What must your public chargepoints do to comply with the regulations?

Establish who operates your chargers, then check the duties for payment, prices, support, data and reporting. The rapid-network reliability requirement is 99% across the operator's network over the calendar year [S1]. Your site still needs its own fault response and operating records. Public access, equipment rating and operator exemptions affect the checklist. Checked October 2026.

Last checked 16 October 2026

Do the public chargepoint regulations apply to your site?

Start with who can use the chargers. The legislation includes chargers in public car parks even when parking is limited to people purchasing goods or services. Restricted opening hours do not remove that classification. Exclusively workplace charging has a separate definition. [S1] This is general information, not legal advice; check your access policy and proposed operating contract with your solicitor.

A privately owned hotel or shop car park is therefore not automatically private charging. Record the intended users, opening hours and restrictions for every charging area. Keep staff-only bays separate in the plan if their access rules differ. Read public versus private chargepoints before assuming your land ownership settles the question.

Next identify the operator. Government guidance focuses on the entity controlling the functioning of the chargepoints; owning land or supplying installation work alone does not necessarily make you the operator. [S2] Ask the contract to name the responsible entity and its tasks. Treat an unanswered responsibility question as an item to resolve before commissioning, with your solicitor checking the allocation.

Which compliance checks should you put in the handover pack?

Use this table to request evidence from the proposed operator. The legal requirements below derive from the regulations; the evidence column is a practical procurement checklist, not an additional statutory form. [S1] Ask your solicitor to check applicability, including exemptions, rather than accepting a general compliance badge.

Keep commissioning results, photographs of signs and payment-test outcomes with the contract. Ask who updates these records after a tariff change, replacement charger or revised opening hours. A tidy handover is useful only if you can identify the party keeping it current.

When do contactless payment and roaming apply?

Regulation 5 covers new public chargepoints rated at 8 kW or above installed after the regulations came into force, with a compliance deadline of 24 November 2024. Existing rapid equipment rated at 50 kW or above also falls within the contactless requirement. Kilowatts (kW) measure power. Check the statutory definitions and any applicable conversion provision with your solicitor. [S1]

For an installation being proposed now, request confirmation based on its actual equipment rating and deployment history. Government guidance says artificially restricting output below the threshold does not create an exemption. A nearby shared terminal can serve the site, provided the arrangement meets its access requirements. [S2] Ask the operator to demonstrate a complete transaction from arrival through receipt.

The payment-roaming requirement allows drivers to pay using a third-party roaming service. Its two-year lead-in from commencement has elapsed by the stated check date. The legislation also sets notification duties when roaming arrangements change. [S1] Ask for evidence of an operational route and who files notifications; a software feature on a sales sheet is not that evidence. Check the obligation with your solicitor.

How should prices be displayed before charging starts?

Regulation 11 requires the maximum charging price in pence per kilowatt-hour (kWh), clearly shown before the charging session. A kWh measures energy supplied. Fixed charging fees must be reflected in that maximum unit price; separate third-party parking charges are treated differently. [S1] Have your solicitor check the proposed display and read setting a public charging tariff.

As an operational test, approach the bay without an existing account. Check whether you can find the applicable price, identify the correct connector and understand any separate parking charge. Repeat using the payment route the operator expects occasional visitors to use. Record discrepancies between signs, screens and the payment page and have them resolved before opening.

What reliability, helpline and data evidence do you need?

Rapid chargers are those rated at 50 kW or above for these regulations. The annual rapid-network reliability requirement is 99%, with publication and reporting obligations. [S1] It does not tell you how quickly a technician will attend your particular car park. Request site repair targets, escalation contacts and responsibility for parking access alongside the statutory evidence. Check those terms with your solicitor.

For open data, ask to see the actual location, connector, price, payment and availability records. The mandated protocol is the Open Charge Point Interface (OCPI). Government guidance requires status changes to appear within 30 seconds. [S2] Ask the operator to demonstrate a changed status reaching its public data route, rather than showing only a working screen in its own office. Check compliance with your solicitor.

Support needs a free staffed telephone helpline available throughout the year, with its number displayed near the chargers. The legislation also requires helpline records and quarterly reporting. [S1] Ask who answers drivers after your business closes and how your site manager receives an incident notification. Keep driver assistance separate from instructions for emergencies at the premises.

Are small operators exempt, and are there other rules?

Regulation 4 exempts qualifying micro-business operators from regulations 5 to 10, but applies regulation 11 pricing requirements to all operators. [S1] Assess the actual operator’s status, not simply the size of the host shop. Ask your solicitor to confirm any claimed exemption and record the basis before relying on it.

The private smart-chargepoint regime covers specified products sold for domestic or workplace use in Great Britain. Its scope differs from public-operation duties. [S3] A supplier’s equipment declaration therefore does not replace the public checklist. Review smart chargepoint regulations and accessibility with the project team as separate parts of the specification.

What should you do next?

Request the operator’s completed checklist and unresolved items before agreeing an opening date. Read how we work and include your access arrangements with the enquiry.

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