Your Options as a Flat Resident
You have several routes depending on your parking situation.
Shared Charging Points: This is the most common solution for flats with communal parking. The building installs chargers that multiple residents use. You access them via an app or RFID card and pay per kWh. This works well when parking spaces are not allocated to specific flats.
Dedicated Socket: If you have an allocated parking bay, you may get a dedicated charger linked to your flat. The charger can connect to the communal supply with per kWh billing. Or it can wire directly to your flat meter. This is called demised power. It means you pay your own energy supplier, just like charging at home.
Building Wide Infrastructure: Many flat owners approach their Residents Management Company or freeholder to install infrastructure for the entire building. This unlocks the full OZEV grants and makes individual connections cheaper. It is often the most cost effective route.
Who has to give permission for an EV charger at a flat?
You need approval from the freeholder, management company, or Residents Management Company. In some buildings, a residents vote may be required.
Presenting the grant funding available often helps secure approval. Buildings can claim £500 per socket through the Residential Landlord Chargepoint Grant, and individual residents can claim £500 through the Flats and Renters Grant. We can provide documentation to support your case to building management.
Can flat owners and renters get an EV chargepoint grant?
Two OZEV grants now apply to apartment EV charging. The Residential Landlord Chargepoint Grant pays £500 per socket to the building owner or management company, with a 200 socket annual cap across portfolios. Individual residents can separately claim the Flats and Renters Grant at £500 per socket for their own dedicated parking bay.
Both grants are open to new applications until 31 March 2027. The previous Residential Landlord Infrastructure Grant, which capped funding at £30,000 per building, closed on 31 March 2026.
Can you charge an EV at a flat with no parking?
If your flat does not have access to off street parking, on site charging is not possible. Your options include public charging networks, workplace charging, or street side charging schemes run by some local councils.
