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EV Owner Blocked from Savings by Local Council's Charging Cable Refusal
30 Oct
Summary
- Eco-conscious EV owner denied cable gully to charge at home, forced to use costly public network
- 40% of UK households lack driveways, threatening EV adoption and Net Zero goals
- Government to launch consultation to remove red tape for cross-pavement charging solutions
As of 2025-10-30, a 45-year-old eco-conscious EV owner in York, Kristian Lewin-Petrov, is facing higher running costs for his electric Skoda Enyaq SUV due to his local council's refusal to allow him to install a charging cable gully outside his home.
Lewin-Petrov, who lives in a terraced house without a driveway, had hoped to run a charging cable from his house to the roadside to take advantage of his domestic energy tariff. However, the City of York Council has denied his request on health and safety grounds, forcing him to rely on the more expensive public charging network.
This issue is not unique to Lewin-Petrov. Statistics show that around 40% of UK households lack off-street parking, making it difficult for them to benefit from the lower running costs of EVs compared to petrol or diesel vehicles. Experts warn this could derail the government's Net Zero ambitions if the charging inequality is not addressed.
In response, the government has announced plans to launch a consultation to remove the need for EV owners to apply for planning permission to install cross-pavement charging solutions. This would dramatically speed up the process and save drivers around £250 in application fees. The government also aims to work with Ofgem to ensure public charging costs are fair and strengthen protections against landlords overcharging tenants for home charging.
