Get Smarter: Updates to UK Smart Charging Regulations

The UK Government introduced the first part of the Electric Vehicles (Smart Charge Points) Regulations 2021 in June 2022. But now we’re coming towards the end of 2025, has anything changed and are any updates or amendments planned for the future?

To clarify, the legislation only covered:

• Electric vehicle private charge points sold for use in a domestic or business site environment in Great Britain
• smart cables (defined as an electrical cable which is a charge point and can send and receive information)

They do not cover charge points:

• Sold in Northern Ireland
• Sold before 30th June 2022
• Not intended for use in Great Britain at any time
• Sold by individuals outside of the purposes of their trade, business, craft or profession. I.e. private sales between individuals
• Any non-smart cables or rapid charge points
• Intended for public use. However, these may be subject to the Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulations 2017

The smart charging regulations legislation was rolled out in two parts, with part two (confusingly labelled Schedule One) coming into effect at the end of December 2022. The measures in Schedule One focused on enhancing security by:

• Mandating that charge points must be designed, manufactured and configured to prevent disruption of the electricity system and the charge point itself
• Protecting the personal data of the owner and users of the charge point

What Does This Mean for Smart EV Charge Point Security?

• Charge points that use passwords must each have a unique password 

• Charge points must have the capability to regularly check for software updates and for those updates to be delivered securely  
• Charge points must notify the owner about updates 
• Charge points must alert the owner to unauthorised changes 
• Charge points have robust integrated security measures 
• Charge points can verify that only authorised users can to access them 

• Communications from the charge point are encrypted 
• Charge points keep a security log of all incidents, such as tampering and attempts at unauthorised access 

On top of this, the law states that charge points must be designed and manufactured to provide adequate protection against physical damage, including a tamper-protection boundary that protects the internal components of the charge point. 

This includes: 

• Protection of user and operator interfaces 

• Ensuring users can’t access the charge point without going through the user interface 
• Notifying the owner if there is a breach of the tamper-protection boundary 
• Hardware interfaces used for testing or maintenance, etc, are not exposed  

What Does This Mean for Charge Point Ease of Use?

If this all sounds complex, don’t worry! The legislation also ensures that a charge point must be configured “so as to minimise the inputs required from the owner in connection with the set-up and operation of the charge point.” 

This means that they must be as easy to use as possible. However, the law is also designed to ensure that users can delete their personal data from charge points “without undue difficulty.”

What Information Should I Expect from My Charge Point Provider?

According to the legislation, your charge point provider must supply the following information whenever you purchase a charge point: 

• How you can report security problems or concerns, including vulnerability to cyber attacks 
• Explain the time covered for the provision of software updates 
• Guidance on how to set up the charge point with adequate security protection 

• Instructions on how to delete personal data from the charge point 

Are there any updates planned to the Electric Vehicles (Smart Charge Points) Regulations?

While there are no stated plans to update the regulations, it’s likely that there will be a review in the not-too-distant future, given that they are now three years old and EV smart charging tech continues to evolve.

However, in May 2025, the UK Government made changes to Permitted Development Rules that meant home and business owners no longer had to get planning permission to install public or private EV chargers. It’s estimated that this could save some EV drivers up to £1,100 per year.

What Do I Need to Do Next?

At Mer, we are fully aware of these charge point regulations and take care of all these elements for you. We can guide you through the compliance process when we install your fleet site EV chargers. 

If you want to ensure that your new charge points are compliant with the latest legislation talk to us on 03300 562 562 or email our team at sales.uk@mer.eco.