EVwire brief: The United Kingdom will soon allow households without driveways to install pavement charging gullies without planning permission under new legislation expected this summer.
Home charging can cost as little as 8p/kWh, compared to around 72p/kWh for public charging, making the shift financially significant.
Here’s how pavement gullies work. Even though this video is from a couple of years ago, there were still permissions required for their installation then:
Context:
Current rules prohibit trailing charging cables across pavements due to trip hazards. This limits home charging access for households without private driveways. The new policy classifies pavement gullies as permitted development, meaning installations can proceed without formal planning approval.
Costs for installation are estimated at around £1,000, though some local councils are already funding deployments in select areas. The economics remain compelling, as lower home charging rates can offset installation costs over time.
The policy comes as EV adoption continues to accelerate across Europe and the UK. At the same time, the government is doubling down on its broader clean energy push. As per Energy Secretary Ed Miliband:
“While some have said we have gone too far and too fast, I… disagree. In response to recent events, our action must now be faster, deeper and more wide-ranging.”
Miliband’s team also made clear they are not slowing down, rejecting calls from the Tony Blair Institute to ease the pace of the clean energy transition.
Without pavement gullies, EV chargers can become a tripping hazard (Source)
Residential charging access expands
The move directly targets one of the most persistent barriers to EV ownership: lack of home charging access for urban residents.
With the new system in place, EV owners can experience:
Safe cable routing without pavement obstruction
Expanded access to cheaper home charging rates
Reduced reliance on higher-cost public charging networks
At the same time, the UK is exploring reforms to reduce electricity costs by breaking their link to gas prices, which currently set electricity prices about 60% of the time.
Pavement gullies are an ideal solution for EV owners with no driveways (Source)
Source: The Times
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