The UK government has extended its home electric vehicle charger grant scheme by another year and increased the maximum subsidy per installation from £350 to £500, as part of efforts to make EV ownership more accessible.
Originally introduced in 2023, the programme is designed to lower the cost of installing home charging equipment. Officials said the higher grant could cover “almost half the cost” of a charger and help drivers reduce running costs compared with petrol vehicles.
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In addition to households, schools are eligible for support of up to £2,000 per charging socket. Authorities say the funding is intended to build on approximately 3,700 charging points already installed at educational institutions across the country.
Aviation, maritime and decarbonisation minister Keir Mather said the expanded scheme targets a wider range of users. “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,” he said, adding that home charging can cost “as little as 2p a mile.”
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Mather said the policy forms part of a broader strategy that includes purchase incentives and public infrastructure investment. “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 car makers, and record funding for our national public charging network, we’re backing the EV revolution for drivers, businesses and industry,” he said.
Industry representatives have also highlighted the importance of addressing public charging costs. Jarrod Birch, head of policy at the EV charging trade body, said high operational expenses contribute to higher prices at public stations. “Policy-driven costs mean public charging is more expensive than it needs be, with standing charges alone rising by 462% since 2021,” he said, calling for tax adjustments to bring public charging costs closer to those for home charging.
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Alongside the grant extension, the government said it plans to accelerate deployment of public charging infrastructure using a £600 million fund allocated in two stages last year, according to Autocar.