UK Budget Puts £100 Million Toward Cheaper Street-Side EV Charging From Spring 2027

The UK's Budget 2026 includes £100 million to lower prices at the slower public chargers that drivers without driveways depend on.

What the government says

• £100 million over two years from spring 2027, for lower-powered public chargers near homes. The government says these make up about a third of the network.
• Average savings of about £150 a year for drivers who rely on them.
• An industry-led taskforce on "tariff porting", following a recommendation from an independent review of public charging costs. The Department for Transport will give more details later.
• The UK has more than 124,000 public charge points, up 7.4% year on year, the government says.

The fine print

electrive reports that the review found real-terms prices at lower-powered AC chargers rose 69% since 2021, and 94% at high-powered chargers. The government has not said how the money will reach drivers: whether it will subsidise operators, reimburse discounts or run another scheme. VAT on public charging stays at 20%. electrive says the Budget proposes legislation to clarify that rate from Nov. 1, 2026.

Why it matters

The plan covers street-side AC charging, not Superchargers. It still addresses the main cost gap for UK EV owners without home charging, including many Tesla drivers in cities like Brighton & Hove.