Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 22
22
Accepted
Public charge point use became too complex due to payment, pricing, and reliability issues
Conclusion
In 2021, the Department consulted on drivers’ experience of using public charge points, identifying that the use of public charge points was becoming too complex. In particular, there were too many different payment methods required between different operators, pricing was often unclear and charge points were often unreliable.41
Government Response Summary
The government has appointed the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) to regulate the Public Charge Point Regulations 2023, which address the identified concerns about complexity, payment methods, and reliability. The department will monitor compliance and review the PCPR within five years.
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
4.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Recommendation implemented: April 2025 4.2 The department has appointed the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) to act as the regulator for the Public Charge Point Regulations 2023 (PCPR). The department will monitor compliance through reporting from OPSS. In addition, the impact of the PCPR will be assessed through the department’s Technology Tracker, monitoring of open data from chargepoints, and engagement with industry and consumer groups. The PCPR will be reviewed within five years of coming into force, as per section 13 of the Regulations, and the department will publish the outcomes of this review. 4.3 The department already monitors the cost of charging across a range of charging channels, including domestic chargepoints, and fast, rapid and ultra-rapid public charging. This is undertaken on an ongoing basis using publicly available information on electricity tariffs and data purchased from Cornwall Insight on the cost of electric vehicle charging. 4.4 The government will continue to work with HM Treasury to understand the variance in costs associated with public and domestic charging and the extent to which any change in policy might impact the price of public charging, as well as consumer demand for EVs.