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What the Regulations Cover
The regulations apply to all publicly accessible chargers rated 8kW and above. They came into force on 24 November 2023 with requirements phased across 24 months. Pricing transparency was required immediately. Contactless payment, 24/7 helplines, open data compliance, and 99% reliability standards became mandatory on 24 November 2024. The roaming requirement became mandatory on 24 November 2025.
Contactless payment is mandatory on all new public chargers. Existing rapid chargers (50kW and above) must also accept contactless. Drivers should never need an app or subscription to start a charge. They tap their card or phone and go.
Pricing must be displayed in pence per kWh before a session starts. Connection fees and any other charges must be visible too. The price cannot increase once charging has started. No hidden costs.
Uptime and Reliability
Rapid chargers at 50kW and above must maintain 99% reliability, measured as an annual average across each operator’s rapid network rather than per individual charger. Operators report to the Department for Transport annually using the Open Charge Point Interface (OCPI) protocol, and the first reports covering 2025 were due in January 2026.
Operators must provide a free to use, 24/7 staffed telephone helpline at all charge points. The helpline must offer real time assistance, not voicemail. Operators submit quarterly reports on helpline performance to the Department for Transport.
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Roaming and Interoperability
From November 2025, every charge point operator must allow payment through at least one roaming provider. A driver with an account on one network can use chargers on another without signing up again. This removes one of the biggest frustrations for EV drivers.
OCPI compliance supports this by creating a common data standard across operators. Charge point operators must update data within 30 seconds of any status change, so drivers always see accurate availability information.
Fines and Enforcement
The Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) enforces the regulations. OPSS may issue a Compliance Notice requiring specific action. Failure to comply can result in civil penalties of up to £10,000 per charger for payment, pricing, helpline, data, and roaming breaches. For reliability breaches, the penalty is up to £10,000 per rapid network.
Site owners who partner with a compliant charge point operator are not directly liable. The operator handles regulatory compliance, reporting, and driver support. We manage all of this as part of every public charging installation we deliver.
