The government's EV chargepoint grant is the only home-charging subsidy still open to private drivers in the UK, and since 1 April 2026 it has been worth more: up to £500 per socket, up from £350. It is aimed squarely at people who find home charging hardest, which in London means most of us: renters, flat owners, households that park on the street, and the landlords who own the buildings. This guide explains who qualifies, what evidence you need, how the 2026 application process works, and how the grant fits with cheap off-peak tariffs.
What the EV chargepoint grant pays in 2026
The grant covers 75% of the cost of buying and installing a chargepoint, capped at £500 per socket. It is paid to the installer, not to you, so it appears as a discount on the invoice. Anyone who applied before 1 April 2026 at the old £350 rate but has not yet had the charger fitted can reapply at the new rate, as long as they tell their installer.
The scheme is funded until 31 March 2027, and the government says it aims to give four weeks' notice if it closes or changes the scheme earlier. Applications for the renters and flat owners grant, the on-street grant and the residential landlord grant are all listed on the government's Find a Grant service.
For a straightforward 7 kW installation, UK guide prices sit around £800-1,200; in London we typically see £900-1,200, rising towards £1,800 where a consumer-unit upgrade or earthing work is needed. A £500 grant therefore removes roughly a third to a half of the bill. Our London installation cost guide breaks down what drives the price, and we confirm the exact figure after a free site survey.
Who is eligible: the three household routes
| Route | Who it is for | Parking requirement | Grant |
|---|---|---|---|
| Renters and flat owners | Tenants of any residential property; owner-occupiers of a flat (including shared ownership) | Your own designated, private off-street space you are legally entitled to use, accessible at all times | 75% up to £500, one grant per person |
| Households with on-street parking | Owners or renters with no private off-street parking | Lawful on-street parking plus a permanent cross-pavement solution installed with the charger | 75% up to £500, one grant per residence |
| Residential landlords | Private landlords, RTM and residents' management companies, freeholders of blocks, housing associations, councils, property managers | Off-street parking at the let property | 75% up to £500 per socket, up to 200 sockets a year |
Renters and flat owners
You qualify if you rent and live in any residential property, or you own and live in a flat. You must be the registered keeper, lessee, company-car user or primary user of an EV on the OZEV-approved list. A car on order counts as long as it arrives within three months. Leased vehicles are fine if the lease runs six months or more and states who owns the chargepoint at the end.
Households with on-street parking
Around 61% of Londoners have no off-street parking, according to London Councils, so this route matters more here than anywhere else in the country. You must have lawful on-street parking that does not obstruct the highway, and you must install a permanent cross-pavement solution (a cable channel or gully) alongside the charger; cable mats and covers do not count. The grant gives you no reserved or exclusive right to the space outside your home.
You need consent from the local highways authority (your borough) before you apply, and planning permission where required. Enfield offers a Kerbo Charge channel borough-wide and Bromley uses the Gul-e gully; other boroughs are trialling or drafting their own schemes, and London Councils published guidance for them in July 2025. In April 2026 the government said it would introduce permitted development rights for cross-pavement solutions later in the year, which should remove the planning step in England once in force; the grant itself will still require written highways consent from your borough. Budget for the channel too, which London Councils puts at roughly £1,000-1,500 on top of the charger.
Residential landlords
Landlords must be registered at Companies House or VAT-registered with HMRC. Flats, houses and multi-unit blocks all qualify, but not owner-occupied units, holiday lets or non-residential property. The landlord initiates the application; the installer submits the claim after the work is done. If you own a block in London and want to install several sockets, our home and multi-occupancy chargers and management platform let you bill each resident for their own usage.
Who is not eligible
- Owners of a house (not a flat) with a driveway or garage: the standard owner-occupier route closed in 2022, and this grant is not for you.
- Lodgers, and anyone planning to move house.
- Anyone who already has a chargepoint at the property, or who claimed the earlier EVHS or Domestic Recharge Scheme grants.
- Installations that are already required by building regulations or planning conditions (for example, chargers a developer must fit in a new block).
- Anyone whose charger is fitted before OZEV confirms eligibility. Do not book the installation until the confirmation email arrives.
Evidence and permissions you will need
The application is document-driven, and most rejections we hear about come down to missing paperwork. Gather these before you start:
- Renters: signed tenancy agreement, a utility bill less than three months old, written permission from your landlord or property manager (it must state your name and the property address), and an installer quote.
- Flat owners: utility bill under three months old, written permission from the freeholder or managing agent (again with your name and address), and an installer quote.
- Vehicle on order: the order form.
- On-street applicants: written highways authority consent, a declaration that you will obtain any planning permission needed, proof you own or lease the EV, and an installer quote. After installation, photographs, invoices and chargepoint details.
- Landlords: depending on your status, quotes, Land Registry title, insurance or appointment documents, and company verification.
The freeholder or landlord letter is the step that takes longest in London blocks. Ask early, keep it in writing, and make sure it covers where the cable will run, not just the charger position.
How the 2026 process works, step by step
- Obtain landlord, freeholder or managing-agent permission (and highways consent for on-street).
- Get a quote from an OZEV-authorised installer for an eligible chargepoint model. Auto E arranges installation of its own stations through an authorised partner installer, so ask us for the quote in the format the application needs.
- Submit the online application with your documents.
- Wait for OZEV's eligibility confirmation by email.
- Book the installation. The installer fits the charger, notifies UK Power Networks as the DNO, and submits the claim to OZEV.
- OZEV pays the installer directly and you pay the balance.
Timeline: the paperwork stage depends mostly on how quickly your freeholder or borough responds. Once confirmation is in hand, a standard installation is usually a half-day job. Details of what an install involves are on our home charging point installation page.
Combining the grant with an off-peak tariff
The grant only makes sense if you then use the charger, and this is where the numbers get interesting. Off-peak EV tariffs in 2026 typically charge around 7-10p/kWh overnight (Intelligent Octopus Go, for example, is about 8p), against roughly 26-28p on a standard tariff and about 65-85p at a public rapid charger. Charging a 60 kWh battery from empty therefore costs about £4-6 overnight at home versus roughly £40-50 on the rapid network. Domestic electricity also carries 5% VAT rather than the 20% on public charging.
A cheap tariff usually needs a smart charger the supplier can talk to, so check compatibility before you order. All Auto E home stations are smart and OCPP-based; see the range on our home charging stations page and our home vs public charging cost comparison.
Key takeaways
- From 1 April 2026 the grant pays 75% of the cost, up to £500 per socket, until 31 March 2027.
- Open to renters (any property), owner-occupier flat owners, on-street households with a permanent cross-pavement solution, and registered residential landlords (up to 200 sockets a year).
- Not open to owners of houses with driveways, lodgers, or anyone who installs before OZEV confirms eligibility.
- Written landlord or freeholder consent, a recent utility bill and an installer quote are the core evidence.
- Pair the charger with a 7-10p/kWh off-peak tariff and home charging costs a fraction of public rapid charging.
Auto E designs and manufactures EV chargers in the UK and installs them across London through an authorised partner installer, from single-flat sockets to whole-block schemes for landlords and management companies. Call us on +44 20 3393 4113, email [email protected] or see our London EV charger installation page to book a free site survey and get a grant-ready quote.