In June 2022, the UK government announced new building regulations for electric vehicles to promote EV use and smart charging, and to optimise the UKs energy use. In short, these regulations require certain buildings to have access to EV charge points. This applies to construction work started after 15th June 2023.
Currently, the regulations only apply in England, but the rest of the UK are expected to introduce similar legislation in the near future.
Who is affected by EV charging building regulations?
The new legislation, referred to as ‘approved document S’, applies to both residential and non-residential buildings and includes new builds as well as buildings undergoing major renovation.
These building regulations will affect any person involved in building or renovating a property in England, such as:
- Business/property owners
- Architects
- Contractors
- Installers
Commercial buildings
For any newly built commercial buildings, the regulations state that if you have more than 10 parking spaces on your premises, you must have at least one EV charging spot. The same applies to any commercial buildings undergoing major renovations.
You will also need to have a cable route available for every five parking spaces after that.
Residential buildings
Any newly built homes must have an EV charger installed. This also includes any buildings being repurposed into homes, for example, an old factory building being turned into flats.
Residential properties undergoing major renovation that have over 10 parking spaces, must have at least one EV charger per dwelling. This includes cable routes for all parking spaces that do not have dedicated EV chargers.
How are the legislations enforced?
Failure to comply with these regulations may result in prosecution in a magistrate’s court or an unlimited initial fine, followed by further daily fines until the matter is resolved, so it’s important to plan ahead to avoid this.
Usually, the owner of the building will be accountable for failure to comply. However, the organisation/s carrying out the building work may also be held responsible.
THE Benefits of EV charging building regulations
The building regulations for electric vehicles were introduced as a way to boost EV use through improved infrastructure and increased accessibility.
For property developers, these new legislations can be seen as an opportunity to future-proof your building and make it more attractive to residents.
One of the biggest sticking points preventing people from making the switch to electric transport is the perceived lack of infrastructure. However, this new legislation makes it much easier for drivers to charge their vehicles, meaning greater day-to-day convenience, whilst also demonstrating to those wanting to switch that EVs are a part of the future and growing EV infrastructure is a priority.
The UK government has also set goals to reach Net Zero by 2050 and ban the production and sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles. By encouraging more people to switch to EV, we will be well on our way towards reaching those targets.
Time to Install?
If your business is affected by the building regulations for electric vehicles, we can help. Firstly, you will need to assess your business size and the logistics of your premises to see how many charge points you are required by law to install and whether you want to install extra charge points for your staff and customers.
You will then need to research the best type of charge point for you and your customer’s needs. There are many different types of charge points, with varying speeds and functions. Check out our useful guide to find out which options are available to you.
Once you have made your decision, you’re going to need someone to install it! At Yü Charge, we specialise in helping businesses go electric, and are here to support you every step of the way, from picking a charger and getting a quote, to installation and ongoing customer support.