Burnham urged to rethink £500 EV charger grant scheme

Labour introduced a £500 grant in April to help renters, flat owners, businesses and homeowners without driveways install electric-vehicle chargepoints, with the subsidy lasting until April 2027. The Department for Transport indicated the amount would typically cover nearly half the installation expense. Denis Watling, managing director of ChargeGuru UK, argued that reducing the grant from the earlier £850 per bay scheme could significantly slow EV adoption, particularly for residents of apartment blocks.

He highlighted that the new rule eliminates funding for essential pre-installation work such as cabling and safety systems, pushing costs onto building owners and potentially creating fire-safety, billing and maintenance challenges. Former decarbonisation minister Keir Mather praised the larger grants for making home charging affordable, claiming families and small businesses can now install chargers for as little as 2p per mile. The policy shift has sparked debate within the industry about its impact on the rollout of charging infrastructure.