Cross-pavement charging gullies being fitted in residential areas across the UK could save certain road users up to £4,000 per year, according to Slough Borough Council. The system allows residents without a driveway to run an electric car charging plug from their home to a vehicle parked on the street, with cables tucked away under the footpath.
How the system works
The gullies let motorists without driveway access hook into cheaper domestic electricity rates rather than using public chargers. Domestic electricity is charged at just 5% VAT compared to 20% at public charging points, which is where the savings come from.
Slough Borough Council, which has just started a trial of the cross-pavement method, said residents could save as much as “£4,000 per year compared to using public charging”. Despite this, residents taking part in the trial will need to pay £399 in installation costs.
Trial expansion and council plans
Councillor Nadeem Khawar, lead member for environment and public realm, said: “This is an exciting trial, and we are grateful to have received the funding to do it. Having no driveway will no longer be a barrier to home charging. The cross-pavement channel is unobstructive to those using the pavement and creates easy access for home charging.
“We have a great network of electric vehicle infrastructure in Slough already, and home charging is becoming more popular. We hope the trial goes well and we can expand it further in time.”
Previous data has suggested that 90% of EV owners have access to off-street parking in the UK. However, 25% of urban electric car owners do not enjoy domestic charging access compared to just 5% of motorists living in rural areas.
Other councils and government support
Slough is not the only area testing cross-pavement charging, with Cambridgeshire County Council, Bristol City Council and North Northamptonshire Council among those also conducting trials. A Freedom of Information Act request by Vauxhall found that 42% of councils in England, Scotland and Wales have plans to fit cross-pavement charging by the end of 2026.
The Government has previously allocated £25 million to local councils across England to support the adoption of pavement cable gully schemes.
