The government announced on 28 October 2026 that it will provide £100 million over two years from spring 2027 to cut charging costs at lower-powered public charge points near people's homes. These are typically chargers on residential streets where drivers can leave vehicles for several hours or overnight, and the government says they make up around a third of the current charging network. Drivers who rely on them are expected to save around £150 per year on average.

The move follows an independent review into public charging costs, which the government commissioned at Budget 2025. According to the review, average real-terms prices since 2021 have risen by 69% for lower-powered chargers and 94% for higher-powered ones. The government also plans to set up a "tariff porting" taskforce led by industry experts to explore letting drivers use cheaper domestic energy tariffs at certain public chargers, with the Department for Transport to provide further details.

The announcement cites over 124,000 public charge points in the UK, up 7.4% year on year, and £7.5 billion of investment to 2035 to support the EV transition. It also notes that since 21 October drivers no longer need planning permission for cross-pavement chargers, which the government says will save up to £300 on installation.