If you don’t have a driveway, a home electric vehicle (EV) charging channel is the approved method of getting your charging cable from your home charger to your electric vehicle at the kerbside across a public footpath.
Milton Keynes City Council has previously run a successful trial for this product. We will now be running an extended trial, for up to 100 channels, for you to purchase and use for home charging.
The channel is installed into the footpath by the council’s highways contractor for use by the homeowner making the application. The homeowner uses the channel by lifting the lid and simply inserting their own electric charging cable into the channel and then closing the lid.
It is illegal for any person to place or run a cable or wire along or across a public highway. Having a cable trail from your home, across the pavement to your car will cause a safety hazard. If you want to charge your EV from home, you must apply for a Home EV charging channel.
How to apply
Here's a short video explaining the process.
Costs
- You pay a £99 non-refundable application fee to cover the cost of surveying your property to check it’s suitable.
- If your property is suitable you’ll usually pay an additional £900 for the installation. This price includes:
- Issue of permit for street works.
- Installation of the BSI EN 1433 tested EV Charging Channel by the council
- Ten-year product warranty.
- In some rare cases (if you have a particularly complex installation) there could be an additional fee to cover installation costs, this will be fully explained to you.
- You can apply for a £350 central government grant once your EV Charging Channel is installed and you’ve also installed a home charger. Please click here to learn how to apply for this.
- After three years you’ll pay £50 a year to cover continued insurance indemnity, routine inspections, any required maintenance and administrative costs.
Ready to apply?
Email your name, address, contact number to streetworks@milton-keynes.gov.uk
We'll arrange a visit to your location using this information.
Frequently asked questions
How does the home EV Charging Channel work?
When you want to charge your car, you lift the lid of the charging channel at one end, and insert your charging cable. You insert the cable a handful at a time and the self-closing lids snaps down shut behind, like a zip.
When you’ve finished charging you remove your cable by simply pulling it out along the length of the channel.
When you click ‘apply now’ in the application form above, you’ll be asked a number of questions that will check if your property is suitable.
How long does the installation process take?
The target installation time is between 4 to 8 weeks from the time of paying your upfront application fee.
What if someone is parked outside my house?
Most charging cables are long enough to reach either one space up or one space down from directly outside your house. Still taken? We find most residents just wait until the space becomes free and then move their car over.
However if parking in your area is so contested that you cannot park outside your house at least once per week, then a home EV charging channel is probably not the best solution for you.
Can you install across grass?
It is possible but is subject to the discretion of the council and may involve additional cost. It involves ground excavation and laying of a concrete base which is often undesirable due to the removal of green space.
What cable does the charging channel take?
It takes a Type 2 cable up to 22mm in diameter.
Do you supply a wall-mounted charging unit?
No, you’re responsible for organising that yourself. You must either have a local earth spike installed at your property, or a professionally installed EV charger that has an in-built protective earth neutral (PEN) fault device.
How strong is the home EV charging channel?
Most of the unit is made from UV stable rigid PVC (the same material used by Thames Water for their utility covers) and is strong enough to withstand the pressure of a high heel and also a vehicle driving over it. It was tested by BSI to BS EN1433 and has UK CA and European CE safety marks.
Do you provide a guarantee?
Yes the manufacturer provides a 10 year no quibble product guarantee.
Who is responsible for maintenance?
- You are responsible for regularly clearing out the channel and removing any leaves or dirt that accumulate in the channel.
- You are responsible for ensuring the unit is correctly operated and your cable is correctly inserted.
- The council retains ownership of the channel and is responsible for any repairs.