Charging electric vehicles on-street
If you do not have a driveway or other off-street parking, you may still be able to safely charge an EV from your property if you can park directly outside your property. The person charging the vehicle must adhere to any parking restrictions that may be in place and not obstruct the footway or any accesses. It is the responsibility of the person charging the vehicle to avoid putting themselves and others at risk when trailing a cable across a footway or an area people may cross.
Vehicles should be parked as close to the property as possible to reduce the cable length required. You should run the cable along the carriageway channel against the kerb where an EV cannot be parked immediately outside the property. The recommended maximum distance to charge an EV from the property is 10 metres (approximately two car lengths).
The cable must not cross the carriageway, so your vehicle should always be parked on the same side of the road as your property, with the charging point as near the kerb as possible.
Any required extension lead should be suitable for external use. It is the resident’s responsibility to ensure that the cable does not cause a danger or a nuisance to the public.
Cables must be laid flat with a cable guard covering them. They should not be extended from an upper storey to a vehicle or hung from any street furniture, including lamp columns or trees. A cable must only be placed over the footway when the vehicle is charging and should be removed when not in use.
When considering adding a proprietary charging point to their home, residents need to consider current planning regulations and whether a charging point may obstruct the footway (in the case of a terraced house). You can find further guidance on planning permission for electric vehicle charging points here.
Using a cable guard
You must use a cable guard to safely get the cable from your property boundary to your vehicle. Cable guards are regularly used in public spaces and areas of high footfall to cover cables/wires temporarily.
The cable guard should cover the area which will be walked across, including the width of the footway and verge between the property and the vehicle.
The cable guard must be non-slip and have contrasting colour markings in yellow or a similar highly visible colour. It must have anti-trip sloped sides and be rigid enough for outdoor use.
Charging your vehicle
When charging your vehicle on-street, you must adhere to the following:
- Park as close to your electrical outlet as possible
- Minimise the distance needed for the cable to cross the footway
- Run the cable along the kerb edge to reduce trip hazards
- Use a suitable proprietary cable protector/guard with contrasting colours to highlight the cable and minimise trip hazards
When charging your vehicle on-street, you must not do the following:
- Trail unprotected cables across the footway
- Leave extension leads placed on the footway
- Hang cables from upstairs windows or on streetlights, signposts or any other object at height
- Park opposite your property whilst charging, leaving a cable across the road – whether protected or not
- Park in contravention of local parking restrictions, such as double yellow lines
- Obstruct the footway by parking your vehicle on it