How do you apply to the DNO for business EV chargers?

Start with a supply assessment and ask your installer which network application route applies. Government guidance allows notification within 28 days only where the installation qualifies for connect and notify; other projects need prior approval [S1]. For a commercial connection, provide the site demand and layout, then obtain a written scope and delivery programme. Checked October 2026.

Last checked 16 October 2026

Do your business EV chargers need DNO approval or notification?

A distribution network operator (DNO) manages the local electricity network. Before choosing a form, ask your installer to assess the existing supply and proposed load. SP Energy Networks’ guide calls for a supply-adequacy assessment that includes the new maximum demand [S4]. A charger rating alone does not describe your site’s needs.

For small installations in Great Britain, government guidance distinguishes “connect and notify” from “apply to connect”. The first route allows a qualifying installation to be notified within 28 days; the second requires the appropriate prior approval [S1]. Do not treat that notification window as permission to install any commercial bank of chargers.

This guide focuses on the Great Britain process. For a Northern Ireland project, obtain the applicable route directly from the local network before appointing the installer. Do not transfer another network’s form, threshold or programme into your project plan.

Which form should you use for a commercial EV charging application?

Ask the installer to record the route decision and the network’s current submission channel. A small addition to an existing supply, a capacity increase and a completely new supply need different information. SP Energy Networks’ guide expressly separates existing supplies from new connections [S4].

UK Power Networks directs commercial EV applications for new or upgraded connections of 70 kVA or higher through its commercial process [S2]. A kilovolt-ampere (kVA) measures apparent power; a kilowatt (kW) measures active power. Ask the electrical designer to calculate the appropriate demand rather than assuming the figures are interchangeable. That network’s routing figure is not a UK-wide permission threshold.

Record who owns the application and who can accept its commercial terms. Under fully funded arrangements, request confirmation of the operator’s role. Under part funded or self funded arrangements, agree who pays application charges and who can authorise changes. Ask your solicitor to review commitments before acceptance.

What information should you gather before the DNO application?

Use this practical preparation list, then ask the network which documents it needs for the particular project. UK Power Networks asks for charger details with its commercial submission [S2]. Its application form also asks about the proposed installation and distinguishes generation-related equipment [S1].

A kilowatt-hour (kWh) measures energy. Give the installer the energy each fleet vehicle needs before departure, alongside the power you propose to install. As an assumed planning exercise, six vehicles needing 20 kWh each require 120 kWh. Delivered evenly across ten hours, that is 12 kW before losses. It is an energy schedule, not a network design or permission to connect.

Keep a copy of what was submitted. If the number of chargers or their operating mode changes, ask whether the application needs updating. That is easier to resolve before equipment is ordered.

What happens after you submit the application?

Request a written sequence of decisions and dependencies rather than a single “installation date”. UK Power Networks describes reviewing requirements, sending a price, taking payment and booking work. It also identifies private-land permissions and highway work as factors affecting cost and time [S2].

Ask which dates depend on another party. Include your landlord, installer, groundworker and meter arranger in the responsibility schedule. Use cable routes and groundworks to identify the civil work that sits outside the network offer.

How long does DNO approval take, and what will it cost?

There is no verified single delivery period for every commercial project. UK Power Networks says it cannot give an exact online price or timeframe without reviewing the specific work [S2]. Ask for the assessment response date and the construction programme as separate items. A received quotation does not mean the charger can be switched on that day.

Request prices for the network connection, site electrical installation, civil work and metering separately. Government guidance identifies connection size and distance from the existing network as cost factors [S3]. Do not assume a chargepoint purchase quote includes all of them.

Before paying, compare scope boundaries and ask what happens if the route changes or permissions are refused. Use grid connection upgrade costs and comparing installer quotes to structure that review.

Do solar, batteries or vehicle-to-grid change the application?

Tell the installer about every proposed operating mode. G99 means Engineering Recommendation G99, a connection standard for generation equipment operating in parallel with the distribution network. Government registration guidance identifies generation and storage application routes separately from EV demand notification [S1]. UK Power Networks’ form directs vehicle-to-grid equipment towards generation paperwork [S1].

Ask for a combined import and export drawing and a written explanation of any limits. A demand-only charger application should not stand in for approval of a different system. See G98 versus G99 when preparing a combined project brief.

What should you do next?

Collect your supply details, load information and marked plan. Ask the installer to identify the application route and provide a responsibility schedule. Get matched with an installer that covers your area.

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