Councils failing electric car drivers by not utilising millions of pounds in government scheme to boost the number of on-street charging points

Just 107 local authorities have used On-street Residential Chargepoint Scheme
It offers to fund up to 60% of local EV charge point installations to boost network
Ministers say 125k on-street charging points are needed - but the ORCS has funded just 12,500 installations since it launched in 2017
It is particularly bad news for EV owners without driveways or off-street parking at their properties who are reliant on public charging access

Updated: 20:09 AEDT, 22 August 2022

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Electric car owners, particularly those without off-street parking, are being let down by the majority of councils who are failing to make use of government funds to improve residential street charging infrastructure.

Just 107 local authorities across the UK have successfully applied for the On-street Residential Chargepoint Scheme (ORCS) that was launched five years ago, latest Department for Transport figures show.

The AA says a lack of movement at local council level is 'creating huge blackholes' across the country for electric car owners living in properties without driveways and garages who are reliant on the - more expensive - public charging network.

EV owners let down by their councils: New figures released by the Department for Transport suggest that a scheme to help boost on-street charging point numbers is not being utilised

Records show that as of 1 July 2022 just 2,869 devices have so far been installed on residential streets across the country using the funds, which represents £10.2million of grant funding to 95 councils in total.

Of all the on-street devices so far installed via the scheme, 228 were done so in the months of April to June.

Approval for a further 9,543 devices has been given - in many cases to the same councils - though they are not yet in place.

In total, around £43.4million of the scheme - which was launched back in 2017 - has been spent or promised to cover device installation costs.

According to the Local Government Association there are 333 'main' local councils in England alone.

The ORCS fund can also be applied for by Parish Councils, of which there are around 9,000 in the UK.

It means the 107 that have requested funding is a fraction of the authorities that are able to access the scheme, with applications due to close on 31 March next year.

DfT figures have revealed that just 107 councils across the UK have successfully applied for the On-street Residential Chargepoint Scheme (ORCS) that was launched five years ago

The scheme has recently received an extra £20million in funding to cover the 2022/23 financial year, though this is clearly being under utilised by councils, the AA suggests.

Jack Cousens, head of roads policy at the motoring group, said: 'Drivers without dedicated off-street parking looking to switch to electric cars want to have the option for cheaper, affordable charging close to home rather than be reliant on the rapid network.

'The transition to electric needs to convince people that they can easily find a charge, but we need a mix of charging speeds to make life simple for everyone. But there are huge swathes of the country without any on-street charging and that needs to be rectified urgently.'

DfT records show that 7,914 of the 12,412 chargers that have - or are due - to be installed via the scheme are in London boroughs. This represents 64% of all chargers being fitted

Earlier this year, transport ministers said we need a minimum of 125,000 on-street charging points and acknowledged that the the current progression in this area was 'too slow'.

Regions making most use of Government's on-street charging scheme

The number of charging points that have been - or are due to be - installed by councils through the ORCS in each region:

North East: 213

North West: 283

Yorkshire & the Humber: 183

East Midlands: 314

West Midlands: 1,029

East of England: 305

London: 7,914

South East: 1,221

South West: 360

Wales: 167

Scotland: 423

Northern Ireland: 0

Total: 12,412

Source: Department for Transport

With just 12,412 devices chargers already or set to be installed using the ORCS, the AA says the Government is a 'long way off' meeting that target.

'So much focus has been placed on the rapid and ultra-rapid network but many will be crying out for action closer to home,' Cousens adds.

'We are also concerned that rural areas could be left miles behind as on-street charging is often considered to be just an urban problem.'

Some 7,914 of the 12,412 chargers being installed via the scheme are in London boroughs, meaning almost two thirds (64 per cent) of funding is being used to bolster infrastructure in the capital.

Demand from councils has also been high in the South East (1,221 devices) and West Midlands (1.221), while no applications have successfully been made by local authorities in Northern Ireland, according to the DfT's figures.

In order to receive funding for on-street charging devices in their area, local authorities need to submit an application via the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV).

Councils can receive a grant to part-fund up to a maximum of 60 per cent of capital costs relating to the procurement and installation of residential electric vehicle chargepoint infrastructure.

OZEV can fund up to a maximum of £7,500 per charging point, unless electrical connection costs are exceptionally high. In these cases, funding up to £13,000 per chargepoint may be provided.

Successful applicants receive 75 per cent of the grant funding upfront and the remaining 25 per cent can be claimed on completion of the project.

If the total project costs come in under the 75 per cent paid in advance, the local authority is required to reimburse OZEV.

The figures will provide particularly difficult reading for EV owners without a driveway or off-street parking at their properties who are reliant on using public charging points close to home

Charging costs for electric car owners without home charge points are £1,250-a-year higher

A recent report highlighted the huge cost disparities of charging an electric car depending whether you have the facility to plug it in at home or not has been highlighted by a new report.

While property owners with driveways and garages will be able to have a charger installed at their houses and tap into domestic tariffs, EV drivers who live in flats and other homes without off-street parking are forced to rely on the public network and premium charging costs.

The difference in annual electric car running costs can be as much as £1,250, calculations by Electrifying.com shows.

The study says that the average cost of using the UK's public rapid charging infrastructure is now 53p per kWh.

This means an average electric car such as a Volkswagen ID.3 with a 58kWh battery will cost £21.52 to charge from 10 to 80 per cent, which is the typical charging session on a public rapid device.

EV owners who 'fill up' at Pod Point units in supermarket car parks - including Tesco and Lidl - can pay as little as £11.36 to boost their car's battery.

Don't have off-street parking? Then annual electric car running costs can be over £1,250 more expensive, a new report claims

EV owners with a dedicated electric car tariff - such as the Octopus Go EV tariff - can benefit from low-cost off-peak charging rates of 7.5p per kWh for up to 6 hours a night

For EV drivers who use pay-as-you-go access to the public rapid charging network pay an average of 53p per kWh - that's 7x as much as it can cost to replenish batteries using a homecharger

However, using the nation's most expensive provider more than doubles this price.

A 10 to 80 per cent top-up using an Ionity charging point at a cost of 69p per kWh can cost £28.01, with Electrifying saying this is the UK's most expensive public provider.

When working out the annual cost of running a Volkswagen ID.3, covering an average of 10,000 miles, the electric-car website says a driver who has access to a homecharger can pay as little as £208.80 per year.

This is a best-case scenario, with the calculation based on charging at night during off-peak hours and using a dedicated EV tariff with the lowest prices (7.5p per kWh for Octopus Go EV Tariff).

For those who can't have a device installed where they live and instead have little option by to use public devices for all their battery-boosting sessions, the annual charging cost at an average of 53p per kWh is £1,475.52.

That's a staggering difference of £1,267 a year based on 48 charges over the 12 months.

As one third of UK drivers don't have access to off-street parking, the difference in cost is driving a two-tier nation when it comes to electric car ownership, favouring homeowners with a driveway who, despite rising energy costs, can still take advantage of cheaper energy tariffs, Electrifying's founder Ginny Buckley, says.

'With dramatic increases in wholesale electricity costs, it's no surprise that prices are rising across the charging network - Instavolt announced an increase of 15.7 per cent to its prices, and I suspect they may not be the last to make such a move.

'For drivers who are unable to take advantage of cheaper home energy tariffs, this is having a serious impact on running costs at a time when budgets are under unprecedented strain.

'It hits those living in towns and cities the hardest, the very place electric cars can have the most impact on air quality.

'Consumers are playing their part, with sales of electric cars increasing by 50 per cent compared to last year, but it's not up to the public to make sure that prices are fair; nor is it down to them to make sure that everyone has access to electric car ownership.'

Electrifying.com said there is a big price difference in charging costs by provider. PodPoint's devices at Tesco and Lidl car parks are the cheapest at 28p per kWh for PAYG charging

One reason for the significant cost difference between charging at home and via a public device is taxation.

While VAT on energy consumed at home is 5 per cent, drivers who are forced to only use public chargers are having to pay 20 per cent.

'It's time for those in charge to get out of neutral and put the wheels in motion for fairer VAT on our public charging network,' Buckley went on.

'I want to see this reduced from 20 per cent to 5 per cent to bring it in line with the cost of charging at home.'

Public charging providers - who is most expensive?

With such a huge difference between the highest and lowest prices, drivers are advised to do their research about which devices will cost them less to use.

Electrifying.com has ranked all the major public providers, with prices shown in the table being the highest currently charged for pay-as-you-go customers.

In some cases, providers will offer a membership or monthly subscription. While this is an extra cost it can work out cheaper as customers will benefit from subsidised rates per kWh.

Public charging providers ranked by cost

1. Ionity: 69p per kWh

=2. Instavolt 66p per kWh

=2. Osprey: 66p per kWh

4. Shell Recharge Ultra-Rapid 175kW: 65p per kWh

5. ChargePlace Scotland: 60p per kWh

6. Tesla Public: 61p per kWh

7. Shell Recharge Rapid 50kW: 59p per kWh

=8. GeniePoint: 57p per kWh

=8. Swarco EConnect: 57p per kWh

=10. MFG EV Power: 55p per kWh

=10. MER Ultra Rapid 75kW 55p per kWh

12. Fastned: 54p per kWh

=13. Gridserve High Power 350kW: 50p per kWh

=13. Raw Charging 300kW: 50p per kWh

=13. Tesla owner: 50p per kWh

16. MER 50kW: 49p per kWh

17. Gridserve Medium Power 60kW: 48p per kWh

=18. ESB: 45p per kWh

=18. Gridserve Electric Forecourt 350kW: 45p per kWh

=18. Pod Point (non Tesco): 45p per kWh

=18. BP Pulse: 45p per kWh

=18. Raw Charging 150kW: 45p per kWh

23. EB Charging: 44p per kWh

24. Pod Point Tesco/Lidl 50kW: 28p per kWh

UK average pay as you go cost: 53p per kWh

Source: Electrifying.com

Note: Electrifying.com has collated all current DC rapid charging prices and ranked providers from the cheapest to the most expensive for pay as you go customers. As some charge point providers have different tariffs for different charging speeds and, in some cases, locations, we have itemised these according to speed available.

Some operators, such as Pod Point and Mer, have different pricing according to location. Where possible, Electrifying.com used the highest charges. Drivers may be able to charge at lower prices on these networks. For example, PodPoint rapid chargers at Tesco locations can be as little as 28p per kWh. Some networks may also offer subscriptions which may lower the cost per kWh.

The chart is topped by Ionity, which has been the most expensive provider in the UK since introducing its tariff of 69p per kWh in 2020.

However, while the brand was once far and away the priciest option for drivers, Instavolt and Osprey's recent price increases (to 66p per kWh) have seen the gap narrow significantly.