Open consultation

Building regulations: amendments relating to EV charging infrastructure

Published 21 October 2026

Applies to England

The government wants to ensure that everyone, no matter where they live, can confidently make the switch to an electric vehicle (EV).

Following the commitment in the carbon budget and growth delivery plan, this consultation seeks views on proposals to support the installation of EV charge points.

This consultation focuses on changes to the Building Regulations etc. (Amendment) (England) (No. 2) Regulations 2021, relating to EV infrastructure within ‘approved document S’.

This consultation is for policy relating to England only. However, we continue to work closely with the devolved governments.

Building regulations: approved document S

Part S of the building regulations sets out the requirements for the installation of EV charging infrastructure in England. In most circumstances, these regulations require the installation of EV charge points in new buildings and those undergoing major renovations. Part S was introduced in 2021 and has supported the roll-out of EV charge points across the country.

These regulations apply to all new buildings and those undergoing major renovations. However, the EV charge point requirements within part S do not apply to enclosed or open-sided car parks. This decision was taken, at the time of introduction, to allow further research into the fire safety of EV charge point installations in these locations.

Our approach

The government is required to carry out a post-implementation review (PIR) of how these regulations have worked in practice since their introduction.

The purpose of this PIR is to examine:

• the impact the regulations have had
• whether they have met their initial objectives
• whether the regulations are still required or need to be modified

As part of this review of these regulations, the government has undertaken extensive stakeholder engagement with industry and received feedback on some potential improvements to part S.

The government is considering the following measures: 

• extending the requirement to install EV charge points to covered car parks, both enclosed and open-sided
• reviewing the £3,600 cap on installation, considering inflation changes since 2021
• making wider changes to part S, subject to consultation responses

Government is consulting on the above measures to consider whether amendments are appropriate to part S of the building regulations. The consultation will also provide further evidence to support the PIR, which will be published after the consultation has closed.

Covered car parks

Currently, part S of the building regulations^{[footnote 1]} sets out that where parking spaces are situated in covered car parks, cable routes rather than EV charge points must be installed.

Government has received feedback that building owners and managers are sometimes reluctant to install EV charging infrastructure in covered car parks. Stakeholders suggest that exempting new and substantially renovated facilities from charge point requirements has also created barriers to retrofitting existing sites, slowing overall delivery.

Since the introduction of part S, the government has produced fire safety guidance on EVs in covered car parks. Available research suggests EVs are less likely to experience fires than internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles (PDF). Research has also suggested there is no indication that the charging of electric vehicles in parking garages would increase the probability of fire occurring) (PDF).

Feedback from industry has also suggested that, in the absence of co-ordinated projects, drivers are more likely to charge using non-specialist sources such as trailing cables from 3-pin sockets not designed for the purpose.

The government is, therefore, considering mandating EV charge point installations in new covered car parks and those undergoing major renovation. This would bring consistency within part S, with covered car parks having the same requirements as all other buildings.

As part of this consideration, the government will continue to work with industry, including through responses to this consultation, to collate and consider the available data and continuously improve it.

We are also commissioning further research to complement the existing literature. This work will continue to take account of advice from expert bodies, including the Building Safety Regulator.

Covered car parks questions

Question: What are your views on the current installation requirements for EV charge points in covered car parks, contained part S of the building regulations?

Question: What are your views on the current installation requirements for cable routes in covered car parks, contained in part S of the building regulations?

Question: Do you agree or disagree with mandating the installation of EV charge points in enclosed covered car parks? Explain your reasoning.

Question: Do you agree or disagree with mandating the installation of EV charge points in open-sided covered car parks? Explain your reasoning.

Question: In your view, what has been the impact of the current covered car park requirements on the installation of EV charge points?

Question: What factors do you think should be considered when determining any changes to the current requirements for installing EV charge points in covered car parks?

Reviewing the cost cap for connection costs over £3,600

The regulations^{[footnote 2]} set out that a maximum number of EV charge points must be installed in buildings. This applies until an average cost threshold of £3,600 for the connection cost of each EV charge point is breached.

When the £3,600 cap is exceeded, for all remaining spaces where a charge point has not been installed, cable routes for EV charge points are required.

Given the impact of inflation and wider cost changes since 2021, the government is considering whether this cost limit is set at the correct level.

Reviewing the cost cap for connection costs over £3,600 questions

Question: In your view, has the current connection cost cap of £3,600 affected EV charge point installations under the building regulations?

Question: Do you think this cost cap limit should be updated?

Question: What is a reasonable cost cap amount and why?

Question: Do you agree or disagree with increasing the cost cap annually in line with inflation, as measured by the CPI?

Question: What alternative inflation measure would you find appropriate and why?

General changes to part S of the building regulations

During industry engagement undertaken as part of the PIR of part S of the building regulations, multiple other proposals for changes have been raised.

These include the following:

1. Minimum standards for EV charge points under part S – to ensure safe EV charging and effective delivery of EV charging provision. This could include effective load management and ensuring all EV charge points have protective earth and neutral (PEN) fault protection.

2. Changes to the approved document S relating to wiring standards and voltage drop considerations.

3. Document simplification – revise part S to improve its readability and reduce ambiguity, especially in the definitions of ‘major renovations’ and ‘cable route’.

4. Vehicle to everything (V2X) – an emerging technology that enables EV drivers to use excess battery energy from their vehicle to power their homes and save money through exporting back to the grid. With products beginning to launch on the market, our view is that it is too early to mandate V2X. However, we are seeking views on how we can ensure that new buildings have the right electricity infrastructure, beyond the charge point itself, to enable homeowners to easily install and connect V2X-capable EV charge points over the next 5 to 10 years.

5. Requirement for untethered EV charge points – consider whether there should be greater flexibility to install tethered charge points under part S.

Covered car parks – fire safety guidance for EVs

In 2023, government published interim fire safety guidance for electric vehicles in covered car parks.

This guidance has interim status and we welcome feedback on its impact on the rollout of EV charging infrastructure. The feedback we receive helps inform the future of this guidance.

General changes questions

Question: What further changes would you like to see in part S of the building regulations in relation to EV charge points?

Question: What are your views on the ‘covered car parks fire safety guidance for EVs’?

Question: In your view, what additional electrical upgrades, beyond the charge point itself, are required to enable V2X capability in homes and ensure they are ready to connect to the grid?

Question: Should these additional electrical requirements be mandated? Explain your answer.

Question: Do you have any other comments?

How to respond

The easiest way to respond is to use the online response form. It includes the option to save and continue your response later if you are unable to complete it in one go. 

If you cannot use the online form, email or post your response to us: 

Email to: Building_regulations_part_s@dft.gov.uk 

Write to: 

Charging infrastructure deployment team 
Great Minster House 
33 Horseferry Road 
London, SW1P 4DR

If you send your response by email or post: 

• answer the questions asked in the consultation and, if required, provide further comments and evidence 
• tell us if you are responding as an individual or on behalf of an organisation 

If responding on behalf of an organisation, you need to: 

• make it clear who the organisation represents 
• outline how the views of members were assembled (where applicable) 

You will receive an acknowledgement of receipt if you submit your response by email. Check your junk/spam folder if you do not receive this within 15 minutes of sending your email. If you do not find a receipt, email Building_regulations_part_s@dft.gov.uk with ‘missing receipt’ in the subject line. 

We will only accept responses received before the closing date: 11:59pm on 16 December 2026.

What will happen next

We will publish a summary of responses and the government response on the homepage for this consultation. Paper copies will be available on request.

Full list of questions

This list of questions provides an overview of what we are asking.

About you

Question: What is your name?

Question: What is your email address?

Question: Are you responding on behalf of an organisation?

Question: What is the name of your organisation?

Question: How many people does your response represent?

Question: Do you install EV charge points in covered car parks?

Question: Do you own or manage any of the following?

• own and manage at least one building with a covered car park
• own at least one building with a covered car park
• manage at least one building with a covered car park
• neither own nor manage any buildings with covered car parks

Question: How many buildings with covered car parks do you own?

Question: What percentage of your buildings with covered car parks have EV charge points being installed?

Covered car parks

Question: What are your views on the current installation requirements for EV charge points in covered car parks, contained in the building regulations part S?

Question: What are your views on the current installation requirements for cable routes in covered car parks contained in part S of the building regulations?

Question: Do you agree or disagree with mandating the installation of EV charge points in enclosed covered car parks? Explain your reasoning.

Question: Do you agree or disagree with mandating the installation of EV charge points in open-sided car parks? Explain your reasoning.

Question: In your view, what has been the impact of the current covered car park requirements on the installation of EV charge points?

Question: What factors do you think should be considered when determining any changes to the current requirements for installing EV charge points in covered car parks?

Reviewing the cost cap for connection costs over £3,600

Question: In your view, has the current connection cost cap of £3,600 affected EV charge point installations under the building regulations?

Question: Do you think this cost cap limit should be updated?

Question: What is a reasonable cost cap amount and why?

Question: Do you agree or disagree with increasing the cost cap annually in line with inflation, as measured by the CPI?

Question: What alternative inflation measure would you find appropriate and why?

General changes

Question: What further changes would you like to see in part S of the building regulations in relation to EV charge points?

Question: What are your views on the ‘covered car parks fire safety guidance for EVs’?

Question: In your view, what additional electrical upgrades, beyond the charge point itself, are required to enable V2X capability in homes and ensure they are ready to connect to the grid?

Question: Should these additional electrical requirements be mandated? Explain your answer.

Question: Do you have any other comments?

The easiest way to submit your answers is to use the online response form. For other ways to submit your answers, see how to respond.

Further information

Freedom of information

Information provided in response to this consultation, including personal information, may be subject to publication or disclosure in accordance with the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA) or the Environmental Information Regulations 2004.

If you want information that you provide to be treated as confidential, please be aware that, under the FOIA, there is a statutory code of practice with which public authorities must comply and which deals, amongst other things, with obligations of confidence.

In view of this, it would be helpful if you could explain to us why you regard the information you have provided as confidential. If we receive a request for disclosure of the information, we will take full account of your explanation, but we cannot give an assurance that confidentiality can be maintained in all circumstances. An automatic confidentiality disclaimer generated by your IT system will not, of itself, be regarded as binding on the department.

Data protection

The Department for Transport (DfT) is running this consultation, which is asking for your views on amendments relating to EV charging infrastructure within the building regulations.

View our DfT online form and survey privacy notice for more information on how your personal data is processed in relation to this consultation.

Do not include personal information in your responses unless specifically requested.

Artificial intelligence 

Artificial intelligence (AI) may be used to analyse responses to this consultation. Where the consultation asks for directly identifiable information, such as your name or contact details, this will be removed before processing with AI tools.

1. Clauses 44(D), 44(E), 44(F) and the functional requirements described in schedule 1. ↩

2. Clause 44(D) and the functional requirements in schedule 1 of the building regulations 2010, part S. ↩