Roughly four in ten UK households have no driveway. That single fact has held back EV adoption for years, because the running-cost case for an electric car falls apart the moment you lose access to a home charger. So the question matters: can you actually do EV charging at home without a driveway, what are the real options, and what will it cost?
The short answer is yes, in most cases. The route depends on your street, your council, and how flexible your parking is.
Why home charging matters so much for EV economics
The reason this is worth getting right comes down to pence per kilowatt-hour. An EV tariff like Intelligent Octopus Go runs at roughly 7p/kWh off-peak. Standard public lamppost chargers sit around 39-59p/kWh depending on time of day. Rapid and ultra-rapid public chargers average 79p/kWh, with some networks hitting 92p. Lose home charging entirely and you can wipe out most of the running-cost advantage that drew you to an EV in the first place. Which is why this is a question to settle before you buy the car, not after. For the tariff side, see Best EV Tariffs UK.
Option 1: Cross-pavement cable gullies
This is the answer for most people with reliable kerbside parking.
A cable gully is a narrow channel cut into the pavement, running from your house wall to the kerb. It sits flush with the surface, with a self-closing lid or bristle cover. You still install a normal 7kW smart home charger on your wall (Ohme, Easee or Zappi for example, [Affiliate Link]), but instead of trailing a cable across the pavement, you feed it through the channel underneath. Installation is genuinely quick once approvals are in place, often a couple of hours of on-site work.
The two main UK providers are:
- Kerbo Charge [Affiliate Link]. Currently live with around 36 councils per their site, partnered with Vauxhall through the Electric Streets of Britain campaign. They acquired Charge Gully in September 2025, so the market is now effectively two players plus regional pilots.
- Gul-e by ODS [Affiliate Link]. Originated in Oxfordshire with over 500 channels rolled out under a LEVI-funded pilot. Now expanding to other councils.
Vauxhall’s FOI research published in April 2026 found that 42% of UK tier-one councils will offer cross-pavement charging by the end of 2026. If your council isn’t on the list yet, there’s a decent chance it will be soon.
Option 2: Lamppost and on-street public chargers
If you don’t have a parking spot directly outside your front door, but your street has lamppost chargers, this might be all you need.
Lamppost chargers (Shell Recharge ubitricity, char.gy, Connected Kerb) integrate into existing streetlight columns. They’re cheap to roll out because the electricity supply is already there. Speeds are typically 3-5kW, slower than a home wallbox, and rates are higher than a domestic tariff. char.gy currently runs around 39p/kWh off-peak and 59p/kWh during the day. Still meaningfully cheaper than rapid public charging, and you skip the gully process entirely.
Check Zapmap for what’s near you.
Option 3: Charging arms
Worth mentioning for completeness. A charging arm swings out from your house wall, suspending the cable above the pavement to the kerb. In practice they’re rare. Installation is significantly more expensive than a gully, planning is more involved (you’re putting something in airspace above a public footway), and council uptake is minimal.
Option 4: Workplace charging and public top-ups
For flats, properties with no kerbside parking, or streets where the council has refused gully schemes, this is the realistic answer. The Workplace Charging Scheme is an OZEV grant available to your employer, currently covering 75% of installation costs up to £500 per socket. If your office doesn’t have chargers, raise it. Combine workplace with occasional supermarket or destination top-ups and you can keep running costs well below relying on rapid charging alone.
Council approvals and Section 50 licences
You can’t just dig up the pavement outside your house. The pavement is highway, and works in highway need permission from the local highways authority. The relevant licence is typically a Section 50 under the New Roads and Street Works Act 1991 (Section 109 in Scotland).
In practice: if your council has signed up to a scheme with Kerbo Charge or Gul-e, licensing is usually handled in bulk between the provider and the council. You apply through the provider, they liaise with highways, you pay a licence fee. Some councils charge nothing, some over £1,000.
If your council hasn’t signed up, you’re not getting a gully. The cleanest move is to check the provider’s councils list before doing anything else.
The OZEV grant for households with on-street parking
From 1 April 2026, the Electric Vehicle Chargepoint Grant for Households with On-Street Parking covers 75% of chargepoint cost up to £500 per socket. The previous £350 cap was lifted in April. Funding runs to 31 March 2027.
Key conditions:
- You must be installing a cross-pavement charging solution alongside the chargepoint. Cable covers and mats are explicitly excluded.
- You must not have private off-street parking. Driveways disqualify you (different scheme entirely).
- You need an OZEV-eligible electric vehicle.
- You need permission from your local highways authority for the gully before the chargepoint goes in.
- The installer must be OZEV-authorised.
Full eligibility on the gov.uk grant page.
Charging options compared
| Option | Upfront cost | Ongoing cost | Council approval? | Key drawback | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cable gully + 7kW home charger | A few hundred to £1,500+ before OZEV grant | ~7p/kWh off-peak | Yes, via provider | Council must be signed up; need consistent kerbside parking | Terraced houses with reliable parking outside |
| Charging arm | Significantly more than a gully | ~7p/kWh off-peak | Yes, plus planning | Cost; limited installer availability | Niche cases where a gully isn’t feasible |
| Lamppost charger | None | ~39-59p/kWh time-of-day | Already installed by council | Slower (3-5kW); above home tariff | Streets with existing rollout, rotating parking |
| Dedicated on-street post | None | Similar to lamppost rates | Council-managed | Limited locations | Areas without lamppost coverage |
| Workplace + public top-ups | None | Often subsidised at work | None | Depends on employer | Flat dwellers, no kerbside parking |
| Trailing cable across pavement | Cheap, not recommended | Domestic rate | No, illegal/uninsured | Liability if someone trips | Nobody |
How to actually get this done
- Check lamppost coverage on your street. Open Zapmap, filter by lamppost operators. If there’s a charger within 30 seconds’ walk, the gully process might be unnecessary.
- Confirm your parking situation. A gully only works if you reliably park directly outside your house. Streets with rotating parking often won’t pass a site survey.
- Check whether your council works with a gully provider. Use the provider websites. If your council isn’t listed, contact your local highways team and ask.
- Get a quote. The provider handles council liaison.
- Apply for the OZEV grant via your installer. Critical: the chargepoint must not be installed before OZEV confirms eligibility.
- Install the gully, then the chargepoint, then start charging. Get yourself onto a proper EV tariff before the car arrives.
Common pitfalls
The biggest one is buying the EV before checking the charging route. Sort it first.
Another is the “temporary” cable across the pavement. Trailing a cable across a public footway is a trip hazard you’re liable for, and home insurance won’t cover the claim if someone falls. The OZEV grant rules now explicitly exclude cable covers and mats. Don’t do it.
Underestimating the kerbside parking question. A gully outside your house is useless if you only park there one night in three.
And assuming lamppost charging rates match home tariff rates. They don’t.
Special cases
Renters. You can apply for the OZEV grant, but need written landlord permission for the chargepoint.
Flat dwellers. A personal gully almost never flies. The Electric Vehicle Chargepoint Grant for Renters and Flat Owners is the relevant scheme, and your freeholder may be able to claim an infrastructure grant for the whole block.
Streets with no kerbside parking outside your home. Lamppost or public charging.
Listed buildings or conservation areas. Expect additional planning approvals on top of the highways licence.
FAQ
Can you charge an EV at home without a driveway? Yes, for most people. The main route is a cross-pavement cable gully feeding a 7kW home charger. Where that’s not possible, lamppost charging or workplace charging are reasonable alternatives.
Is it legal to run a charging cable across the pavement? Generally no, or at least not without serious liability. Standard home insurance usually won’t cover trip claims, and the OZEV grant rules now explicitly exclude cable covers and mats as a “cross-pavement solution”.
How much does a cable gully cost in the UK? Varies enormously. Some councils install free under pilot funding. Others charge a few hundred pounds. A minority charge over £1,000. The OZEV grant of up to £500 covers the chargepoint side, not the gully itself.
Does the OZEV grant cover on-street EV chargers? Yes. From 1 April 2026, it covers 75% of chargepoint cost up to £500 per socket. You must install it alongside a permanent cross-pavement solution. Scheme runs to 31 March 2027.
What if my council won’t approve a cable gully? Lamppost charging if available, workplace charging if your employer plays ball, and public top-ups for the rest. Register interest with Kerbo Charge and Gul-e to feed demand data to your council.
Can renters install a cable gully? Yes, with landlord permission for the chargepoint.
How fast can you charge through a cable gully? At normal home charger speeds, typically 7kW. The gully is just a channel.
Conclusion
If you’ve got a terraced house with reliable kerbside parking and your council is signed up to a gully scheme, you’re sorted. A 7kW home charger plus a cable gully plus an EV tariff like Intelligent Octopus Go [Affiliate Link] will get you most of the running-cost advantage of an EV.
If you’re in a flat, focus on getting your freeholder to consider the residential landlord infrastructure grant for the block.
If you’re renting, the grant is available, but get landlord permission in writing.
And if your council is dragging its feet, register interest with the gully providers and lobby your highways team. The trend is moving in your direction, and government policy is squarely behind cross-pavement charging now.
For more on the tariff side, see Best EV Tariffs UK and the full EV Home Charging Guide.