The Department for Transport announced on 21 October 2026 that it has launched two consultations on making home charging easier, one on expanding access for tenants and leaseholders and one on amending the building regulations for electric vehicle charging infrastructure. Both are open for responses until 16 December 20261.
The same announcement confirmed that, from that day, people no longer need planning permission to install cross-pavement chargers, which run under pavements from a home to a car parked on the street. The department said this would save drivers up to £300 on installation and open up home charging for as little as 2p per mile, and that cross-pavement charging lets residents without off-street parking plug into cheaper domestic electricity, helping them access savings of up to £1,750 on running costs1. Changes to permitted development rights also mean it will be quicker and cheaper for charge point operators to install larger, higher-powered public charging hubs1.
On the first consultation, the government said tenants and leaseholders could get a clearer, quicker and more consistent route to installing a charge point through clear guidance for landlords on how to handle the process, and that it is considering mandatory requirements for landlords and freeholders to make it harder to refuse renters' applications1. On the second, it said building regulations could be updated to ensure charge points are installed in new and refurbished covered car parks1.
"This might look like a small planning change, but for someone without a driveway, it could make the difference between being able to afford an electric car and ruling one out altogether."
The department reported that September 2026 was another record-breaking month for UK electric car sales, up 36% in a year, with nearly 100,000 electric cars sold in a single month, and that the Electric Car Grant has now helped over 190,000 drivers save up to £3,750 off a new electric vehicle1. EVA England said its research found that 60% of petrol and diesel drivers without off-street parking would never consider an EV1.
| Consultation | Subject | Closes |
|---|---|---|
| Amending the building regulations: electric vehicle charging infrastructure | Charge points in new and refurbished covered car parks | 16 December 2026 |
| Expanding electric vehicle charging access for tenants and leaseholders | Clearer route to install a charge point; possible mandatory requirements on landlords and freeholders | 16 December 2026 |
Why it matters for households
For a household with no driveway, the planning change removes a step from installing a cross-pavement charge point, and the department puts the saving at up to £300. Charging from a home supply rather than the public network is the basis of the running-cost figure of up to £1,750, and of the 2p per mile comparison1. The consultations bear on two groups who currently depend on others' consent or on the building itself: renters and leaseholders, whose applications landlords can refuse, and residents of flats and others whose parking sits under a covered structure. Whether either group gets a firmer right to charge depends on the outcome, and no decision has been reported1. The Electric Vehicle Chargepoint Grant for Renters and Flat Owners remains the existing support route for some of these households.
What happens next
Both consultations close on 16 December 20261. The government has not reported a date for publishing responses or for any change to the Building Regulations or to landlord rules. The planning permission change for cross-pavement chargers applies from 21 October 20261.