From 2022, all new offices and homes built in England will include chargepoints for electric vehicles (EVs), in a world first.

The new chargers will be ‘smart’ devices intelligent enough to communicate with cars to decide the best time to top up batteries and prevent overloading the electricity network.  By default, chargers will be set to send power to the vehicles at night-time when demand is low.

Last month, the previous Under Secretary for Department for Transport, Rachel Maclean, announced the move amid increasing fears over a lack of plug-in points as more motorists switch to electric cars.

According to Zap-Map, as of 11 Oct, there are only 26,178 chargepoints across more than 16,000 locations.  The Competition and Markets Authority said earlier this year that more than ten times that amount will be needed by 2030. 

Currently, 500 plug-in points are installed every month in the UK, less than 700 per day recommended by motoring experts.

The Government hopes its innovative legislation will resolve the need for more chargepoints before the impending 2030 ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles.

The legislation will not apply to Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland as such issues are matters for the devolved parliaments, though they may introduce similar legislation in the future.

Although it’s much cheaper to charge electric cars at a home plug-in point, the new plans aim to provide some of the 40% of UK households without off-street parking access to chargers at their workplace.

Two years ago, initial consultation for mandatory domestic charge points suffered severe delays because of the coronavirus outbreak and the general election.

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When will electric chargers become mandatory on new-build homes?

The Government intends to lay legislation later this year, which means the measures could become effective during 2022.

Will it be compulsory for older homes?

No, this legislation only focuses on new builds, though for drivers intending to buy an electric vehicle or plug-in hybrid in the future, installing a charger may be a practical move.

How much does it cost to install an electric car charger in your house?

Installing an electric vehicle charger costs approximately £800, though motorists making the switch to electric can take advantage of a £350 government grant to be put towards the cost.

Are electric car chargers standardised?

Not really, as different electric vehicles can handle different speeds of electricity flow, though most new electric cars now feature a “Type 2” AC socket, and most home charger wallboxes are Type 2 AC, rated at either 7kW or 11kW. 

You can also purchase Type 2 cables that will connect to a standard three-pin 13-amp wall socket, though recharging this way is slow, and safety can be an issue if the home wiring isn’t capable of delivering 10-13amps over several hours.

Please see our "Running costs of electric cars 2021" guide for more information on electric car chargers.

What about people in apartments or without off-street parking?

New apartments will probably, fall into the “new builds” category, so if there are parking facilities, expect the installation of EV chargers. Those without off-street parking will still have to use public chargers or those at their workplaces if they drive there.  We found that owning an electric car without home charging availability is possible, using only public rapid chargers, though it is less convenient and costs are higher.

In related electric vehicle charging news, all domestic chargepoints installed after 30 May 2022 will need to be connected to the internet to allow them to be turned off during peak times.

EV chargers are set to become an increasingly familiar sight across the UK after the first all-electric car charging forecourt opened in Essex in December last year.  Gridserve, which opened the site in Braintree, plans to build another 100 charging stations in the UK.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has even invited the artistic support of the Royal College of Art by asking for a design of an electric vehicle charging point that is “as iconic and recognisable as the British phone box, London bus or black cab”.

Clive Grinyer, head of service design at the Royal College of Art, said: “This is an opportunity to support the design of a future icon that will be part of our national culture as we move towards a sustainable future.”

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