The Government has announced a plan to bring in new laws requiring electric car charges to be installed in new buildings from next year.
But what does the change mean for you?
At the time of writing, the proposed legislation has not been published, so we know relatively little of the details of the policy.
However, the Government has confirmed the following:
New-build homes
All new-build homes will need to come with electric vehicle charging points from next year.
We don’t know whether that means one per property or one per parking space. Nor do we know what the arrangements might be for homes without off-street parking.
Other new buildings
The new policy won’t be restricted to homes. It will also apply to other new buildings, including shops, supermarkets and offices.
Renovated buildings
Some buildings undergoing renovation will also have to install charging points. The Government press release announcing the measures said:
“As well as new homes and non-residential buildings, those undergoing largescale renovations which leaves them with over 10 parking spaces will be required to install electric vehicle charge points.”
What we don’t know is the threshold at which renovations become ‘largescale’.
Start date
At the moment, we only know that the new requirements will take effect in 2022. We don’t know the precise date but it is not likely to be until sometime into the new year as the Government still needs to legislate.
If you are planning a property development, a renovation, or buying a new-build property or taking up a lease on a new or renovated property, it will be important to seek professional advice so the property complies with the new requirements when they come into effect.