy Burnham, which could save them up to £1,000 a year. The Government is cutting red tape around cross-pavement solutions, easing the installation of EV charging cables for households without off-street parking.
What changes on October 21
From that date, motorists will no longer need to undergo a lengthy planning permission process to install cables under pavements. Instead, they will only require local highway authority clearance, which should be significantly faster.
The move addresses the “driveway divide” that has seen road users without off-street parking pay more for charging. Public electric car charging costs carry a 20% VAT rate, while home charging is taxed at 0%.
Cost savings for drivers
Charging at home under the domestic electricity price cap costs around 26p per kWh, with some smart tariffs as low as 7p per kWh. In contrast, public plugs can cost up to 50p per kWh, meaning EV drivers could save around £1,000 a year by using domestic rates.
The Department for Transport previously said: “For residents, domestic charging is often cheaper and more convenient to use than public infrastructure. Cross-pavement solutions allow an EV cable to pass across or through a pavement in a safe manner, in certain cases enabling access to domestic tariffs where residents do not have dedicated off-street parking.”
Impact on the used EV market
Daniel Briggs, CEO at frontline worker car discount company Motorfinity, stressed the new rule could boost the used electric vehicle market. He said: “Eight million households without driveways will have access to the cheaper overnight smart tariffs that they have missed out on for years. This will also cost them a fraction of daytime charging rates. It is a big deal for the cost of EV ownership and will boost the second-hand EV market too.”
However, not all motorists will benefit. EV owners living in one of England's 10,000 conservation areas will still need to apply for planning permission. This will slow down the process and could affect as many as 100,000 electric vehicles in the country.
