A refusal is not a single thing. An installer saying “the supply cannot support it”, a council officer saying “you need planning permission and we’re refusing it”, and a freeholder saying “no” are three entirely different problems with three different sets of rules. The mistake most people make is accepting the refusal without establishing which category it falls into — because the remedy, and the strength of your position, depends on that.
1. DNO supply rejection
When an installer says your property “cannot support” a 7 kW EV charger, this is almost always shorthand for a DNO network capacity concern, not a technical impossibility.
What a DNO refusal actually means
DNOs manage local electricity networks under licence conditions made under the Electricity Act 1989 and the Distribution Connection and Use of System Agreement (DCUSA). Their role is to ensure that new loads do not compromise network safety or reliability.
A refusal at survey stage normally means that the local low-voltage network is assessed as having limited spare capacity, and adding a new fixed load could, without mitigation, cause voltage or thermal issues. It does not mean that EV chargers are banned in your area, nor that your property is permanently excluded.
Smart charging is assumed by law
Under the Electric Vehicles (Smart Charge Points) Regulations 2021 (SI 2021/1467), all new domestic charge points sold and installed in Great Britain must be capable of smart charging. This is legally significant: smart chargers can modulate output in response to household demand, pause or reduce charging when total load approaches supply limits, and time-shift charging to off-peak periods. From a network perspective, a smart charger with load management is materially different from an unmanaged 7 kW load, and a DNO that does not acknowledge this distinction when refusing a connection is on weak procedural ground.
Load limiting and Dynamic Power Management
Where headroom is tight, installers can specify Dynamic Power Management (DPM) or load-limiting devices. These monitor total incoming demand and cap charger output so the property’s agreed supply is never exceeded. Charging output varies automatically, peak household usage is protected, and overnight charging is usually unaffected. Typical additional cost is £150 to £400 depending on equipment and installation complexity. In many cases this is sufficient for a DNO to withdraw an initial objection.
Requesting a formal DNO connection offer
If an installer relies on an informal DNO response, you are entitled to request a formal connection offer. Under standard licence conditions, a basic domestic connection offer is normally issued within 28 days. A formal offer must be provided in writing, set out any conditions or reinforcement costs, and be capable of acceptance or challenge. This document is essential if the matter needs to be escalated.
Escalation route
If a DNO fails to issue a connection offer, refuses to consider smart mitigation, or delays unreasonably, you can escalate to the Energy Ombudsman. The Ombudsman has the power to require reassessment and can award remedies where the DNO has failed to follow its process obligations.
2. Planning refusal
For most houses, installing an EV charger is permitted development and does not require planning permission. Where permission is genuinely required and refused, appeals are often successful.
The legal basis for permitted development in England
In England, domestic EV charge points fall within Class D, Part 2, Schedule 2 of the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015 (SI 2015/596), as amended. Class D covers the installation of an electrical outlet mounted on a wall for recharging electric vehicles, within an area lawfully used for off-street parking. A separate Class E in the same Part covers freestanding upstand-mounted charge points in parking areas — relevant where a wall-mounted unit is not practical.
Class D grants permitted development rights subject to conditions relating to size and projection, impact on highways, and visual appearance. For most single dwelling houses with off-street parking, these conditions are easily met.
Scotland and Wales
Each jurisdiction has its own permitted development framework. In Scotland, the relevant order is the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (Scotland) Order 1992 (SI 1992/223 (S.17)), as amended, most recently by SSI 2024/102. In Wales, the base order remains the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) Order 1995 (SI 1995/418) as it applies in Wales, as amended by Welsh Statutory Instruments, most recently SI 2022/997 (W.213). Check the current position in your jurisdiction before assuming England rules apply.
Common reasons councils refuse incorrectly
Local refusals often rely on overstated visual impact, assertions of material change of use, or a misapplication of highway safety concerns. A single EV charge point does not normally amount to a material change of use. Planning Inspectors routinely treat it as comparable to other small domestic installations such as satellite dishes or air source heat pumps.
The appeal route
Where planning permission has been refused, the householder appeal route via the Planning Inspectorate is available. There is no appeal fee. Written representations are the usual procedure, with a typical determination time of 12 to 16 weeks. Appeals succeed where refusals fail to properly apply the GPDO or give disproportionate weight to minor visual impacts.
Listed buildings and conservation areas
Refusals are more likely to be upheld where the building is Grade I or Grade II* listed, or where the installation affects the principal elevation of a sensitive historic building. Conservation area designation alone does not remove Class D permitted development rights — but an Article 4 Direction made by your LPA can. See our conservation area installation guide for the full position.
3. Freeholder or landlord refusal
For leaseholders and tenants, refusal by a landlord or freeholder is the most common and most frustrating scenario.
What leasehold law actually says
There is no general statutory right to install an EV charger for leaseholders or tenants in England and Wales as enacted law. Consent is usually required under the lease or tenancy agreement. However, where a lease contains a qualified covenant against improvements or alterations — meaning consent is required but not absolutely prohibited — the law implies a reasonableness requirement.
That principle comes from section 19(2) of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1927, which prevents consent being unreasonably withheld where the lease requires consent to improvements. A practical point worth noting: section 19(2) specifically applies to covenants framed as restrictions on improvements. Whether an EV charger installation qualifies as an “improvement” under the Act depends on the specific wording of your lease. Most leases frame such covenants broadly enough to capture EV charger installations — they typically improve the letting value of a property with parking — but if your lease uses purely the language of “alterations” rather than “improvements”, the statutory reasonableness obligation under s.19(2) may not apply directly, and the argument rests instead on general contractual interpretation. This is worth establishing before relying on the Act.
What counts as reasonable refusal
- More likely to be reasonable: Structural safety is genuinely compromised; the electrical system cannot safely accommodate the works; the tenant has no legal right to the parking space.
- More likely to be unreasonable: The works are minor and reversible; the charger is professionally installed; conditions are imposed for commercial or obstructive reasons unrelated to any genuine concern.
The proposed Right to Charge — policy, not yet law
Government consultations have proposed a statutory Right to Charge for leaseholders and tenants with dedicated parking, which would narrow the grounds on which a landlord could refuse consent. As of early 2026, this has not been enacted in primary legislation. Any reference to such a right should be treated as policy intent, not current law. Presenting it as enacted legislation would be incorrect.
Tribunal route
Where consent is unreasonably withheld, the appropriate forum is the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber). In England there is no application fee for leasehold consent disputes of this kind. Timescales are typically 8 to 12 weeks, though this varies. The Tribunal will determine whether refusal was reasonable on the facts.
For a full treatment of the leasehold position, see our guide to EV chargers in leasehold flats.
4. Refused on cost grounds
Sometimes an installation is not formally refused but quoted at a cost that makes it impractical. Long cable runs, shared courtyards, and complex routing can produce very different quotes: variations of 40 to 60 per cent between installers for the same work are common. Multiple quotes are not optional in these cases.
A consumer unit upgrade is not automatically required for an EV charger. Whether one is needed depends on the existing spare ways, the load assessment result, and earthing arrangements. Some installers default to upgrades unnecessarily, and this is a significant source of inflated quotations.
The OZEV grant applies to the charge point itself, up to £500 (from April 2026), and does not cover trenching, long cable runs, or reinstatement. See our OZEV grant guide for full eligibility details.
5. What to do next: a decision tree
DNO issue
Request a formal connection offer. Explore smart charging and load-limiting devices. Escalate to the Energy Ombudsman if the DNO fails to follow process.
Planning refusal
Confirm whether permitted development actually applies. If the GPDO right was incorrectly removed, apply for a Certificate of Lawfulness. If permission was correctly refused, submit a written representations appeal to the Planning Inspectorate.
Landlord or freeholder refusal
Review the lease wording to establish whether s.19(2) of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1927 applies. If consent appears unreasonably withheld, apply to the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) for a determination.
Get a second professional opinion
A competent, OZEV-approved installer will reassess the supply position, planning status, and consent requirements before accepting a refusal at face value.
Search all locations →Frequently asked questions
Can a DNO legally stop me installing an EV charger?
A DNO can impose conditions where network capacity is constrained, but it must follow licence conditions under the Electricity Act 1989 and consider reasonable mitigation before refusing. Smart charging and load-limiting devices often resolve the underlying concern without reinforcement.
Is there a legal Right to Charge for tenants or leaseholders?
There is no general statutory Right to Charge in force as enacted law in England and Wales. Consent disputes are currently governed by the lease or tenancy terms, and by section 19(2) of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1927, which prevents a landlord unreasonably withholding consent to improvements where the lease requires consent. Government consultations have proposed a statutory Right to Charge for leaseholders and tenants with dedicated parking, but this had not been enacted as primary legislation as of early 2026.
How long does a planning appeal take for an EV charger refusal?
A householder appeal by written representations to the Planning Inspectorate typically takes 12 to 16 weeks from submission to decision, though timescales can vary.
My landlord has not responded to my EV charger request. What do I do?
Silence does not equal consent. If a landlord does not respond to a formal written request for consent to an improvement, the next step is an application to the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) for a determination on whether consent is being unreasonably withheld.
Further reading
- EV charger in a leasehold flat: your legal rights
- EV charger installation in a conservation area: a practical guide
- What is a DNO and why does it affect your EV charger installation?
- EV charger installation cost UK (2026): a full breakdown
- OZEV grant guide: who qualifies and how to claim
- Official OZEV chargepoint grants guidance (gov.uk)
- OZEV-approved EV charger installers in London
- OZEV-approved EV charger installers in Manchester
- OZEV-approved EV charger installers in Birmingham
Last updated: February 2026. Legislation correct as of publication — verify current statutory position at legislation.gov.uk. Grant details subject to change; verify at gov.uk.