It has been revealed that some of the largest construction companies in the UK lobbied against government proposals in 2019 to install electric car chargers in every new home built.
Under new laws all new houses must have electric car chargers. This stems from proposals in 2019 by Chris Graying, who was transport secretary, and is part of the government’s wider plan to become net zero in carbon emissions by 2050.
As part of this the government has announced all petrol and diesel cars sales will be banned by 2030 meaning only hybrid cars will be sold. However, there is concern that the UK’s current infrastructure does not support the implementation of such a policy, requiring a massive increase in the number of charging points.
The government have, therefore, promised to install 145,000 charging points in England by 2030. In When the proposal was first introduced Grayling stated:
“Home charging provides the most convenient and low-cost option for consumers — you can simply plug your car in to charge overnight as you would a mobile phone.”
However, it has been revealed companies such as Barratt Developments, Berkeley Group and Taylor Wimpey initially criticised the plans citing numerous issues such as rising building costs, concerns charging points could become outdated and that it could prevent homeowners buying certain cars due to different chargers being needed.
The government stated that installing the charging points during construction provides the best value for money. In addition to this, homes where a charge point would cost over £3,600 to install are exempt from the policy in an effort to avoid needless costs.
A government spokeswoman has also claimed that developers could buy charging materials in bulk, reducing the overall costs of installing charge points in homes. They also stated that most of the charge points can charge any type of vehicle, removing the issue of compatibility with certain cars.
The Home Builders Federation (HBF) have given its commitment to meeting the government’s targets, but did question the government’s strategy. A spokesperson stated:
“New build homes are considerably more energy efficient than existing ones and the industry has demonstrated a commitment to engaging on this agenda and is committed to installing chargers such that it provides customers with choice.
If the policy is to be implemented successfully, proposals have to be deliverable for housebuilders, product manufacturers and energy providers alike. We need to ensure standards and equipment are standardised and that energy networks have the necessary capacity to cope with levels of demand.
Government also has to ensure that all the policy requirements of different departments and their cost implications and combined impact on viability are considered in totality and not on an individual basis.”
However, some developers have given their full support to the strategy, such as Berkeley homes and Barratt Developments.
The Berkeley Group claimed it is “fully supportive” of the government’s proposals to install the charging points into their builds, whilst Barratt Developments have changed its initial reluctance to the policy as they stated:
“Back in 2019 our view was that the industry did not have sufficient supply chain capacity to support full EV charging point rollout nationwide for every new home built and that there was insufficient choice for customers.
Since then, as the country’s leading national sustainable housebuilder complete with science-based targets to reduce emissions, we have worked closely with the sector and government to help introduce regulations which give customers the best possible choice whilst being practical for the industry to deliver at scale.”
