New increased EV charger grant aims to help reduce cost of installation for motorists without driveways

The government has announced an increase in the level of grant available to help reduce the cost of electric vehicle charger installation.

The existing grant will rise from £350 to £500 and will be available to ‘renters, flat owners, homeowners without driveways and businesses’

The programme, which has been extended by 12 months, also highlights homeowners with on-street parking who could use the grant to install a charging cable ‘gully’, allowing them to plug in despite not having a driveway.

Schools will also be eligible for grants of up to £2,000 per socket. The government says that 3,700 charging sockets have been installed at schools to date.

Keir Mather Aviation, Maritime and Decarbonisation Minister, said: “We’re taking action to make EV ownership the affordable choice for everyone – not just those with driveways. Bigger grants mean families, flat owners, renters and small businesses can now install a charger for almost half the usual cost, with home charging costing as little as 2p a mile.

“Combined with our Electric Car Grant which has saved over 55,000 drivers thousands off the price of a new EV whilst boosting sales for carmakers, and record funding for our national public charging network, we’re backing the EV revolution for drivers, businesses, and industry.”

The new grant will become available on April 1 and builds on one last year which saw £25bn made available to local authorities to help drivers access cheaper home rates of electricity by installing cross-pavement charging gullies.