Millions of motorists without a driveway will soon find it far easier - and cheaper - to run an electric car from home under a sweeping rule change due within months.

Households will no longer need planning permission to install pavement charging "gullies", allowing cables to be safely routed beneath the pavement rather than trailing across it - a move currently banned because of trip hazards.

Ministers have confirmed legislation will be pushed through this summer to make the installations a form of permitted development. Officials say that by the end of the year, drivers could fit a gully outside their home without seeking council approval.

The change is designed to remove one of the biggest barriers to electric car ownership for those without off-street parking - a group that runs into the millions across Britain's towns and cities.

Charging at home is dramatically cheaper than relying on public infrastructure. Data from Zapmap shows the average cost of using a public charger is around 72p per kWh, while specialist home tariffs can be as low as 8p per kWh.

That gulf means drivers who can plug in at home can save hundreds of pounds a year compared with those forced to use public networks.

Under the new system, motorists will be able to run a charging cable through a narrow channel installed in the pavement, eliminating the need to drape wires across walkways.

However, the cost of installation could prove a sticking point. While some councils are already funding the gullies, in many areas households will be expected to foot the bill themselves - typically around £1,000.

Even so, the upfront expense can be quickly recouped through cheaper electricity costs compared with petrol, diesel or public charging. The move comes amid a surge in demand for electric vehicles, driven in part by persistently high fuel prices.
Energy supplier Octopus Energy said EV sales jumped by a fifth in the first three weeks of March compared with the previous month.

Across Europe, demand is rising even faster. Figures from transport research group NewAutomotive show electric car sales in the EU surged by 51 per cent last month compared with March 2025, with EVs making up more than a fifth of all new registrations.

In Britain, electric cars have also hit a key tipping point on price. According to Autotrader, the average new EV now costs £42,620 - slightly less than the £43,405 average for a petrol model.

The government is simultaneously trying to tackle the high cost of electricity, which has long undermined the financial case for going electric.

Ministers have set out plans today to break the link between electricity prices and wholesale gas costs - which currently set the price around 60% of the time.

Energy Secretary Ed Miliband has pointed to countries such as Spain, where a higher reliance on renewables has helped shield consumers from the worst of recent price spikes, as a model for the UK.

Environmental campaigners have backed the push. Angharad Hopkinson, political campaigner at Greenpeace UK, said: "Britain is sick and tired of an energy system where pump prices and... bills go up and down based on Trump's latest social post.

"The government is absolutely right to be looking at every possible solution."

For drivers without a driveway, the rule change could mark a turning point - finally making home charging a realistic option and narrowing the cost gap between electric and conventional motoring.