Check where you stand in a few questions. Start with the one that decides most:
I rent my homeI own a flatI own a houseI'm a landlordIt's for a business
The checklist compares your answers with OZEV's published rules. OZEV makes the decision.
How much is the EV charger grant? Up to £500
The grant covers 75% of the cost of buying and installing a socket, capped at £500 (gov.uk). You pay the rest. Your installer must deduct the grant from your invoice before claiming it from OZEV (Find a Grant), so the bill you pay is already reduced. For typical installation prices, see our Cornwall cost guide.
Who can get the EV chargepoint grant
gov.uk says you can apply if all of these apply (gov.uk):
- you live in a flat you own, including one bought through shared ownership, or you rent a residential property
- your home has its own private off-street parking space
- you own or use an eligible vehicle: as its registered owner, leased for at least 6 months, used as a work vehicle for at least 6 months, or on order
The vehicle has to be on OZEV's list of approved electric vehicles (gov.uk). The parking space must be off-street, private and clearly defined, but it does not have to be part of the property (gov.uk). That matters if you have an allocated bay: see EV charging for flats and renters.
Who can't get it
You can't apply if (gov.uk):
- you live in a house you own, unless it has been converted into flats and you live in one of them
- 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
If you own the house you live in, our page for homeowners explains what is left. If you were looking for the old EVHS or "OLEV grant", see what replaced it.
How to apply for the grant for an EV charger
Your installer must be OZEV-authorised; the application is yours to make (Find a Grant). Find a Grant sets out the order:
- Get any permissions you need. Obtain any necessary third-party permissions before you apply (Find a Grant). 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).
- Get a quote from an OZEV-authorised installer. The quote is one of the documents you upload (Find a Grant).
- Apply on Find a Grant. You create an account and use the online form to submit details of your property and vehicle to OZEV (Find a Grant). The uploads include a signed and dated tenancy agreement if you rent, a utility bill under three months old, and the installer's quote (Find a Grant).
- Wait for OZEV. If you're eligible, OZEV lets you and your installer know by email, with a letter setting out the terms of the grant (Find a Grant). The chargepoint must not be installed before OZEV confirms you're eligible (Find a Grant).
- Installation and invoice. Your installer deducts the grant from your invoice, then claims it (Find a Grant).
Our guide to applying for the EV chargepoint grant takes each step in more detail.
Your installer must be OZEV-authorised
The quote you upload has to come from an OZEV-authorised installer (Find a Grant). gov.uk has a postcode search for them: Find an electric vehicle (EV) chargepoint installer. Our page on OZEV approved installers explains what the term means and how to check one.
Renters and flat owners: permission comes first
Before you apply, you need any third-party permissions (Find a Grant). gov.uk asks for proof of all legal rights and permissions but gives no wording for it (gov.uk), so we've written a template: a request you send to your landlord or freeholder, and a permission they sign. It's on our landlord permission letter page, with the background in EV charging for flats and renters.
Landlords: a separate electric car charging grant
Residential landlords have their own grant: 75% of the cost of buying and installing chargepoints, up to £500 per socket, for up to 200 sockets a year (gov.uk). The landlord applies on Find a Grant after getting a quote from an OZEV-authorised installer, and the chargepoint must not be installed before OZEV confirms eligibility (Find a Grant). It can't be used if you live in the property or it's only used for holiday accommodation (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). An individual landlord who isn't registered in one of those ways can't use the landlord grant, but their tenant can apply under the renters and flat owners grant (gov.uk), making the application themselves (Find a Grant) with the landlord's written permission (Find a Grant). Our permission letter covers that route; the landlord route is on our landlord EV charger grant page.
No driveway? On-street charging in Cornwall
The renters and flat owners grant needs your home's own private off-street parking space (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). In Cornwall, the council's EV charging channel scheme can pay up to £1,200 towards a cross-pavement cable channel (Cornwall Council). Both are explained on our on-street EV charging in Cornwall page.
Businesses
This page covers the household and landlord grants. For staff and fleet charging, see our workplace charging page.
When does the EV chargepoint grant end?
Find a Grant gives a closing date of 31 March 2027 at 11:59pm for the renters and flat owners grant (Find a Grant) and for the landlord grant (Find a Grant). We don't know what, if anything, follows. Remember that OZEV has to confirm you're eligible before anything is installed (Find a Grant).
Frequently asked questions
Is the grant always the maximum £500?
No. The grant pays 75% of the cost of buying and installing a socket, capped at £500 (gov.uk), so a cheaper job gets less than the maximum.
Do I apply for the OZEV grant, or does my installer?
You do. Find a Grant asks the applicant to create an account and submit details of the property and vehicle to OZEV (Find a Grant). Your installer provides the quote you upload and, after the work, deducts the grant from your invoice and claims it (Find a Grant).
Can I get the EV charger grant if I own my house?
Not if you live in it. gov.uk excludes people who live in a house they own, unless it has been converted into flats and they live in one of them (gov.uk). See our homeowners page.
Can the charger be fitted before OZEV says yes?
No. The chargepoint must not be installed before OZEV confirms you are eligible for a grant (Find a Grant).
Who decides whether I'm eligible?
OZEV. If you're eligible, OZEV tells you and your installer by email (Find a Grant). Our checklist compares your answers with the published rules; it cannot decide for OZEV.
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.