Is there a government grant for an EV charger at home?
Yes, but it is aimed at people who rent or own a flat. The electric vehicle chargepoint grant pays 75% of the cost of buying and installing a socket, up to £500 (gov.uk). You can apply if you live in a flat you own, including through shared ownership, or rent a residential property; your home has its own private off-street parking space; and you own or use an eligible vehicle (gov.uk).
Will the grant pay for the whole installation?
No. It covers 75% of the cost, capped at £500 (gov.uk), and you pay the rest. Your installer deducts the grant from your invoice before claiming it (Find a Grant). Typical prices are in our Cornwall cost guide.
Homeowners who can apply: flats, shared ownership and converted houses
- You own the flat you live in, including a flat bought through shared ownership (gov.uk).
- You live in a house that has been converted into flats, and you live in one of them (gov.uk).
You still need the parking space and the vehicle (gov.uk). You also need any permissions: gov.uk says you must have proof of all legal rights and permissions, such as from the freeholder of a block of flats (gov.uk). Our flats and renters page covers this, and the permission letter gives you the wording.
Who else can't apply
The other exclusions on gov.uk (gov.uk):
- you rent accommodation where the landlord or homeowner lives, for example as a lodger
- you're moving house or planning to move
- you've already claimed the grant or its predecessors, the Electric Vehicle Homecharge Scheme (EVHS) and the Domestic Recharge Scheme
- the law already requires a chargepoint, for example because your home is a new build
Looking for the EVHS itself? See OLEV grant and EVHS: what replaced them.
Own a house with no driveway?
The household grant needs off-street parking (gov.uk). For homes that park on the street, a separate grant for households with on-street parking needs a permanent cross-pavement solution, your highways authority's consent and any planning permission required (Find a Grant). Cornwall Council also runs an EV charging channel scheme for cross-pavement cables (Cornwall Council). See on-street EV charging in Cornwall.
Own a house and let it out?
That is the landlord grant. It is for property let for people to live in, and not for a property you live in or one only used for holiday accommodation (gov.uk). It pays 75% of the cost of buying and installing chargepoints, up to £500 per socket (gov.uk). The applicant must be a business registered at Companies House or VAT registered with HMRC (Find a Grant), or on the register of social housing providers (gov.uk). If you aren't registered, your tenant can apply under the renters and flat owners grant with your written permission (Find a Grant). See our landlord grant page.
What it costs without a grant
Without a grant you pay the full price of the charger and the installation. What moves that price (the cable run, the fuseboard, earthing, groundwork) is in our cost guide, and how an overnight tariff changes running costs is in our EV tariff comparison.
Check before you rule yourself out
If you own a flat, or a flat in a converted house, run the grant checklist. It goes through the parking, the vehicle, earlier claims, permission and documents in the order the rules do.
Frequently asked questions
Can homeowners get the OZEV grant?
Not if you live in a house you own, unless it has been converted into flats and you live in one of them (gov.uk). If you own a flat, you can apply, given the parking and vehicle conditions (gov.uk).
Does a shared ownership flat count?
Yes. gov.uk includes flats bought through the shared ownership scheme (gov.uk).
Does the grant cover the whole cost for anyone?
No. It pays 75% of the cost of buying and installing a socket, capped at £500 (gov.uk).
I own a house and I'm buying an EV. Is there anything for me?
Not from the household grant (gov.uk). If you park on the street, look at the on-street routes; otherwise you pay the full price, and the cost guide shows what affects it.
Where this leaves you
We're an independent guide, not an installer. There are three honest ways to get a charger fitted:
- Book a national installer online. Companies such as Pod Energy sell the charger and installation together (affiliate link: we may earn a commission). If you're applying for the grant, the quote must come from an OZEV-authorised installer (Find a Grant).
- Find a local installer yourself with gov.uk's Find an electric vehicle (EV) chargepoint installer search.
- Ask us for an introduction. If we pass your details to a local installer, your confirmation email names the firm. Installers may pay us for introductions; it does not change your price. Ask for an introduction.
Not sure where you stand? Use the grant checklist. The full rules are in our OZEV grant guide, and typical prices are in the Cornwall cost guide.