The Energy Saving Trust published its response on 8 October 2025 to a Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities consultation on changes to various permitted development rights, covering the installation of electric vehicle chargers and air source heat pumps1. The Trust states that the page contains information and links most relevant for people living in England1.
On electric vehicle charging, the Trust agreed that the limitation stopping wall-mounted outlets from facing onto and being within 2 metres of a highway should be removed, and that the same 2 metre restriction on electrical upstands should go, saying chargepoint designs have improved compared with the earliest models1. It supported raising the maximum height of electric upstands for EV recharging from 2.3 metres to 2.7 metres where they are installed outside the curtilage of a dwellinghouse or a block of flats, and backed a size limit of up to 29 cubic metres for equipment housing or storage cabinets1. It also said permitted rights to install EV chargepoints in residential on-street locations should be extended to grant charge point operators and distribution network operators, and their appointed sub-contractors, instead of them needing to apply for a section 50 licence1.
On air source heat pumps, the Trust agreed that the requirement for a unit to be at least 1 metre from the property boundary should be removed, describing the limit as an overly restrictive proxy measure for noise1. It supported increasing the current volume limit of 0.6 cubic metres, arguing that larger cases allow for bigger fans, which can help reduce noise1.
"We would support a blanket acceptance of air source heat pumps in any reasonable location where there is no detrimental impact to neighbouring properties through noise or loss of visual amenity in sensitive areas such as areas of natural beauty."
The Trust disagreed with a proposed maximum of two air source heat pumps for detached dwelling houses, saying this should be considered case by case with a presumption in favour of more than two where there is no demonstrable detrimental impact or loss of amenity to neighbours1. It noted that doubling the number of heat pumps does not double nuisance noise, since a doubling of real-world volume is an increase of 3db1. It agreed that stand-alone blocks of flats should be permitted more than one air source heat pump, citing around 5.4 million households living in flats in Great Britain, and supported prior approval on siting where more than one unit is installed at a block of flats1.
| Proposal | Trust position |
|---|---|
| Remove 2 metre highway restriction on wall-mounted EV outlets and upstands | Agreed1 |
| Raise maximum upstand height from 2.3m to 2.7m | Agreed1 |
| Remove 1 metre boundary limit for air source heat pumps | Agreed1 |
| Increase 0.6 cubic metre volume limit | Agreed1 |
| Maximum two air source heat pumps for detached houses | Disagreed1 |
| More than one air source heat pump at stand-alone blocks of flats | Agreed1 |
Why it matters for households
Permitted development rights are what allow certain home energy equipment to be installed without a full planning application, so the scope of these rules shapes how straightforward an installation is and what can be fitted where. The Trust's positions on boundary distances, unit sizes and the number of heat pumps affect whether a household needs to apply to its local planning authority, and its support for more than one unit at blocks of flats touches the roughly 5.4 million households in flats in Great Britain that it cites1. For a home's energy independence, the practical effect is on how easily a property can move away from gas heating or add charging infrastructure on site, rather than on the running costs of any particular system. The consultation covers England only, and the Trust's response does not set out rules for Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland1.
What happens next
The response is the Trust's submission to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities consultation; the department's decision and any resulting legislative changes have not been reported1.
Sources1 cited
- Changes to various permitted development rights - Energy Saving Trust, energysavingtrust.org.uk