EV charging points for new homes

The number of electric cars on our roads is growing fast. As at the end of July 2022, there were 930,000 "plug-in" cars (pure-electric cars and plug-in hybrid models) registered in the UK. The sale of new petrol and diesel cars will be banned from 2030, so we can expect this figure to continue to rise steeply, and the provision of electric vehicle (EV) charging points will need to keep pace.

The Scottish Government announced last month that, under legislation to be introduced later this year, housebuilders in Scotland will be required to install EV charging points for most new homes. The proposed update to building regulations will mean that all new homes – including flats – which have a dedicated parking space must be constructed with a charging point with at least a 7kW rating. The same requirement will apply to major renovations of existing buildings. Developers of new non-residential properties will be required to provide one charging point for every ten parking spaces.

Housebuilders are used to being at the forefront of efforts to reduce the carbon footprint of our housing stock, and will now be tasked with playing a significant role in delivering the charging infrastructure needed as we continue the transition towards electric vehicles. Many were already offering EV charging points for at least some of their new homes, but we can now expect this to become standard.

With climate change and energy costs high on everyone's agenda at present, many of our housebuilding clients are reporting that the environmental credentials and energy-efficiency of new-build properties are more important to their customers than ever, and indeed can be the deciding factor in choosing to buy a newly built home. The provision of EV charging points as standard will add to those credentials and further underline the importance of the industry in helping to meet the Scottish Government's net zero target.