The UK’s shift to electric is moving from early adopters to the mainstream. Yet one group remains consistently underserved: drivers without driveways.
For millions of apartment residents, home charging is still difficult to access, and recent changes to the OZEV grant scheme risk widening that gap.
On paper, the Government’s new funding structure looks like a boost.
As of 1st April, the amount available for individual chargepoint installations has gone up, but the withdrawal of the electric vehicle infrastructure grants for landlords renders these individual installations improbable.
What seems like progress actually risks locking out many EV drivers.
The withdrawal of the EV infrastructure grants for landlords
Previously, up to £850 per parking bay could be claimed back through OZEV.
This covered £500 toward infrastructure and £350 towards the chargepoint.
That £500 per bay helped pay for cabling, distribution boards, load management and safety systems, providing the backbone of scalable, site-wide installations.
Under the new rules, that support drops to £500 total, and only once a charger is actually installed.
There is no upfront help for the infrastructure, no encouragement for long-term planning and no recognition that flats need foundational work before residents can plug in anything.
The consequence is EV charging becomes harder for the 22% of UK households living in flats.
Projects become less viable, freeholders hesitate and residents lose out.
This results in the UK’s broader shift to electric transport slowing due to outdated policy design.
The temptation and danger of DIY installations
With public charging costing triple the price of home charging, flat-dwellers will be tempted to use the £500 grant to install individual chargers themselves.
This sounds simple, however, ad-hoc installations create a catalogue of long-term problems, such as unfair billing, unbalanced loads, cables across car parks, and critical safety risks.
This is why property managers need building-wide thinking rather than piecemeal fixes. The grant changes have made that need more urgent.
Resident expectations persist
If building owners need motivation, it has been proven that residents already expect onsite EV charging.
ChargeGuru data shows 74% of EV drivers consider it an important factor when choosing where to live.
A building without a charging strategy in 2026 simply risks becoming uncompetitive.
Delaying surveys or installations will only push the problem down the road, where costs will be higher and resident frustration will be louder.
Funding without OZEV
Property managers still have options through various avenues. One of these is freeholder-funded infrastructure. While this is a long-term investment, it is one that upgrades the asset, prevents unsafe resident-led installations and allows expansion.
The only drawback is that it requires significant upfront capital and ongoing responsibility.
Next, there is resident co-funding, which is transparent and collective, but often contentious.
Non-EV owners resist paying, while buildings inherit operations and maintenance headaches.
Another option is third-party funding, the model ChargeGuru specialises in.
With no upfront cost to freeholders or residents without EVs, infrastructure is funded, installed and maintained externally. Residents get safe, fairly priced, reliable charging and buildings get a scalable, headache-free solution.
For many blocks, this is the most practical route forward.
The opportunity in 2026
If policy won’t bridge the gap for flat residents, then the industry must.
ChargeGuru’s mission to close the ‘driveway divide’ remains the same, which is why we will continue to offer a fully-funded solution for eligible apartment blocks.
Our advice to building owners and managers is to reach out to EV charging experts now to discuss scalable, building-wide EV charging solutions.
Engaging with experts now to establish a coordinated, building-wide strategy avoids a fragmented, unmanaged rollout later.
While the Government’s financial landscape has shifted, safe and efficient solutions remain entirely achievable.
By Denis Watling is managing director at ChargeGuru UK
