With the aim of facilitating electric vehicle (EV) adoption in the country, the UK government rolled out the Public Charging Regulations in October 2023.
Embracing the new era of consumer-friendly EV charging, these new requirements finally came into effect on November 24, 2023, ensuring a ‘consistent and positive’ experience for EV drivers accessing the public charge points across the UK.
What are the new regulations, and why do they matter?
The new UK regulations aim to support the ongoing transition to EVs and help the country reach its climate goals. These requirements were adopted last year, but the application date varies depending on the section. Let us have a look:
Pricing metrics
One of the immediately effective regulations is that all public charge point operators (CPOs) must display the total cost of the charging session on their charge points. This should include connection fees shown in pence per kilowatt-hour (p/kWh). The price can be displayed on the charging point itself or through separate devices such as EV driver apps or an on-time payment website, provided drivers do not need to sign up to pay for any additional fee. The measure is aimed at making sure EV drivers receive absolute price transparency for their charging sessions.
Time of implementation
November 2023
Penalty for non-compliance
up to £10,000 per charge point
Contactless payments
Contactless payments mean EV drivers can pay directly via their debit or credit card with a contactless payment feature. The drivers can do this without signing contracts or registering with a CPO, which is also known as ad hoc payment.
As per the regulations, all new public charge points with a power output of over 8 kW and existing charge points above 50 kW need a contactless payment solution starting in November 2024. The rule applies to all slow, fast, rapid, and ultra-rapid public charge points.
In addition, if a private CPO wishes to go public after the rule becomes active, it must provide a contactless payment solution a year after making the charge points publicly available.
With this simplified way of paying with a tap, EV drivers will be relieved of payment-related concerns after charging their vehicles.
Time of implementation
November 2024
Penalty for non-compliance
up to 10,000 pounds per charge point
Reliability standard
The new regulations call for CPOs to ensure their rapid charging network (above 50 kW) maintains 99% reliability.
The reliability is measured when the charge points are working efficiently or are marked as ‘available', 'charging’, or ‘reserved via the Open Charge Point Interface (OCPI). This reliability is measured as an average across each CPO’s rapid network and is reduced if charge points are marked as ‘blocked’ or ‘unknown’. If a charge point is available only during specific hours of the day, its reliability is measured based on its performance during that time only.
In addition, CPOs must publish the uptime on their website and report the metrics to the Department of Transport annually, starting in 2026 for the previous calendar year.
The reliability data published on the website and consistent reporting are aimed at helping drivers reduce range anxiety.
Time of implementation
November 2024
Penalty for non-compliance
up to 10,000 pounds per network
Helpline support
All public CPOs are mandated to provide and advertise a toll-free, staffed 24/7 helpline 365 days a year for EV drivers. This helpline number must be clearly displayed on the charging points or in close proximity.
On the lines of reporting reliability metrics, the helpline metrics, which would include complaints and solutions provided, also need to be submitted to the Department for Transport on a quarterly basis.
EV drivers will have all their charging-related queries promptly answered with this helpline, which will help them plan their charging sessions.
Time of implementation
November 2024
Penalty for non-compliance
up to 10,000 pounds per charge point
Open data
The new regulations call for all public CPOs to use OCPI to hold and open their data. The data must be accurate, and both reference and availability data must be publicly available in a machine-readable format.
The reference data includes location, connector types, payment methods available, and pricing. While the availability data includes whether the charge point is available, occupied, or not working.
This data must also be accessible to government bodies, distribution network operators, transmission owners, and electricity system operators. On one hand, the open information would help in electricity system planning, and on the other hand, it would help EV drivers easily decide if the charging point best fits their needs and help them avoid inactive chargers.
Time of implementation
November 2024
Penalty for non-compliance
up to 10,000 pounds per charge point
Roaming
All public CPOs must enable EV drivers to pay through at least one roaming provider at their public charge point. This means that CPOs must make sure their charge points are available on at least one third-party roaming platform and the driver is able to pay via the roaming platform. If the CPO is already allowing this before the rule is implemented, it must inform the government about the permitted roaming providers within 28 days of the rule implementation date.
In simpler terms, this would help EV drivers use a single app or RFID tag to pay for the charging session across different charging points, thereby eliminating the need for separate accounts for different CPOs.
Time from Implementation
November 2025
Penalty
Up to £10,000 per charge point
Regular reporting
The annual reporting requirements begin on January 14, 2026, for the previous year. CPOs must report:
- Total number of charge points operated
- Reliability of the network
- The reliability of each charge point, including location and status
What is the scope of these regulations?
These regulations apply to all public charge points in England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. Public charge points are defined as the charge points that are available for public access during certain hours or are located in a public car park. Thus, it does not include workplace charge points, home charge points, or charge points for specific auto manufacturers.
Smarter, interoperable EV charging in the UK
Navigating the evolving landscape of public charge point regulations in the UK, the government aims to improve the experience of EV drivers. These regulations look to streamline the charging experience by ensuring better reliability, transparent pricing, easier payments, and real-time data.
The regulations would eventually lead to better accessibility with contactless payments, thereby making it easier for drivers to access all public charging points in the country.
Finally, the regulations would foster innovations and successful collaborations. The call for CPOs to have deals with third parties would promote collaboration and an interconnected charging network.
Plus, the call for free and open real-time data is likely to pave the way for countless innovations, improved mapping, better planning of EV travel journeys, and, in the end, smarter, interoperable EV charging in the UK.
