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Hertfordshire County Council

 
Zap Map - Map of electric vehicle charging points
View it online or download their smartphone app.

Each point on the map includes:

  • the types of plugs available
  • how to pay
  • how to report a fault - contact details for each provider.

Depending on where you are in Hertfordshire, you might find charging points in public or business car parks, petrol stations and on-street parking bays. Check for maximum stay limits or additional parking fees.

Neighbourhood charger sharing
Services like Zap-Home, Co Charger and Place2Park allow neighbours to rent each other's chargepoints.

 


Installing your own chargepoint

 
You cannot run private charging cables across public roads, pavements and paths.

  • They would create an obstruction and trip hazard for others using the pavement. We need to keep them safe and accessible for everyone.
  • They would also breach electrical safety standards and are unlikely to be covered by public liability insurance.
Report electric vehicle cables across public roads and pavements

 

We also don't currently permit cable covers or recessed cable channels (or gullies) due to liability and maintenance issues. However, in February 2025, our Highways and Transport Cabinet Panel agreed in principle to permit cross-pavement channels, but:

  • only if we secure the necessary resources to manage and implement the channels effectively
  • not until the electric vehicle strategy has been updated and approved at a future panel meeting
  • only under certain circumstances, which will be outlined in our updated electric vehicle strategy.

 


In most cases you won't need any, as they are 'permitted developments'. You might need planning permission if the chargepoint will be:

  • near a road or listed building
  • a wall-mounted unit bigger than 0.2 cubic metres
  • a ground mounted unit over 1.6m tall.

 


Once you have chosen a certified installer, ask them to:

  • notify your electricity 'distribution network operator' (DNO)
  • confirm the installation complies with building regulations and provide a Building Regulations Completion Certificate.

You don't need to notify the highways authority.

GOV.UK offers more advice on registering an electric vehicle chargepoint.

 

 

Which? Electric car charging guide 
Find out more about:

  • benefits of home chargepoints
  • choosing a chargepoint
  • standard 3-pin wall sockets vs. dedicated EV chargepoints
  • steps for getting a chargepoint installed on your driveway
  • how much home charging costs and how long it takes.

 


Our plans for new public chargepoints

 
The Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) fund is a UK government initiative aimed at:

  • expanding the availability of electric vehicle chargepoints across England
  • helping people who depend on public charging to switch to an electric vehicle.

The fund has provided us with £6,735,000 to deliver accessible and conveniently located chargepoints countywide, especially for residents without access to off-street parking.

Find out more about the Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) fund.
 

 
Our strategy outlines how we plan to use the LEVI funding:

Electric vehicle charging strategy (PDF 1.82mb)

Summary of the electric vehicle charging strategy (PDF 1.16mb)

Developed with district and borough councils. We aim to work together to deliver a more comprehensive, accessible and efficient EV charging network across Hertfordshire. If you need these documents in a different format, please contact us.
 

 
We recognise that you want more on-street chargepoints near your homes, but on-street chargepoints are more challenging to install, so we have to carefully consider their locations. 

We are taking a data-led approach and prioritising on-street chargers where:

  • there are obvious gaps in existing provision and there is potential demand
  • residents do not have access to driveways or off-street parking
  • there are no nearby off street car parks
  • there are no existing publicly available chargepoints within approx. 5 mins walk or 400m.

The district and borough councils have helped us to identify target areas and suitable sites. They have also provided local knowledge on upcoming developments, local parking restrictions and spaces allocated for other projects.

You can also help us identify potential chargepoint locations: propose an electric vehicle charge point.


Read our electric vehicle strategy for more rules and criteria for potential on-street chargepoints.
 

 
  • We are planning to tender chargepoint operators early in 2025.
  • Chargepoint operators will run public consultations on potential chargepoint locations.
  • We hope for them to start installing chargepoints later in 2025.
     

 
We do allow electric vehicle charging from our streetlights, but it is difficult in Hertfordshire. Many of our streetlights are not suitable for charging as the columns are from older stock, so they:

  • do not have the space or electric capacity for chargers
  • are positioned at the back of footpaths.

We are working with district and borough councils to identify potential locations for on-street chargepoints and we'll also look at the potential for connections to streetlights where possible. This will depend on the type of light, its power supply, local grid capacity, local parking restrictions and the position of the lamp column.
 

 
We will mostly install slow, low-power (<8kW) chargers, because these offer cheaper energy tariffs. Our contracts with chargepoint operators will ensure their tariffs are affordable.
 

 

Propose an electric vehicle chargepoint

We can't provide you an on-street chargepoint on demand, but let us know if you find it difficult to access a chargepoint in your local area and we'll include your location in our mapping data. 

We'll use this data to identify potential future chargepoint locations.

Your proposed location may not be suitable due to accessibility, infrastructure, power supply or the level of community and stakeholder support. Our chargepoint operators will carry out surveys to confirm each location's suitability. 

 


Grants for chargepoints and vehicles


Grant schemes for charging points (GOV.UK) including:

  • electric vehicle chargepoint grant - up to 75% off the cost of installing a chargepoint at certain properties.
  • workplace charging scheme - £350 per socket, for up to 40 chargepoints for your employees or fleet.
  • grants for landlords including chargepoint and infrastructure grants.


Plug-in vehicle grant (GOV.UK):
You don't need to apply - if you buy or lease an eligible vehicle, the car dealer should include it as a discount on the price.


Tax benefits for electric vehicles (GOV.UK):
Including Benefit in Kind, vehicle excise duty, salary sacrifice schemes and capital allowance.

 
If you receive mobility allowance, Motability can arrange and cover the cost of a home chargepoint and a standard installation, if you have your own off-street parking.

 


Short-term hire - car clubs

Try before you buy with an electric vehicle car club.

Car club vehicles are parked in local charging bays for quick access. To hire one, simply unlock it with a mobile app, then drive away. You can pay by the minute, hour or day through the app. You'll get instructions on where to return it when you're done.

  • Enterprise - hybrid vehicle hire in Dacorum, East Hertfordshire, St Albans, Stevenage and Welwyn Hatfield.

 


Contact us

If you have any queries about our current position on the proposed EV charging network in Hertfordshire, email us:

EVstrategy@hertfordshire.gov.uk

 

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