Surrey County Council launches new home charging option for EV drivers
Surrey County Council has launched a new option for residents without off-street parking to be able to charge their EVs from home by having a cable gully installed. The cable gullies allow residents to run an EV charging cable across the pavement, safely, to be able to benefit from cheaper home charging rates.
In partnership with Kerbo Charge, the cable gullies were initially trialled in 2024 and, following the successful application for funding from the Department for Transport Electric Vehicles Pavement Channel Grant, the process is now being offered to all eligible Surrey residents.
When it’s time to charge, residents insert their EV charging cable into the channel and the specially-designed lid closes behind like a zip — keeping pavements trip-free. Kerbo Charge is designed and manufactured in the UK and flexes to fit the shape of our pavements.
Residents who are interested first need to complete an initial assessment with Kerbo Charge, to check the suitability of their property, by visiting the Kerbo Charge website. Once this check is complete, residents can apply through the Surrey County Council website, paying a £499 fee.
The total cost would normally be over £1,000 per household, but funding from central government means the cost to residents is reduced to £499.
Aviation, Maritime and Decarbonisation Minister, Keir Mather said: “Charging availability is one of the biggest barriers to switching. Backed by over £250,000 in Government funding, drivers in Surrey without access to off street parking will now be able to save over 50% on the cost of installing cross-pavement charging solutions. “We’re making it easier and more affordable than ever to make the switch by investing £600 million to speed up the roll out of chargers across the country, and our Electric Car Grant has already helped over 120,000 drivers save up to £3,750 on a new EV.”
Surrey County Council Cabinet Member for Highways, Transport and Economic Growth Cllr Matt Furniss, said: “EV charging needs to be accessible for all Surrey residents, not just those with a driveway. I’m delighted we’ve been able to launch this scheme to help people access home charging for their EVs. Alongside the 500 on-street EV chargepoints we’ve installed across Surrey, we’re making EV ownership a real option for more people – helping to make Surrey a greener, cleaner place.”
Kerbo Charge Co-Founder Michael Goulden, said: “Congratulations to Surrey County Council! We’re delighted to be working closely together – this is simply about offering more choice to residents about how they charge their car and removing barriers to EV adoption. We’re looking forward to seeing lots of residents making the move from petrol/diesel to electric in the months ahead.”
Guildford resident Torkil, pictured, has been using his Kerbo Charge for two years and says: “Given my town centre location, I made the move to electric only after careful evaluation of how I was going to manage charging…. I am happy that Surrey County Council listened to suggestions from those of us who live with on street parking, and now that I can charge at home I feel very confident to stay with electric and help reduce air pollution in Surrey”
For those who are not eligible for the scheme, either because they are unable to park outside their property or they are unable to install a home chargepoint, in partnership with Connect Kerb, Surrey County Council has installed over 500 on-street chargepoints across Surrey.
These are mostly 7kwh chargepoints installed on roads with little to no on-street parking, designed for local residents to be able to charge overnight near their home. A new initiative to install 3kwh lamp post chargepoints is set to significantly increase accessibility to EV charging across Surrey. With 100 installed already, and 1000 planned in total, these chargepoints will be fitted in suitable lamp columns that are adjacent to a suitable on-street parking space.
If you would like to suggest a chargepoint is installed near you, you can register your suggestion on our EV suggestions map.
A Kerbo Charge cross-pavement channel install in Guildford, Surrey.
Guildford resident Torkil Fredborg with his Kerbo Charge cross-pavement EV charging channel. The cable is removed after charging and the self closing lid closes behind like a zip.
