Local councils across England have faced criticism for imposing annual fees on electric vehicle (EV) owners who install charging gullies in pavements, with charges reaching as high as £185 per year in some areas. These fees are intended to cover potential future maintenance costs associated with the infrastructure but have drawn backlash from industry figures and advocates concerned that they discourage EV adoption.
Redbridge Council in London, which declared a climate emergency in 2016, has one of the highest annual charges, set at £185. Other councils set lower fees—for instance, Milton Keynes charges £50 per year for three years post-installation, while Enfield in London levies £107 annually. Conversely, some authorities, including Manchester City Council, do not impose any ongoing licence fees for pavement gullies.
The fees are in addition to the one-time costs homeowners incur for cutting gullies into pavements to enable at-home vehicle charging. Authorities recently announced plans to eliminate the requirement for householders to obtain planning permission for these installations, a move expected to reduce barriers to home charging. Home charging has been widely recognized as significantly more cost-effective than frequenting public charging points, potentially reducing running costs by about 75%.
Andy Palmer, a former Nissan executive who played a key role in bringing the Leaf electric car to the UK, expressed concerns over the annual fees. While acknowledging the reasonableness of an initial fee to cover grid connection and installation, he described continuing charges as "thoroughly unreasonable" and "basically a rip-off." Industry experts suggest that these costs may deter some consumers from adopting electric vehicles.
Ben Nelmes, chief executive of New AutoMotive, a transport research organization, urged local councils to eliminate punitive or complex annual fees and simplify the installation process to support clean transport goals. “If we are serious about delivering our clean transport goals, local government needs to stop coming up with more forms to fill in and start treating motorists as vital partners in the shift to net zero,” Nelmes said.
Michael Goulden, CEO of Kerbo Charge, which has installed approximately 3,000 pavement gullies, noted that about half of local authorities impose licence fees, with London councils more likely to do so. The justification for these fees includes the expiration of original warranties after two years, potential maintenance requirements, and insurance overheads. He emphasized that fees should remain proportionate to avoid deterring users. Goulden referenced Zapmap data indicating that home charging can save drivers roughly £1,100 annually compared to public charging. He suggested the government could consider capping fees to standardize costs across authorities.
Some observers pointed to financial factors influencing councils, particularly in London, where authorities may seek to protect revenues derived from public charging stations, from which they take a share. Shayne Rees of ODS, a company planning to install around 500 pavement channels over the next year, acknowledged councils’ budget pressures and the added workload associated with monitoring gullies, including hiring staff and conducting inspections.
The Department for Transport stated it aims to make EV charging accessible nationwide and is providing £25 million in funding to councils in England to expand cross-pavement charging infrastructure. The Local Government Association was contacted for comment but did not provide a statement. Meanwhile, environmental campaigners and industry stakeholders anticipate that consensus will eventually emerge on the most effective approach to support home EV charging infrastructure.