The Prime Minister has announced that as from 2022, all new build homes in England will have to have electric vehicle (EV) charging points.
The new law means that up to 145,000 new charging points will be created each year. The legislation will also apply to newly built supermarkets, places of work and buildings that undergo major renovations and that will have more than ten parking spaces.
The government says that: “This will mean people can buy new properties already ready for an electric vehicle future, while ensuring charge points are readily available at new shops and workplaces across the UK – making it as easy as refuelling a petrol or diesel car today.”
Switching to electric vehicles
The government is looking to ban the sale of fossil fuel cars by 2030 and has previously stated that it is prepared to spend £500 million on providing EV charging facilities.
There are currently around 25,000 public charging points in the UK, with the Competition and Markets Authority suggesting that 480,000 will be needed by 2030 if electric car use is to be adequately supported.
Installing an electric vehicle charging point
Very few homes currently have charging points and to install one, you will ideally need a driveway or garage that you can run a power source to. This may not be easy for some properties, particularly in some city areas. In these places, it will be up to local authorities to roll out on-street charging facilities.
A handful of free charging points currently exist, generally with some requirement attached, such as entry to an attraction or shopping at a supermarket. Otherwise, it is generally more expensive to charge using a public charging point such as those found in car parks than a home charger, particularly where they are rapid chargers. It is estimated that this type of charge could cost more than using petrol or diesel.
Currently, a grant exists providing up to £350 off of the cost of installing a home charging point. The Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV) provides an Electric Vehicle Homecharge Scheme (EVHS) payment to encourage homeowners to install their own facilities.
Installing a home charger involves an initial outlay of between £500 and £1,200 if the available grant is taken up. This will make charging a vehicle cheaper than public charging and also cheaper than the petrol or diesel equivalent.
For those looking to buy a property, vehicle charging is something to take into consideration.
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