Homeowners with driveways are “excluded” from a special electric car grant set to cut costs by hundreds of pounds. The Government has extended its chargepoint grant scheme, with an additional £150 offered from April 2026 until March 2027.
Instead of offering a £350 grant, the new update means road users will save a whopping £500 off the cost of installing electric car charging plugs. However, the cost saving is only set to come into effect for renters, flat owners, businesses and homeowners without driveways.
It means those who own their own home but have access to off-street parking will not be able to take advantage of the price cuts, and experts have called out officials for not extending the scheme more widely with calls for changes.
Paul explained: “Measures that make home charging more accessible for renters, flat owners and people without driveways really matter – they help unlock the biggest cost advantage EVs have.
“Still, it is disappointing that people who own their own home and have a driveway are still excluded. These are the most obvious candidates to switch to electric, so it would make sense to expand the scheme further.”
The Office for Zero Emission Vehicles confirmed that home and workplace grants had been extended for a final year with a streamlined, simplified portfolio. They stressed that five schemes have been extended until 31 March 2027, allowing more road users to take advantage of the savings.
Officials have previously claimed that the changes will cover almost half the cost of a typical charge point installation.
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.”