£50,000 grant secured to help more West Berkshire residents charge electric vehicles (EVs) at home

West Berkshire Council has secured £50,000 through the Department for Transport's EV Pavement Channel Grant to help residents without off-street parking charge their electric vehicles (EVs) safely and affordably near or at their home.

The funding will support the installation of cross-pavement charging channels - a practical solution that allows residents to run a charging cable across the pavement without creating a trip hazard. This will make home charging possible for households who do not have off-street parking.

Being able to use domestic electricity tariffs, which are often significantly cheaper than public charging points, will help reduce costs for EV owners and encourage more residents to consider switching to cleaner vehicles. This supports the Council's wider goals to cut carbon emissions and improve local air quality.

The grant will cover the cost of the Section 178 Licence, which residents would normally pay for when applying for a cross-pavement channel installation. Some households may also be eligible for an additional Government grant to help fund both the charge point and the charging channel (see here for more details).

Cllr Stuart Gourley, Executive Member for Environment and Transport at West Berkshire Council, said:

"We know that many residents want to switch to electric vehicles but are held back because they cannot charge at home. This funding helps us remove a major barrier by making safe, affordable home charging an option for more people.

"It's an important step in supporting cleaner travel and improving air quality across West Berkshire. We're proud to lead initiatives that not only reduce emissions but also empower local communities to embrace sustainable energy solutions."

Aviation, Maritime and Decarbonisation Minister, Keir Mather, said:

"Our investment is backing the rollout of EV chargers in West Berkshire and helping residents install home charging solutions more easily and cheaply, so they can charge up for as little as 2p per mile.

"We know home charging isn't just for those with driveways, and that's why we have a national £25 million scheme to help people install discreet cross-pavement gullies.

"Alongside this we're also tackling upfront costs with £1.3 billion announced at the Budget to extend the Electric Car Grant to 2030, saving drivers up to £3,750 off new EVs, alongside an extra £200 million to rollout more public chargers."

Full guidance and application details are available at: www.westberks.gov.uk/evguidance.

We are delighted to be among the first local authorities to receive this funding, demonstrating our proactive approach to expanding sustainable transport options and ensuring fair access to EV charging for all residents.