⚡ Key Takeaways
- EV chargepoint grant: Up to £500 towards a home charger (renters and flat owners)
- Workplace Charging Scheme: Up to £500 on the current gov.uk guidance page for workplace routes
- Home charger installation typically costs £800-£1,200 before grants
- A 7kW home charger fully charges most EVs in 6-8 hours (overnight)
- Home charging costs roughly £0.07-£0.12 per mile vs £0.16-£0.20 for petrol
- Must be installed by an OZEV-approved installer
Gov.uk update — 1 April 2026: The EV chargepoint guidance page now shows £500 for household, landlord, and workplace grant routes. The older higher-cap figures previously shown on that page (£30,000, £15,000, and £2,500) have been removed, so we've updated this guide to the new published figures.
Every EV grant available in the UK (2026)
The UK government offers several grants to help with the costs of going electric — from the charger on your wall to the car on your drive. Here's the complete list:
| Grant | Amount | Who For |
|---|---|---|
| Home Charger Grant | Up to £500 | Renters & flat owners |
| On-Street Parking Grant | Up to £500 | Any resident with only on-street parking |
| Electric Car Grant (Band 1) | Up to £3,750 | Anyone buying an eligible new EV |
| Electric Car Grant (Band 2) | Up to £1,500 | Anyone buying an eligible new EV |
| Landlord Charger Grant | Up to £500 | Residential & commercial landlords |
| Workplace Charging Scheme | Up to £500 | Businesses, charities, public sector |
| Schools Charging Grant | Check current gov.uk guidance | State-funded schools |
Home EV charger grant — who qualifies?
The Electric Vehicle Chargepoint Grant (formerly the EVHS) now shows up to £500 — or 75% of the installation cost, whichever is lower — towards installing a home charger.
You can apply if:
- You own and live in a flat (including shared ownership)
- You rent any residential property (house or flat)
- Your home has private off-street parking
- You own, lease, or have ordered an OZEV-approved EV
You cannot apply if:
- You own a house (not a flat) — this is a common misconception
- You're a lodger in someone else's home
- You're moving house or planning to move
- You've already claimed the grant (or its predecessors)
- You want to replace or move an existing charger
- Your home is a new build (chargers are required by law in new builds)
Important: If you own a house outright, you're not eligible for the home charger grant. But don't let that stop you — a 7kW charger costs £800–£1,200 installed, and at today's electricity prices you'll save around £1,000 per year versus petrol. The charger pays for itself within 12-18 months.
On-street parking? There's a grant for that too
If your only option is on-street parking, a newer grant covers cross-pavement charging solutions — cable gullies that run under the pavement from your home to the kerb. The current gov.uk guidance now points to the same £500 cap, but you must only have on-street parking (no driveway or garage).
How much does a home EV charger cost?
| Charger Type | Speed | Cost (installed) | Full Charge Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3-pin plug (no install) | 2.3kW | Free (comes with car) | 12-24 hours |
| Basic 7kW charger | 7kW | £800–£1,000 | 4-8 hours |
| Smart 7kW charger | 7kW | £900–£1,200 | 4-8 hours |
| 22kW charger | 22kW | £1,200–£1,800 | 1-3 hours |
| Solar + charger combo | 7kW | £7,000–£10,000 | Free fuel for life |
Most homeowners choose a smart 7kW charger — it's fast enough to fully charge any EV overnight, and smart features let you schedule charging during off-peak hours (as low as 7p/kWh on tariffs like Octopus Go) or when your solar panels are generating.
Electric car purchase grant — up to £3,750 off
The Plug-in Car Grant gives an automatic discount when you buy an eligible new electric car. You don't apply — the dealer takes it off the price.
Band 1 — up to £3,750 off
- Citroën ë-C5 Aircross Long Range
- Ford E-Tourneo Courier
- Ford Puma Gen-E
- MINI Countryman Electric
- Nissan LEAF
- Renault 4
- Renault 5 (52 kWh)
- Renault Alpine A290
Band 2 — up to £1,500 off
- Volkswagen ID.3, ID.4, ID.5
- Skoda Enyaq, Elroq
- Vauxhall Corsa Electric, Mokka Electric, Frontera Electric
- Hyundai KONA Electric
- Kia EV4
- Peugeot E-208, E-2008, E-308
- Renault 5 (40 kWh), Megane, Scenic
- Toyota C-HR+
- ...and 20+ more eligible models
EV charger grants for landlords — current gov.uk cap now shows £500
This is the grant most people don't know about. Residential landlords can still apply for EV chargepoint support, but the current gov.uk guidance page now shows a £500 cap rather than the larger totals previously listed.
- Current gov.uk guidance page: up to £500 for landlord chargepoint routes
- Eligibility: residential and commercial landlords using an OZEV-approved installer
- Important: earlier higher-cap figures have been removed from the main guidance page
- Best next step: confirm the live grant route and cap with your installer before budgeting
Landlord opportunity: With the 2035 petrol and diesel ban approaching, EV chargers are becoming a must-have amenity for rental properties. Even with the lower published cap now showing on gov.uk, adding charging still improves tenant appeal and future-proofs your portfolio.
Workplace Charging Scheme
Businesses, charities, and public sector organisations should now budget from the current gov.uk guidance page, which shows up to £500 for workplace charging routes. Earlier higher-cap figures previously displayed on that page have been removed, so it's worth re-checking the exact route with an OZEV-approved installer before applying.
Grant monitor update: GOV.UK changed the EV chargepoint guidance on 1 April 2026. Home, landlord, and workplace routes now point to £500, and the older higher-cap figures have been removed from the page. Always confirm the live wording before you apply.
London pay-per-mile road pricing — what it means for EV drivers
London is currently consulting on replacing the Congestion Charge (£15/day), ULEZ, and road tax with a single pay-per-mile system. The key change: EVs would no longer be fully exempt from London driving charges.
Currently, EV drivers save up to £15 per day on the Congestion Charge alone — worth up to £3,900 per year for daily commuters. Under the proposed system, EVs would still pay less per mile than petrol or diesel vehicles, but the blanket exemption would end.
This makes it even more important to minimise your charging costs. Home charging at off-peak rates (7p/kWh) costs a fraction of public charging (60-80p/kWh). And if you pair a home charger with solar panels, you can charge for free during daylight hours — offsetting any new road pricing charges completely.
Solar panels + EV charger: the ultimate combo
Pairing solar panels with a home EV charger is one of the most powerful cost-saving combinations available to UK homeowners:
- Free fuel: A 4kW solar system generates enough electricity to drive ~8,000 miles per year for free
- Free electricity: Excess solar power runs your home, cutting bills by £800-£1,100/year
- 0% VAT: Solar panels and batteries are currently VAT-free
- SEG income: Export surplus electricity to the grid for 4-15p/kWh
Total annual savings with solar panels with EV charging: £1,500–£2,500 depending on your driving habits and electricity use. Combined payback period: 5-7 years.
Check for free solar first: If you receive qualifying benefits, the ECO4 scheme may cover solar panels completely free. Check your eligibility before paying out of pocket.