EV chargers mandatory in new build houses from 2022

Ohme Home review

The UK Government is expected to introduce legislation that will make it mandatory for new build homes and offices (minus those without off-street parking) to include EV charging points.

Department for Transport under-secretary Rachel MacLean made the announcement in parliament after concerns were raised about the shortage of charging facilities in the country and the rate of charger adoption.

England will be the world’s first country to enact such legislation                  

The new law will require homebuilders to install charging infrastructure so that new owners will be able to charge their EVs or plug-in hybrids at home, instead of having to rely on public infrastructure. The legislation will not apply to Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland, however, where it is up to their devolved parliaments to enact this kind of legislation.

Will any new builds be exempt?

New-build houses that don’t have access to off-street parking will be exempt from these rules. However, the Government is investing in infrastructure that would allow these homes to access charging points via wireless technology or pavements.

New EV chargers must be ‘smart’

All new EV chargers must be ‘smart chargers’, to enable homeowners to benefit from off-peak electricity rates.

The idea is that EVs could become networks of power storage, similar to wind turbines, but at peak times, some electric vehicle home chargers may need to be switched off to prevent blackouts.

Secretary of State for Transport Grant Shapps said that, as of May 30th, 2022, home chargers will have limited functionality from 8 am to 11 am and 4 pm to 10 pm, to prevent overloading the grid.

EV sales in the UK have grown sharply in the past year

Sales of BEVs (Battery Electric Vehicles) rose by 32% in August 2021 compared with the 12 months earlier, while overall sales were up by 46% year-over-year.

Sales of diesel and gasoline vehicles fell by 64.5% and 40.4% respectively, shortly before London’s Ultra Low Emissions Zone (ULEZ) expanded to cover a much larger area of the city in October 2021.

Alfred drives a Tesla Model 3 Standard Range Plus but has his eye on a fully-electric pick-up truck. He'd love an electric Ford Ranger, which should be a real thing in a few years!