The UK Smart Charge Points Regulations are the rules that make private EV chargers smart by law in Great Britain. Since 30 June 2022, a home or workplace charge point sold in Great Britain has had to be a smart charge point: able to connect, be scheduled and respond to signals, supplied with a default charging schedule outside peak hours, and built with a randomised delay before it starts. Public chargers are not covered — these rules are about private charge points.
Key Takeaways
- Since 30 June 2022, private charge points sold in Great Britain must be smart: connectable, schedulable and secure.
- Units arrive with off-peak defaults and a randomised start delay of up to 600 seconds — both changeable by the owner.
- The rules cover home and workplace units at the point of sale, not public chargers or existing installations.
What a Charge Point Must Do to Be Sold
The regulations — formally the Electric Vehicles (Smart Charge Points) Regulations 2021 — set the minimum behaviour of the unit itself, whoever makes it. In plain terms, a compliant charge point must:
| Requirement | What it means for the owner |
|---|---|
| Smart functionality | The unit connects to a communications network, can send and receive information, and can respond to signals — for example by charging when the grid or a tariff asks it to. |
| Default off-peak schedule | It arrives with charging pre-set outside the weekday peak periods (8 am to 11 am and 4 pm to 10 pm). The owner can change or remove the defaults at any time. |
| Randomised delay | When a charge is due to start, the unit waits a random delay of up to 600 seconds, so thousands of chargers do not all switch on in the same second when a cheap period begins. |
| Security | A further set of cyber-security requirements applied from the end of 2022, covering how the unit and its app protect access and data. |
| Seller’s statement | The seller has to provide a statement of compliance with the unit and keep a technical file behind it. |
The full text is published as the Smart Charge Points Regulations 2021, and the IET’s Code of Practice is the installer’s companion document for compliant installations.
Who the Rules Cover — and Who They Leave Out
- Covered: charge points sold in Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales) for private use at homes and workplaces, from 30 June 2022.
- Not covered: public charge points, which sit under a separate framework; Northern Ireland, which the regulations do not extend to; and units already installed before the start date — nothing has to be replaced or upgraded.
- Not a ban on peak charging: the defaults are starting settings. Owners remain free to charge whenever they choose; the rules simply make off-peak the path of least resistance.
The distinction between a smart unit and a basic one is the heart of the rules, and it is the same choice buyers face elsewhere — our comparison of smart versus non-smart EV chargers explains what the smart features do in practice.
What It Means When You Buy or Sell a Charger
For buyers in Great Britain, compliance is a quick check: the unit should be sold with its statement of compliance, offer app-based scheduling, and arrive with the off-peak defaults in place. For sellers and importers, the requirements sit alongside the marking rules covered in our guide to UKCA versus CE for chargers sold in Great Britain — a unit destined for a British home has to satisfy both. EVDANCE’s Type 2 wallbox, the EV-ACT3204PE 22 kW wallbox (three-phase, RFID and app control, IP66, CE), is built around exactly this kind of scheduled, app-controlled charging, and the EV-ACS3210E 32A Type 2 portable charger covers simpler home use. Brands selling into the GB market under their own label can source through the EVDANCE distributor program.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I still charge at peak times?
Yes. The off-peak schedule is a pre-set default, not a lock. You can override it for a single charge or change the settings permanently — the regulations only decide where the unit starts, not what you may do with it.
Do the regulations apply to a charger I already own?
No. They govern charge points at the point of sale, from 30 June 2022. A unit installed before that date does not have to be upgraded, replaced or reconfigured.
Do public chargers follow the same rules?
No. Public charging sits under a separate framework. These regulations cover private charge points — the home and workplace units covered by the installer route described in our guide to becoming an approved EV charger installer in the UK.
Related Reading
- Smart vs Non-Smart EV Chargers: What Installers Actually Want
- UKCA vs CE for EV Chargers Sold in Great Britain
- EV Charger Certifications Explained: CE, UKCA, UL, ETL, CB and What Buyers Should Ask For
- How to Become an Approved EV Charger Installer in the UK (OZEV)
