The chargepoint grant scheme is in its final year
If you rent a flat, own one, or park only on the street, you may still be able to claim help with the cost of a home charge point. This page sets out who still qualifies and on what conditions before the scheme ends.
See the latest grant, tariff and VAT updatesHow much the grant pays and when it ends
A chargepoint grant covers part of what an installation costs, and the amount changes as OZEV updates the scheme.
From 1 April 2026, OZEV's guidance sets the grant at up to £500 per socket (OZEV guidance, read 29 September 2026). That rate applies to installations completed within the scheme's current run, which OZEV's own guidance describes as its final year.
When the scheme closes
The grant is available until 31 March 2027, after which OZEV's guidance gives no indication that a further round will follow. If you're ordering a charger and arranging installation, that date sits alongside the per-socket amount in the same piece of guidance, so it's worth checking which side of it your installation will actually fall.
The change from the previous rate is set out, with its own date, on the page covering what changed in the grant scheme from April 2026.
Which group you need to check yourself against
The grant follows the parking arrangement. These are the groups OZEV currently covers, and the condition attached to each one.
-
You own and live in a flat
You need an off-street parking space allocated to your flat for the charger to qualify.
-
You rent your flat
Your landlord has to agree to the installation before an installer can apply for the grant on your behalf.
-
You're a landlord installing for a tenant
The charge point has to serve a residential tenant at a property you own, with that tenant's agreement.
-
Your home has only on-street parking
A cross-pavement solution runs a cable from the house across the pavement to the car, where there's no driveway or allocated bay to charge from.
-
A neighbouring house already has cross-pavement charging
Two earthing arrangements can't sit too close together, so an existing cross-pavement installation nearby can stop yours going ahead until an electrician checks the distance between them.
A survey confirms your parking arrangement and the earthing distance against OZEV's conditions; this list only sorts out which group to check yourself against first.
Why owning a house with a driveway rules you out
If you own the house you live in and already park off the road, on your own driveway or in a garage, the chargepoint grant is not open to you. OZEV closed that route for owner-occupiers with their own off-street parking in April 2022.
The reasoning is simple enough: a driveway or garage means you can have a charger wired to your own supply without needing anyone else's agreement first. The grant is aimed at households that don't have that option, such as people in flats or homes with only on-street parking, where fitting a charger isn't just a case of booking an electrician.
This turns on ownership and parking alone. Own the property and have off-street parking of your own, and the answer is no.
Grant questions answered
Does a driveway I share with a neighbour count as off-street parking for grant purposes?
It depends on how the space is used. A driveway your household parks on exclusively is usually treated differently from an on-street bay that runs alongside two properties, even where the legal ownership is shared. That distinction decides which grant category applies to you, so it's worth checking the scheme's written eligibility wording for your specific arrangement.
Does the grant pay for the whole installation, or just part of it?
The grant reduces the cost of the socket itself; it doesn't usually stretch to cover the rest of the job. A cross-pavement installation can involve groundworks, cable protection and a longer run from the consumer unit, and those elements are priced and paid for separately. Ask your installer for a quote that shows the grant as a deduction against the socket cost, with everything else itemised underneath, so you can see exactly what it covers and what it leaves you to pay.
What happens if the installation isn't finished before the scheme closes?
Once the closing date passes, no further claims are accepted on the terms that applied before it, regardless of when you ordered the work. A job booked in good time but delayed past the cutoff by weather, parts or an electrician's schedule is unlikely to still qualify. The completion date on your quote matters as much as the date you placed the order, so it's worth confirming with the installer how they plan to handle any job that risks running close to the deadline.
Do I need to apply for the grant before I book an installer, or afterwards?
This varies by category, so it's worth confirming the order with whoever is doing the work before you pay a deposit. Some installers handle the application themselves and simply deduct the grant from your final bill; others expect you to have approval in hand before the job starts. Whichever way it runs, keep the paperwork showing the socket was fitted within the scheme's open dates, since that's what any later query comes back to.