EV charge point grants increased to £500 as government extends support to 2027
- Perry Richardson
- 4 minutes ago
- 3 min read
Renters, flat owners, homeowners without driveways and businesses will be eligible for grants of up to £500 towards the installation of electric vehicle charge points from 1 April 2026, following a government decision to increase support by more than 40%.
The uplift, announced on Wednesday 25 February, raises the maximum grant from £350 to £500 per charge point and will run until March 2027. The Department for Transport said the increase will cover almost half the cost of a typical installation, enabling more drivers to access cheaper domestic electricity tariffs and reduce running costs.
Officials estimate drivers charging at home could power an electric vehicle for as little as 2p per mile, equating to a journey from London to Birmingham for around £3.50. Latest figures cited by the government indicate EV drivers can save up to £1,400 a year in running costs compared with a similar petrol car when using domestic rates.
The revised grants form part of wider efforts to address two of the main barriers to EV uptake: upfront purchase costs and concerns over charging access. More than 55,000 drivers have already accessed savings through the government’s £2 billion Electric Car Grant, which offers up to £3,750 off selected new models, including vehicles such as the Nissan Leaf produced at the company’s Sunderland plant.
Higher grants for renters, flat owners and businesses aim to cut upfront costs and accelerate EV adoption across the UK
From April 2026, eligibility for the higher £500 grant will extend to people living in rented accommodation, flat owners, residential landlords, households reliant on on-street parking and businesses installing charge points. Schools will also see increased support, with grants of up to £2,000 per socket available, building on the 3,700 sockets already installed under previous schemes.
The changes will reduce the number of separate charge point grants from eight to five, in an attempt to simplify access and improve take-up among households and commercial operators. Industry stakeholders have previously highlighted administrative complexity as a barrier to wider participation.
The enhanced grants sit alongside a £25 million scheme launched last year to help residents without driveways install home chargers through local authorities. The programme funds discreet pavement channels to allow cables to run safely across footways, supporting households with on-street parking in addition to the main installation grant.
Public charging infrastructure is also expanding with the UK network currently stands at around 88,500 public charge points. Ministers have committed £600 million to accelerate rollout and are supporting councils to deliver 100,000 additional public chargers in the coming years. Local authorities will receive funding over the next three years to strengthen local charging provision, alongside a government-backed advisory service aimed at improving site selection and deployment efficiency.
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.”
