EV Charger Grants UK 2026: Who Actually Qualifies

EV charger grants in the UK in 2026 are tighter than most homeowners realise. The all-purpose "OZEV grant" that lots of comparison sites still reference doesn't exist as a single scheme, and the part that used to cover owner-occupier homeowners in houses closed four years ago. Here's what actually exists today and who can claim what.

The grants that do exist in 2026

All four grants are funded until 31 March 2027 — the scheme is in its final year. The headline rate rose from £350 per socket to £500 per socket on 1 April 2026.

EV Chargepoint Grant — renters and flat owner-occupiers

Eligibility:

• You either rent any residential property, or own and live in a flat (regardless of building type)
• You have private off-street or allocated parking and a legal right to it
• You've obtained landlord / freeholder / managing-agent consent before applying
• You use an OZEV-authorised installer

The grant pays up to £500 per socket. The installer claims the grant on your behalf — you don't need to apply directly to OZEV. The deduction shows on your quote.

On-street parking

For households whose only parking is on-street, the grant pays for a charger plus a permanent installed cross-pavement charging solution (a recessed cable channel set into the pavement — not a rubber mat or cable cover, which most local authorities won't permit). Requires consent of the local highways authority; planning permission may also apply.

Note: applications closed to customers on 31 March 2026 — check gov.uk for the latest position before assuming you can still apply through this route.

Residential landlords

Residential landlords providing chargers for tenants can claim up to £500 per socket, capped at 200 sockets across all sites. Cannot be claimed where the install was mandated by Part S Building Regulations (new build / major renovation) or by a planning condition.

The separate infrastructure grant route for landlords (covering wiring and civils) closed to new applications on 31 March 2026, along with the Staff & Fleets Infrastructure Grant and the Commercial Landlord Grant.

Workplace Charging Scheme

For businesses, charities and public-sector organisations: 75% of the purchase and installation cost of an EV chargepoint, capped at £500 per socket, up to 40 sockets per applicant across all sites. Open to applications until 31 March 2027.

Where the OZEV branding gets confusing

OZEV stands for the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles — the government team within the Department for Transport (and DESNZ) that administers EV-related incentives. OZEV is the department, not the grant. Articles that refer to "the OZEV grant" usually mean whichever of the four schemes above applies to the reader's situation — but the terminology is technically wrong, and you'll see it cause confusion.

The official OZEV term is "EV Chargepoint Grant" for the residential schemes and "Workplace Charging Scheme" for the business scheme. Use those when searching for the official guidance.

What about Scotland?

Scotland operates a separate EV chargepoint funding programme through Transport Scotland and Energy Saving Trust Scotland. The Home Energy Scotland EV programme has come and gone in various forms over the years — at time of writing (May 2026) there's no national domestic home-charger grant in Scotland, but loans are available through Home Energy Scotland for energy-efficiency-and-EV packages. Check the current position at Energy Saving Trust Scotland.

If you don't qualify — should you still install a charger?

Yes, almost always. For a typical UK home with off-street parking, the maths is:

• Install cost: ~£900 (typical untethered Pod Point Solo 3 or similar)
• Annual mileage: 10,000 miles → ~2,500 kWh of EV charging
• Public rapid charging: ~£1,750/year (at 70 p/kWh)
• Home charging on Intelligent Octopus Go (7 p/kWh off-peak): ~£175/year
• Saving: ~£1,575/year. Payback: ~7 months.

Even compared to charging at home on the standard Ofgem cap (24.67 p/kWh), the home charger still saves ~£1,000/year vs public rapid charging. The grant is a nice-to-have where it applies, not a make-or-break.