Changes to EV charging grants creates inequality for flat residents

Denis Watling, Managing Director at ChargeGuru UK, warns that the new structure cuts vital support for apartment buildings, which is a change that could seriously stall EV adoption for millions of people living in flats.

Below, Denis breaks down what’s really changed, why the headline figure hides a much bigger problem, and how these decisions risk making EV charging in multi‑dwelling buildings even harder to deliver.

Denis Watling, Managing Director at ChargeGuru UK, says: 

“Recent changes to the OZEV grant structure has stirred up a lot of conversations in the industry. These changes, while largely framed as a positive development, have reduced support for apartment buildings in a way that could significantly slow down EV adoption for millions of residents. Previously, up to £850 per parking bay could be claimed via the OZEV grant scheme (£500 for infrastructure, and £350 for a charge point). Under the new scheme, that support drops to £500 and is only available when a charge point is actually installed. 

This shift removes all funding to support the installation of critical pre-infrastructure, including the cabling, distribution, and safety systems, that make the installation of charge points financially and operationally viable for residents in apartment blocks. By removing funding for enabling infrastructure, the new scheme shifts the biggest costs onto the building and/or its residents. Where a freeholder cannot justify that investment, residents are left either unable to install a charger or facing costs well beyond the £500 being offered, which in many cases barely covers the cost of the physical charge point.   

Additionally, if residents are encouraged to manage the process themselves, issues relating to fire safety, billing, maintenance and long‑term consistency arise, which is precisely why most freeholders prefer a coordinated, building‑wide solution. 

Our commitment to supporting drivers in apartment blocks does not change. Our mission to close the driveway divide remains central to what we do. Under the new grant structure we will need to invest more per building and per installation than before. While we are absorbing that additional cost to keep the resident price unchanged, the number of buildings where investment is viable will inevitably reduce. Unfortunately, the investment criteria used for these buildings means that those most affected will often be those in lower-income communities, which we believe are the very households most in need of equitable access to EV charging. 

The reality is, these changes will make EV charging less accessible for people living in flats. It means far more private investment will now be required, from freeholders or from third‑party providers like us, to bridge the widening infrastructure gap. In short, the policy shift removes the key enabler of EV adoption for apartment dwellers, increases the reliance on private capital, and risks deepening the accessibility divide. While our commitment, of course, remains strong, the challenge has only grown.”