The 2026 EV charger grant, decoded.
Who's in, who's out, and how to claim up to £500. The rules changed this year — and they now favour the people they used to exclude.
Check my eligibilityWhat is the OZEV grant?
The OZEV grantis the government's EV chargepoint grant, named after the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV) that administers it. It is the main EV charger installation grant in the UK and is worth up to £500 per chargepoint socket toward fitting a home charger. You may also see it called the EV chargepoint grant or, historically, the EVHS (Electric Vehicle Homecharge Scheme) — they refer to the same home-charging support.
The grant does not cover the whole job. It is a fixed contribution of up to £500 that an OZEV-approved installer deducts from your invoice, so it lowers what you pay up front rather than arriving as a separate rebate you chase afterwards. Set against the live UK average for a standard 7kW home install of £1,073 (and around £1,150 for the rarer 22kW three-phase jobs), a £500 grant is a meaningful share of the total — but you should still compare quotes, because the cheapest qualifying installer saves you far more than the grant alone.
Crucially, eligibility changed for 2026. The grant now targets the households that previous schemes left out — renters, flat owner-occupiers and anyone without a private driveway — while owner-occupiers with off-street parking are no longer eligible. The 30-second checker below tells you exactly which side of that line you fall on.
Want the real install numbers behind these figures? See the EV charger installation cost breakdown and the live cost index.
Am I eligible?
Who qualifies
How to claim
Confirm eligibility
Use the checker above, then keep proof of your tenancy or property type ready.
Your installer applies
An OZEV-approved installer submits the grant claim on your behalf — no forms for you.
It comes off the invoice
The £500 is deducted directly from your install price. You only pay the balance.
The grant rose from £350 to £500 — and shifted who gets it
The scheme now targets renters, flat dwellers and on-street parkers, while driveway homeowners — who could once claim — are no longer eligible. The cap per socket is £500.
Last reviewed Jun 2026 · figures from the published 2026 scheme rules.
EV charger grant by nation and situation
The headline chargepoint grant is UK-wide, but the detail varies by nation and by who is claiming. Here is the short version for the most common cases.
EV charger grant in Scotland
Scotland runs the UK chargepoint grant alongside its own Energy Saving Trust support, which has historically added an interest-free loan toward home charging. Check current EST funding before you apply.
EV charger grant in Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is covered by the same OZEV chargepoint grant rules — renters, flat owners and those without off-street parking can claim up to £500 per socket.
EV charger grant for business
Businesses and landlords use the separate Workplace Charging Scheme and the landlord allowance rather than the domestic grant. See our landlord guide for the per-socket support across a portfolio.
How to apply online
There is no form for you to file: your OZEV-approved installer applies for the grant online on your behalf and deducts it from your invoice. You only need proof of your tenancy or property type.
Homeowner eligibility (gov.uk)
Per the published gov.uk scheme rules, owner-occupiers with a private driveway are excluded from 2026. Homeowners in flats, or without off-street parking, can still qualify.
Is the grant the same as the £3,750 car grant?
No. The £3,750 Electric Car Grant is for buying an eligible new EV; the chargepoint grant on this page is worth up to £500 toward your home installation.
The grant, in plain English.
Who qualifies for the EV grant?
From 2026 the EV chargepoint grant targets renters, flat owners and people who rely on on-street or shared parking — they can claim up to £500 per socket. Homeowners with a private driveway are no longer eligible.
What is the 80% rule for EV chargers?
The "80% rule" is a charging habit, not a grant rule: many EV owners charge to about 80% day to day to protect battery longevity and charge faster, topping up to 100% only before a long trip. It does not affect your grant eligibility.
Are there any free EV chargers anymore?
Not truly free. The grant covers up to £500 of the install, not the whole cost, and energy-supplier "free charger" deals are usually bundled tariff offers rather than a free fitting. Always compare against an independent quote.
Which EVs get the £3,750 grant?
The £3,750 figure is the separate Electric Car Grant for buying an eligible new electric car priced under £37,000 — it is not the chargepoint grant. The home chargepoint grant covered here is worth up to £500 toward your installation.
Can I get a grant for an EV charger?
Yes, if you rent, own a flat, or have no off-street parking, the 2026 EV chargepoint grant gives up to £500 per socket and your OZEV-approved installer applies it directly to the invoice — you never claim it back yourself.
Do driveway homeowners still get the grant?
No. From 2026 the grant targets renters, flat owners and people without off-street parking. If you own a house with a driveway you are no longer eligible.
Is the OZEV grant still available in 2026?
Yes. The OZEV grant — officially the EV chargepoint grant, run by the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles — is still live in 2026, now worth up to £500 per socket. What changed is who qualifies: it targets renters, flat owners and households without off-street parking rather than driveway homeowners.
How much is the EV charger installation grant worth?
The EV charger installation grant is worth up to £500 per chargepoint socket. It is deducted from your install invoice by an OZEV-approved installer, so it reduces what you pay up front rather than arriving as a separate rebate. Against a live UK average install cost of around £1,000–£1,100, that £500 is a meaningful share of the total.