Access to home charging is a decisive factor in EV adoption, particularly for households without private driveways. A recent UK survey by EV charging provider Kerbo Charge shows more than 40 percent of respondents would only consider an EV if they could charge at home, while a further 33 percent say it would make switching more likely.
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Planning rules remain a significant hurdle to uptake. More than 80 percent of respondents to the survey report that requiring planning permission for a home charger would deter them, with 42.8 percent saying it would stop them entirely. The UK government has recently consulted on easing these rules, specifically for households with on-street parking that have approval for cross-pavement cable channels. Until such changes are implemented, planning permission requirements remain in place and continue to slow deployment.
“Charging from home is five to ten times cheaper than public charging and much more convenient,” says Michael Goulden, CEO of Kerbo Charge. “We therefore need to make it easy for all residents to charge from home if we’re going to get mass adoption of EVs in the UK.”
Cable channels offer a solution
Frustration with public charging costs and accessibility remains widespread. For many drivers, solutions such as cross-pavement cable channels, as shown above, are enabling EV ownership where it would otherwise not be viable.
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“There is a real problem to solve here: how to make EV charging fair and equitable for everyone, not just those with driveways,” says Deborah Meaden, sustainability advocate and investor at Kerbo Charge. She points to recent government funding and regulatory consultations as steps forward, but not yet a resolution.
Industry stakeholders emphasise the role of accessible home charging in reducing running costs. “Drivers switching to electric are already saving up to 80 percent on fuel by charging overnight,” says Fiona Howarth, founder of Octopus Electric Vehicles, a UK-based EV leasing and services company. “The next step is simple: make planning easier, so more drivers can access cheaper, more convenient home charging.”
Simpler rules, wider EV access
Campaigners say simplifying council rules for pavement charging channels and removing planning permission requirements for chargers could unlock EV ownership for millions of households reliant on street parking.
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For the energy sector, wider access to residential charging also ties in with the expansion of distributed generation. Charging at home can work in step with rooftop PV and storage, supporting higher self-consumption and more efficient use of local generation. (TF)
