Before you reduce an EV charger quote by a grant amount, walk through tenure, parking rights, vehicle eligibility, consent, property location and installer authorisation against the live GOV.UK scheme that matches your case. Many refusals come from assuming a driveway house grant still exists, mistaking a shared bay for private parking, or applying after works without required approvals. Use this checklist as a pre-filter, then verify every tick on GOV.UK because caps and rules change.
Tenure and occupancy
Ask: do I own and live in a flat, rent and live in a residential property, act as an eligible landlord, run a workplace scheme, or need an on-street household route? Each answer points to a different page.
Moving house soon, lodging in someone else's home, or applying for an empty or unfinished property are common household disqualifiers in published guidance.
- Proof of address and tenancy or title ready
- Clear statement of who will live there during the claim
- No assumption that previous EVHS claims can be repeated
Parking rights
Private, defined, always-accessible off-street parking with legal rights is the backbone of flats, renters and many landlord installs. On-street-only households need the matching on-street or cross-pavement scheme instead.
Photograph the bay, the route from meter to bay, and any gate or barrier controls. Those images often become claim evidence later.
Vehicle and product rules
Household grants usually require an eligible vehicle that you own, lease long enough, use as a work vehicle, or have on order, per the live list and evidence rules. The chargepoint itself typically needs to be an approved smart model installed by an authorised installer.
Buying a bargain charger from a marketplace and asking a non-authorised electrician to fit it is a classic way to lose both grant and warranty clarity.
Consent and building constraints
Landlord, freeholder, managing agent and highways consents should be lined up before application where the scheme or property requires them. Listed buildings, conservation areas and party walls add separate constraints that are not solved by a grant approval alone.
If consent is "in principle" only, get the mounting position and cable route written into the approval.
Money checks before you sign
Confirm the live percentage and cap on GOV.UK, what counts as eligible cost, and whether you must pay the installer in full then receive grant value through the scheme process. Ask what happens if photos are rejected.
Keep a version of the quote that stands alone without the grant so you can still proceed or walk away cleanly.
Frequently asked questions
Is there one checklist for every UK grant?
No. Use this as a filter, then open the specific GOV.UK page for flats and renters, landlords, on-street households or workplace schemes.
Does a dropped kerb automatically mean I am eligible?
No. You still need the right tenure, vehicle, consent and scheme match. A dropped kerb only helps show off-street access.
Can I claim if I already had EVHS years ago?
Published household rules often exclude people who already claimed EVHS or related predecessor schemes. Check the live eligibility text for your route.
Who confirms eligibility, the installer or me?
You remain responsible for accurate applications. A good installer will sanity-check, but GOV.UK rules decide the outcome.
Core buying guides
Start with these high-intent guides, then dig into the rest of the library.
Related guides
Sources and further reading
How this guide was prepared
This guide was written by the Local EV Installers Editorial Team. We compare official guidance, legislation and established consumer information, separate general information from project-specific advice, and show publication dates and sources. We do not accept installer accreditation claims at face value.