Guidance

Public Charge Point Regulations 2023 guidance

Updated 21 October 2024

This guidance is to help operators of publicly accessible electric vehicle charge points to understand The Public Charge Point Regulations 2023.

It offers examples of compliance and good practice. The examples are not exhaustive but are intended to cover most anticipated scenarios.

The Public Charge Point Regulations 2023 cover the United Kingdom.

You should read this guidance alongside the regulations.

Background

The Public Charge Point Regulations 2023 (the regulations) ensure that the experience of consumers using public charge points across the United Kingdom is consistent and positive. This will support the transition to electric vehicles (EVs) and help the UK to reach its climate targets.

As the UK transitions to EVs, the public charging network will only become more important. Whilst most people will do most of their charging at home, those without off-street parking and on long journeys will be reliant on public charging. It is important that we boost confidence in the public charging network by ensuring that consumers can use public charge points easily.

Legislation

The Public Charge Point Regulations came into force on 24 November 2023.

The regulations build on 4 key areas of the consumer experience to ensure:

• consumers can easily locate the right public charge point to fit their needs
• ease of payment across public charge points
• consumers can be confident that public charge points will be in good working order
• consumers are able to compare prices across multiple public charge point networks

EU Exit

There are no changes to the requirements of the regulations as a result of the UK leaving the EU 31 January 2020.

Scope

The regulations set out requirements for public electric vehicle charge points.

Charge points which are accessible to the public must comply with the regulations. This includes public charge points which provide electricity free of charge, whether this is the whole charging session or for a period of the charging event.

Examples of charging infrastructure considered accessible to the public

Public charge points located in publicly owned car parks and residential car parks where parking bays are not designated to individual households or group of households.

Public charge points located in privately-owned car parks to which the public has access, such as supermarket and hotel car parks, and those at service areas.

Public charge points located on public roads for public use.

The regulations consider a charge point to be public when it is intended for use primarily by members of the general public.

A public charge point includes situations in which a charge point:

• may only be accessed during restricted hours
• is situated in a public car park, whether or not that car park is available only to customers of specific goods or services e.g., a supermarket car park

A public charge point does not include:

• a workplace charge point that is not accessible to the general public at any time
• a charge point restricted for the exclusive use by:
  • vehicles produced by a specific manufacturer
  • people engaged in a specific occupation
  • occupiers of residential premises and their visitors

This legislation applies to public charge points and not to those which are exclusively workplace or domestic charge points.

These regulations, with the exception of the pricing requirements (Regulation 11), do not apply to charge point operators that are micro-businesses.

Examples where a charge point would not be considered public

Occupiers of residential premises and their visitors

• residential care homes
• multi-occupancy residential premises with shared parking area
• a car parking area restricted for the sole use of residents and/or visitors
• charge points on private driveways
• charge points sited on residential streets whose use is restricted only for local residents
• charge points located on a private driveway which are made available for peer-to-peer charging
• a gully running from a home to the pavement for a cable and connector carrying electricity supplied by a domestic tariff
• university or college campus where charge point use is restricted to staff or students

People while at their place of work

• car parking areas reserved exclusively for a company’s staff or fleet use

Exclusive use in respect of a vehicle produced by a specific car manufacturer

• car dealership forecourts for a specific manufacturer which allow only their customers to use their charge points
• proprietary networks whose charge points and use are restricted to one specific car manufacturer

People engaged in specific occupations

• charge points intended for sole use including but not limited to taxi drivers, ambulances or other emergency services

These scenarios will not be able to cover every situation but when the primary purpose of a charge point is not charging electric vehicles, the charge point will not be in scope of the regulations. For example, when the primary purpose is to power a towed caravan, the charge point will not be in scope.

The scope of these regulations and the Electric Vehicle (Smart Charge Points) Regulations 2021 are generally different but charge points may fall under either regulation. Both regulations should be referred to, to ensure compliance.

Legal obligations

The regulations place requirements on the charge point operator responsible for overall operation of public charge points.

A charge point operator means the person responsible for operating a public charge point, whether as an owner or as a third party on behalf of the owner.

Examples of when a person would be considered a charge point operator

A person who is contracted to operate public charge points on a landowner’s land which is available for use by the general public, for example on local authority owned streets or in public car parks.

A person who operates a public charge point on their own land, which is available for use by the general public, for example at service stations.

The ‘operator’ is the entity controlling the functioning of the charge point. Where there are multiple parties responsible for distinct aspects of the charge point, such as branding, software or maintenance, the body responsible for controlling the functioning of the charge point would be considered the operator. The operator must work with the other parties involved to ensure compliance.

Examples of when a person would not be considered a charge point operator

A person who owns the public charge point but is not responsible for management, operation and maintenance. For example, depending upon the relationship a person or entity may own the public charge points but have a contractual relationship with a third-party to manage, maintain, and operate the consumer-facing responsibilities of the public charge points.

Charge point installers that are not responsible for the day-to-day management and operation of the public charge point once installed.

In cases where, for example at a supermarket, the name displayed on the charge point is different to the actual operators, known as a ‘white label operator’, the body responsible for the operation and maintenance of the charge point would be considered the operator.

Different technical and consumer experience standards apply dependent on:

• whether the public charge point was deployed after 24 November 2024
• the power rating of the public charge point
• whether the public charge point is free to use

Public charge points are considered deployed when the infrastructure is commissioned and made accessible for public use. This may be later than the time of installation.

Table 1: Summary of regulations

Policy area	Requirements	Lead time from 24 November 2023 (date the regulations came into force)
Pricing transparency	The maximum price of a charging session must be displayed clearly in pence per kilowatt hour. The price can be displayed either on the charge point or through a separate device which does not require a person to have entered into a contract with the charge point operator. The price must not increase above the advertised price once charging has started.	Immediately
Contactless	New public charge points of 8kW and above and existing charge points of 50kW and above must offer contactless to consumers. Proprietary networks that open their charge points for public use will have one year from the date that the charge point becomes public to offer contactless.	1 year
99% reliability	Rapid charge points must be 99% reliable, measured as an average across each charge point operator’s rapid network over the calendar year. Information on reliability compliance must be published on the charge point operator’s website. Charge point operators must also submit an annual reliability report to the Secretary of State and the enforcement authority.	1 year
Helpline	A free to use 24/7 staffed telephone helpline must be available and advertised at all charge points.	1 year
Open data	All data must be accurate and charge point operators must use the Open Charge Point Interface (OCPI) to hold and open their data. Reference and availability data must be made publicly available and in a machine-readable format. Government bodies, distribution network operators, transmission owners and electricity system operators must have access to all data.	1 year
Roaming	Charge point operators must enable consumers to pay through at least one roaming provider at their charge points. From December 2023, charge point operators must also notify the Secretary of State of their existing payment roaming providers and when they add or remove a payment roaming provider.	2 years

The following section explains the legal requirements for charge point operators shown in Table 1 in more detail.

Please note that an Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment (EVSE) is defined as a part of a physical charge point that can supply electricity to one vehicle at a time. A single physical charge point can include multiple EVSEs. For example, where a charge point sits between 2 parking bays and has hardware that enables it to charge 2 vehicles simultaneously, that charge point has 2 EVSEs.

The requirements of the regulations for displaying the helpline number, provision of pricing information and contactless readers, apply to the physical installation, or cabinet. We do not expect these to be applied per EVSE when the physical installation or cabinet contains multiple EVSEs. However, the open data and reliability requirements of the regulations are applicable to each EVSE individually.

Pricing transparency

A charge point operator must ensure that the maximum price that a consumer could be charged during their charging session, is clearly displayed in pence per kilowatt hour (p/kWh) or pounds per kilowatt hour (£/kWh) on the public charge point or through a separate device.

If pricing information is displayed through a separate device, such as an app, pricing information:

• should be easy for the consumer to find
• must not require a consumer to have entered into a pre-existing contract with the charge point operator to view this information

Dynamic or off-peak pricing in which the price goes up and down during the charging session is permitted. However, the price charged to the consumer must not exceed the maximum price that is displayed to the consumer prior to the start of their charging session. A charge point operator may display additional information on dynamic or off-peak prices and when these prices apply.

Fixed charging fees, including connection fees, transaction fees and any other category of fees, must be included in the maximum price displayed to consumers in the p/kWh format. This does not apply to separate fixed fees that a third party may charge the consumer for parking at the charge point location.

The price for charging an electric vehicle may be offered alongside other services or products, such as parking, in a single, combined price. However, the portion of this price that relates to charging must be clearly displayed separately in p/kWh.

These pricing requirements apply whether the price for charging through a public charge point is offered by the charge point operator directly or through a payment roaming provider. Any additional fees, or marked up prices, must be displayed to the consumer as part of the same p/kWh format.

We recognise that there may be specific challenges relating to prices displayed through a payment roaming provider. The Office for Product Safety and Standards will always take a pragmatic and proportionate approach to their enforcement of these requirements and will work with operators to resolve specific issues that operators raise.

For subscription pricing models, the price that the consumer will be charged for their charging session based on their subscription should be displayed in p/kWh on the charge point or through a separate device. Where the subscription provides a limited amount of charging at a reduced rate, the charge point operator should also set out the remaining allowance that the consumer has left at this price and the price in p/kWh that the customer will be charged after this point. The maximum price for non-subscription customers should also be clearly displayed in p/kWh.

Examples of acceptable pricing

A charge point operator clearly displays the price in p/kWh either physically or digitally on the public charge point.

The price is displayed in p/kWh visible to the consumer ahead of the charging session commencing, for example, on a forecourt style sign.

The price of charging is bundled with parking, but the separate price for a charging session is displayed clearly at the public charge point or through a separate device.

Contactless

The regulations require that all new public charge points 8kW and above deployed after 24 November 2024 and all public charge points of 50kW and above must offer contactless payment either per public charge point or per charging site, if more than one public charge point.

Contactless payment must be available at the above charge points by 24 November 2024.

Public charge points which are available to the public free of charge are out of scope of this requirement. If charge point operators subsequently begin to charge consumers after these regulations come into effect, they must offer contactless. This is subject to the power rating of the charge points as per the contactless regulation. 

Where the regulations refer to a power rating, for example 8kW, this refers to the power that can be delivered per cable and is not aggregated to the charge point level. This means that if a socket can deliver above 8kW then it must offer contactless payments. Any throttling or restrictions put in place to lower the power delivered to below 8kW will not exempt it from these mandated requirements.

If contactless is offered per charging site, the payment terminal must be in close proximity to the public charge point. For example, public charge points installed across multiple nearby streets would not constitute a single charging site as they are not installed in close proximity to each other.

Proprietary charge point networks which subsequently open for public use have one year to offer contactless. If the network opens to the public on a site-by-site basis each individual public site has one year to offer contactless from the date at which the site opens for public use.

Charge point operators must ensure that contactless is offered to consumers on an ad-hoc access basis, without requiring a consumer to enter into a pre-existing contract with the operator.

The contactless payment may accept payment such as Apple and Google Pay but must also accept contactless bank cards.

A public charge point may offer contactless alongside additional payment methods, such as an app or QR code.

The Secure Customer Authentication will still apply and so charge point operators may want to offer an additional payment method to ensure that consumers are able to pay.

Examples of acceptable contactless payment

Contactless is offered on each charge point.

A standalone contactless payment terminal facilitates payment for all charge points at a charging site.

One charge point in a charging site has contactless enabled and facilitates payment for all charge points at a charging site.

Contactless payment is offered in a nearby or attached building clearly visible and signposted from the charge point. This would be similar to a petrol refuelling station.

Examples of unacceptable contactless payment options

The only payment terminal is located in a building that is not open during the operating hours of the charge point or is partially closed during the operating hours of the charge point.

A new public charge point capable of delivering 8kW offers RFID card payment only.

Contactless is offered at the charging site but the payment terminal is not located in close proximity to the charge point or is on a different street.

Reliability

Charge point operators must ensure they meet the reliability requirement, which requires their rapid public charge points to be available 99% of the time. This will be measured as an average (mean) across a charge point operator’s rapid network of public charge points of 50kW and above over the calendar year.

A charge point operator will not be penalised if their reliability is below 99% for a given month, as long as they make this up over the rest of the 12-month period, so that their reliability remains at 99% or above for the whole year.

Reliability will be measured through electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) object statuses using the Open Charge Point Interface protocol (OCPI) as the mandated data standard within these regulations.

The formula for calculating the reliability of a charge point operator’s network will be:

Reliability % = (((M - mean time exempt) - mean downtime) ÷ (M - mean time exempt)) × 100 

Where:

• M is the number of minutes in a year
• mean time exempt is calculated as the total minutes that charge points across the network are ineligible from measurement, divided by the number of charge points
• mean downtime is calculated as the total minutes that charge points across the network are not working, divided by the number of charge points

The way in which charge point operators should map charge point errors to OCPI statuses is set out in the table below. Statuses should be kept up-to-date and accurate.

Table 2: Uptime scenarios

EVSE object status	Description	Interpretation
AVAILABLE	The EVSE/Connector is able to start a new charging session.	The EVSE/connector is able to start a new charging session and there are no faults that would inhibit the operation of the charge point, including the ability to pay for a charge via contactless.
CHARGING	The EVSE/Connector is in use.	A charging session is underway and there are no faults that would inhibit the operation of the charge point, including the ability to pay for a charge via contactless.
RESERVED	The EVSE/Connector is reserved for a particular EV driver and is unavailable for other drivers.	The EVSE/Connector is reserved for a particular EV driver and is unavailable for other drivers. There are no faults that would inhibit the operation of the charge point, including the ability to pay for a charge via contactless.

Table 3: Downtime scenarios

EVSE object status	Description	Interpretation
INOPERATIVE	The EVSE/Connector is temporarily not available for use, but not broken or defective.	The charge point is temporarily not available for use, due to an error that is inhibiting the operation of the charge point, including the ability to pay for a charge via contactless. This would typically be due to a software related issue. This includes the malfunctioning of the communications equipment attached to the charge point.
OUTOFORDER	The EVSE/Connector is currently out of order, some parts/components may be broken/defective.	The charge point is currently out of order. This would typically be due to a hardware related issue, such as a broken or defective component, that is inhibiting the operation of the charge point. This includes the ability to pay for a charge via contactless. This includes any broken or defective communications hardware attached to the charge point.

Table 4: Exempt scenarios

EVSE object status	Description	Interpretation
BLOCKED	The EVSE/Connector is not accessible because of a physical barrier.	There is an evidenced blockage to the charge point. This could include roadworks, road closures, a vehicle or any other scenario outside of the charge point operator’s control that directly blocks access to the charge point. This also includes planned regular maintenance, which must not be in relation to a fault, and must be evidenced.
PLANNED	The EVSE/Connector is not yet operational but there is a date from which it will be made available.	This status must only be used before the charge point becomes available to the public for the first time and should not be used after that point.  Once the charge point is operational this status must not be used.
REMOVED	The EVSE/Connector was discontinued/ removed or has otherwise ceased to operate.	This status must only be used after the charge point is permanently taken offline. It cannot be used for maintenance/repair or for any other temporary outage.  Once a charge point status is set to “removed” it must not be changed to another status.
UNKNOWN	No status information available (also used when offline).	CPOs may use this status in the event that an exceptional circumstance outside of the CPO’s control has been identified. This could include a power grid or communication network failure, vandalism or severe flooding. All such events must be appropriately evidenced in the charge point operator’s annual reliability report. If, based on this evidence, OPSS deems that on the balance of probabilities this meets the standard for a ‘reasonable excuse’, they can take a decision to exempt the CPO from penalties. This status should not be used for charge point hardware or software faults that would be covered by the OUTOFORDER or INOPERATIVE statuses.

The enforcement schedule of the regulations contains a provision for exemption from penalties based on “reasonable excuse”.

If a charge point is not available due to routine maintenance or as a result of factors outside of the charge point operator’s control, such as vandalism or severe flooding, charge point operators may be exempted from the reliability requirement for the affected charge point(s) during this time. Charge point operators should use the relevant OCPI statuses in the table to reflect these situations and provide appropriate evidence of these events in their annual reliability reports.

If, based on this evidence, OPSS deems that on the balance of probabilities this meets the standard for a ‘reasonable excuse’, they can take a decision to exempt the CPO from penalties.

Contactless payment terminals are considered to be an integral part of a functioning charge point. Where a contactless payment terminal is not working, this will be counted as downtime for the charge point(s) affected for the purposes of calculating reliability. This does not apply to charge points that default to free vend when contactless payment is not available. Charge point operators should also keep data on the availability of contactless card payment up-to-date as part of the open data requirements.

Where a public charge point can only be accessed during restricted hours, the charge point operator must ensure that the public charge point complies with the reliability requirement during those restricted hours.

Where specific public charge points are routinely out of order and providing a poor consumer experience, enforcement action will be proportionate. We expect a good consumer experience across the UK, however charge point operators should not allow lower utilised public charge points, for example in rural areas, to be regularly out of order.

Charge point operators will need to provide an annual report to the Secretary of State and the enforcement authority as part of this requirement. See tables 5, 6 and 7 in the Reporting section of this guidance for report format requirements and information on how to submit the reports.

In addition, charge point operators must publish information on their compliance with the reliability requirement on their website.

Data must be accurate. Any deliberate attempts to falsify or misconstrue reliability data will result in action by the enforcement authority.

Helpline

A charge point operator must provide a free to use, staffed telephone helpline that is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year for consumers. The contact details for the helpline must be displayed prominently on or at the charging site for all public charge points they are responsible for.

The helpline must be free to use. Numbers that charge local call rates will not fulfil this requirement.

The helpline must offer consumers real-time assistance. If a charge point operator offers a voicemail facility, this will not fulfil this requirement.

Charge point operators are expected to support consumers and resolve issues that are within their control, such as software issues. Charge point operators are not expected to resolve issues over which they have no control, such as power outages.

Charge point operators are not expected to provide a recovery service for consumers that have run out of charge and are stranded.

Charge point operators must provide a report to the Secretary of State and the enforcement authority for this requirement. See tables 5, 6 and 7 in the Reporting section of this guidance for report format requirements and information on how to submit the reports.

The first report is due 31 December 2024. This first report should confirm:

• that this helpline has been set up
• the telephone number that consumers can call to access it

It does not need any of the further details outlined in the format in table 7.

The next report is due 31 January 2025, covering the period from October through to December 2024. This report should:

• confirm that the helpline has been accessible for consumers from 24 November 2024
• contain all of the details outlined in table 7 from that date through to 31 December 2024

The third report is due 30 April 2025 covering the period from January to March 2025, and quarterly thereafter.

The reports must not contain any personal data relating to the callers or their vehicles.

Open data

Charge point operators must hold all data about their public charge points accurately and in accordance with the data requirement and ensure that the required data is opened from 24 November 2024.

Types of data

The regulations require that charge point operators make available reference data and availability data for each electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE).

Reference data means information that does not change frequently about a charge point including but not limited to location, connector type, pricing, payment method and time restrictions.

Availability data means information about whether the charge point is working and is available to use in accordance with the requirements of regulation 7(2).

The required data types include:

• the data types set out in paragraphs 8.3.1, 8.3.2 and 8.3.3 of OCPI 2.2.1 covering all details of the location object, EVSE object, and connector object - further detail on these data types is also set out in section 8.4 of OCPI 2.2.1

• the data types set out in paragraph 11.3.1 of OCPI 2.2.1 covering the tariff object - the price may change regularly but this must be opened on the same basis as other reference data

Further details on the required data types are listed in the data types section of this guidance.

The location data for each public charge point should be recorded before the date on which the charge point could be used by a member of the public for the first time. This applies to all new charge points and should be included in the commissioning process for the new installation.

The regulations require that, each time an electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) object status changes, this must be reflected in the data within 30 seconds.

All data must be made publicly available free-of-charge and in a machine-readable format. Data in a machine-readable format can be automatically read and processed by a computer system. Data must be open in line with the Open Government Licence.

To achieve this, charge point operators must ensure that the required data can be communicated to anyone who wished to receive it. The most widely used method for enabling the communication of large amounts of machine-readable data is an application programming interface (API). Other methods may be feasible, but charge point operators should consider the burden required with any method that does not have the potential for automation.

For any public charge point that is not technically capable of transmitting data and is akin to a 3-pin plug, the charge point operator must make public only the reference data.

The data must be made available without any requirement to agree to terms and conditions regarding the use of that data. However, terms and conditions covering the means of access to the data and API(s) are permissible.

A charge point operator may employ a third party to assist in the hosting and communication of the required data, provided that the data is provided in line with the requirements of the regulations.

The regulations require that charge point operators must ensure the accuracy of their data. Where data fields are missing, a charge point operator should be able to evidence to the enforcement authority, when requested, the reasons why that data field cannot be inputted. The enforcement authority will take a pragmatic approach to enforcement, opening dialogue in the first instance to understand the reasoning behind any non-compliance.

The regulations require that a charge point operator must provide the data, on request, in electronic format to the Secretary of State for Transport and to any distribution network operator, transmission owner or electricity systems operator that supplies energy to its public charge points. In the event that this is required, requests for data would be discussed with the parties involved on a case-by-case basis to agree upon the format and extent of data and deadlines for delivery.

Historical data is not expected to be made publicly available through these regulations.

Payment roaming

Roaming is the ability to pay to charge an EV across multiple charge point networks using a single app or RFID card. The equivalent for petrol and diesel vehicles is a fuel card.

Charge point operators must offer roaming at all their public charge points by connecting to at least one third party roaming provider.

Charge point operators may choose to connect with third party roaming providers for example, through direct partnerships with other charge point operators, connecting to a clearing house or through an e-mobility service provider (eMSP).

The roaming provider must be operated by a person or organisation that is external to the charge point operator.

Payment roaming must be available to consumers, which includes fleets. This does not need to be two separate roaming providers but can be one that is accessible to both consumers and fleet drivers.

Where a charge point operator offers different roaming options for fleet drivers and consumers, this should be clearly displayed on their website or app to avoid confusion.

A charge point operator must provide a report to the Secretary of State and the enforcement authority as part of the roaming requirement. See tables 5, 6 and 7 in the Reporting section of this guidance for report format requirements and information on how to submit the reports.

Public charge points that are free to use are not within scope of this requirement.

Free to use public charge points that begin to require payment for a charge must comply with this requirement. If they require a payment after 24 November 2025, they will need to offer roaming at all of their public charge points on or before the date that the charge points open to the public.

Roaming requirement is not considered as being fulfilled if only services such as Apple or Google Pay are offered.

A charge point operator will be considered to have connected to a roaming provider when their public charge points are available for use on the roaming provider’s platform.

Good practice recommendations

Charge point operators should endeavour to avoid closed loop networks created by only having a single direct partnership with one additional charge point operator.

The roaming providers available to consumers should be clearly advertised.

Reporting

The table below outlines the reporting requirements under these regulations.

High level templates for each reporting requirement will be available before the regulations come into effect.

Table 5: Reporting requirements - roaming

Reporting requirement	Does the report need to be made publicly available?	Frequency of reports
The charge point operator must report any roaming providers that are already connected to on the enforcement date. Any changes to the roaming providers offered to consumers must be reported within 28 days of the change, including the date at which the roaming provider was added or removed.	This information does not need to be publicly available and must be submitted to the Secretary of State and the enforcement authority. Both the initial and any subsequent reports must be submitted via email to: consumerofferconsult@ozev.gov.uk and pcpr@businessandtrade.gov.uk	A report must be submitted by December 2023 with existing roaming providers offered. Additional reports must be submitted within 28 days of any changes to the roaming providers offered.

Table 6: Reporting requirements - reliability

Reporting requirement	Does the report need to be made publicly available?	Frequency of reports
Charge point operators must submit a report stating: - total number of public charge points in scope of this requirement - percentage reliability of their entire rapid charging networks - reliability of each charge point during the calendar year, including the location and the time spent in each EVSE object status over the year - evidence for time exempt, including time spent in any of the exempt OCPI statuses, by charge point	This report does not need to be made publicly available but must be submitted to the Secretary of State and the enforcement authority. This can be submitted via email to consumerofferconsult@ozev.gov.uk and pcpr@businessandtrade.gov.uk Charge point operators must also publish information on their compliance with the reliability requirement on their website.	A report must be submitted annually. The first report must be submitted by 14 January 2026 covering the 2025 calendar year. Each subsequent report must be submitted by 14 January of that year and cover the preceding calendar year.

Table 7: Reporting requirements - helpline

Reporting requirement	Does the report need to be made publicly available?	Frequency of reports
Every quarter the charge point operator must report the following: -total number of calls the helpline received during the quarter - a breakdown of the helpline calls based on the type of assistance sought - a breakdown of the calls based on the length of time it took to resolve those calls, expressed in 10-minute intervals  - the percentage of calls that were not resolved by the reporting date and a list of the reasons why they were not resolved The reports must not contain any personal data relating to the callers or their vehicles.	This report does not need to be made publicly available but must be submitted to the Secretary of State and the enforcement authority. This can be submitted via email to consumerofferconsult@ozev.gov.uk and pcpr@businessandtrade.gov.uk	A report must be submitted quarterly. The first report is due by the end of December 2024. This report only needs to confirm that the helpline has been set up and the helpline number itself. The next report is due by the end of January 2025. This must cover details of helpline calls received between 24 November 2024 and the end of December 2024. The third report is due by the end of April 2025 and must cover the period from January to March 2025. Subsequent reports will be due on a quarterly basis thereafter.

Enforcement

Enforcement action

The Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) is part of the Department for Business and Trade and acts on behalf of the Secretary of State to enforce The Public Charge Point Regulations 2023.

Our approach to addressing non-compliance by those we regulate is set out in our enforcement policy, which should be read alongside guidance on the specific enforcement actions available to us under these regulations, and associated rights to make representations or appeal.

In the event of non-compliance, OPSS can serve a compliance notice requiring action to be taken to remedy the breach. A compliance notice may, in addition, prohibit the recipient of the notice from installing further public charge points until action has been taken to remedy a breach or breaches set out in the notice. Any failure to comply with the requirements of a compliance notice by the date specified in the notice may result in a civil penalty notice being issued.

The regulations set out maximum civil penalties for each breach which are summarised in the table below.

For schedule I regulations 5, 6, 8, 9, 10 and 11 the penalty applies to each breach per charge point. For schedule I regulation 7 the penalty applies to each breach per rapid network.

Table 8: Civil penalties

Breach of regulation	Regulation summary	Civil penalty amount
Schedule I: Regulation 5	Contactless payment	Up to £10,000
Schedule I: Regulation 6	Payment roaming	Up to £10,000
Schedule I: Regulation 7	Reliability requirement	Up to £10,000
Schedule I: Regulation 8	Reliability reporting	Up to £10,000
Schedule I: Regulation 9	Helpline	Up to £10,000
Schedule I: Regulation 10	Open data	Up to £10,000
Schedule I: Regulation 11	Pricing metric	Up to £10,000
Schedule II Regulation 8	Obstructing enforcement work	Up to £250,000

Role of The Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS)

OPSS’ approach to carrying out regulatory activities is explained in the service standards. Good regulation is proportionate, consistent, targeted, accountable, and transparent. The full range of tools and powers available are used by OPSS to promote compliance and enforce the law to maintain protection, fairness, and confidence.

Enquiries and requests for guidance or advice can be made by contacting us:

Email: pcpr@businessandtrade.gov.uk

Telephone: +44 (0)121 345 1201

Find out about call charges.

Office for Product Safety and Standards
Stanton Avenue
Teddington
Middlesex
TW11 0JZ

OPSS are committed to dealing with non-compliance with legal requirements in a manner proportionate to the nature, seriousness and circumstances of the offence, as set out in the enforcement policy.

When we take enforcement action or make a regulatory decision in relation to a business or other body that we regulate, we will always provide a clear and timely explanation of any associated right to appeal. Further information on rights to appeal is available in our challenges and appeals guidance.

Other regulations

There are other regulations which may affect manufacturers, distributors and infrastructure operators of alternative fuel infrastructure. You can read further guidance on:

• the Electric Vehicle (Smart Charge Points) Regulations 2021
• the Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulations (AFIR) 2017

Charge point operators should also be aware that other regulations may also apply which are enforced by other enforcement authorities (sometimes referred to as market surveillance authorities). These regulations include but are not limited to:

• the Payment Services Directorate including the Strong Consumer Authentication
• Price Marking Order 2004

Language for legal requirements

In this guidance:

• ‘must’ indicates a legal obligation
• ‘should’ indicates good practice advised
• ‘may’ indicates discretionary actions in the light of the context and circumstances

For clarity, legal requirements and good practice are set out in separate paragraphs.

Glossary

Ad-hoc access means the ability for any person to recharge an electric vehicle without entering into a pre-existing contract with an electricity supplier to, or infrastructure operator of, that charge point. The Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulations 2017 (legislation.gov.uk) Regulation 5(3).

Availability data means information about whether the charge point is working and available to use. Regulation 10, para (6)(a) of the Public Charge Point Regulations 2023.

Charge point means a device intended for charging a vehicle that is capable of being propelled by electric power derived from a storage battery (or for discharging electricity stored in such a vehicle). Automated and Electric Vehicles Act 2018 (legislation.gov.uk) Regulation 9(1).

Charge point operator means the person responsible for operating a charge point, whether as an owner or on behalf of a third party. The Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulations 2017 (legislation.gov.uk) Regulation 2(1).

Charging site means a location with multiple charge points in close proximity. For example, a car park with several charge points.

Clearing house means a person or body that facilitates connections between multiple charge point operators or charge point operators and eMSPs to support roaming.

Contactless payment means a payment made at a contactless payment terminal using the contactless payment facility of a card, mobile phone or other device that does not require the payee to enter into a pre-existing contract with the charge point operator.

Distribution Network Operator (DNO) means a person who is authorised to distribute electricity and has the same meaning given by section 6(1)(c) of the Electricity Act 1989. Electricity Act 1989 (legislation.gov.uk).

Domestic charge point means a charge point installed at a domestic location. This includes charge points located on private driveways that are hired out to other EV drivers.

Dynamic data means data that could change on a daily basis. Such as data on the energy consumption of charge points.

E-mobility service provider (eMSP) means a person that operates a platform to facilitate payment for EV charging across multiple networks.

Electricity Systems Operator means a person that co-ordinates and directs the flow of electricity onto and over transmission systems by means of which the transmission of electricity takes place.

Electric vehicle means a vehicle that is capable of being propelled by electric power derived from a storage battery.

Enforcement authority means the Office for Product Safety and Standards.

Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment (EVSE) is the term used within the Open Charge Point Interface Protocol to refer to an independently operated and managed part of a charge point that can deliver energy to one electric vehicle at a time.

EVSE object statuses means the data type within the Open Charge Point Interface Protocol belonging to any EVSE which represents the status of the EVSE.

External means not in any way a subsidiary or internal part of the charge point operator’s business. A charge point operator cannot establish a subsidiary and connect their charge points to it, to fulfil the roaming requirement.

Microbusiness has the same meaning given by section 33 of the Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Act 2015. Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Act 2015 (legislation.gov.uk).

Open Charge Point Interface (OCPI) protocol means the data requirement that charge point operators must use to ensure their data is open and machine readable so that it is accessible to the public and government bodies.

Proprietary charge point network means a charge point network that is not available for general public use. For example, it might only be available to vehicles produced by a specific car manufacturer.

Public site means a charging site with charge points that are available for public use.

Rapid charge point means a charge point capable of delivering a charge of 50kW and above at nominal voltage.

Real-time assistance means a helpline that is staffed and can provide assistance to the consumer during the call. A voicemail facility would not be considered real-time assistance.

Reference data means data about a charge point that does not frequently change. For example, geographic location and connector types.

Reliability requirement means the requirement on the charge point operator that their network of rapid charge points for which they are responsible, on average is working for at least 99% of each calendar year.

Resolve means a consumer complaint of which there remains no outstanding action to be taken by the charge point operator.

Roaming means the ability to pay to charge an EV using one app or RFID card at multiple charge point networks.

Roaming provider means a person that provides a roaming service, which could be another charge point operator, clearing house or eMSP.

Transmission Owner means a person who is authorised by an electricity transmission license to transmit electricity in accordance with section 6(1)(b) of the Electricity Act 1989. Electricity Act 1989 (legislation.gov.uk).

Workplace charge point means a charge point intended for use by people at their place of work. The Electric Vehicles (Smart Charge Points) Regulations 2021 (legislation.gov.uk).

Required data types

The required data types as per paragraphs 8.3.1, 8.3.2 and 8.3.3 of OCPI 2.2.1 are set out below.

Table 9: Location object

Property	Type	Description
country_code	CiString(2)	ISO-3166 alpha-2 country code of the CPO that ‘owns’ this Location.
party_id	CiString(3)	ID of the CPO that ‘owns’ this Location (following the ISO-15118 standard).
id	CiString(36)	Uniquely identifies the location within the CPO’s platform (and suboperator platforms). This field can never be changed, modified or renamed.
publish	boolean	Defines if a Location may be published on an website or app etc. When this is set to false, only tokens identified in the field: publish_allowed_to are allowed to be shown this Location. When the same location has EVSEs that may be published and may not be published, two ‘Locations’ should be created.
publish_allowed_to	PublishTokenType	This field may only be used when the publish field is set to false. Only owners of Tokens that match all the set fields of one PublishToken in the list are allowed to be shown this location.
name	string(255)	Display name of the location.
address	string(45)	Street/block name and house number if available.
city	string(45)	City or town.
postal_code	string(10)	Postal code of the location, may only be omitted when the location has no postal code: in some countries charging locations at highways don’t have postal codes.
state	string(20)	State or province of the location, only to be used when relevant.
country	string(3)	ISO 3166-1 alpha-3 code for the country of this location.
coordinates	GeoLocation	Coordinates of the location.
related_locations	AdditionalGeoLocation	Geographical location of related points relevant to the user.
parking_type	ParkingType	The general type of parking at the charge point location.
evses	EVSE	List of EVSEs that belong to this Location.
directions	DisplayText	Human-readable directions on how to reach the location.
operator	BusinessDetails	Information of the operator. When not specified, the information retrieved from the Credentials module, selected by the country_code and party_id of this Location, should be used instead.
suboperator	BusinessDetails	Information of the suboperator if available.
owner	BusinessDetails	Information of the owner if available.
facilities	Facility	Optional list of facilities this charging location directly belongs to.
time_zone	string(255)	One of IANA tzdata’s TZ-values representing the time zone of the location. Examples: “Europe/Oslo”, “Europe/Zurich”. (http://www.iana.org/time-zones)
opening_times	Hours	The times when the EVSEs at the location can be accessed for charging.
charging_when_closed	boolean	Indicates if the EVSEs are still charging outside the opening hours of the location. E.g. when the parking garage closes its barriers overnight, is it allowed to charge till the next morning? Default: true
images	Image	Links to images related to the location such as photos or logos.
energy_mix	EnergyMix	Details on the energy supplied at this location.
last_updated	DateTime	Timestamp when this Location or one of its EVSEs or Connectors were last updated (or created).

Table 10: EVSE object

Property	Type	Description
uid	CiString(36)	Uniquely identifies the EVSE within the CPOs platform (and suboperator platforms). For example a database ID or the actual “EVSE ID”. This field can never be changed, modified or renamed. This is the ‘technical’ identification of the EVSE, not to be used as ‘human readable’ identification, use the field evse_id for that. This field is named uid instead of id, because id could be confused with evse_id
evse_id	CiString(48)	Compliant with the specification for EVSE ID from “eMI3 standard version V1.0, Part 2: business objects.” Optional because: if an evse_id is to be re-used in the real world, the evse_id can be removed from an EVSE object if the status is set to REMOVED. The emi3 documentation is currently offline. Please contact info@evroaming.org for this.
status	Status	Indicates the current status of the EVSE.
status_schedule	StatusSchedule	Indicates a planned status update of the EVSE.
capabilities	Capability	List of functionalities that the EVSE is capable of.
connectors	Connector	List of available connectors on the EVSE.
floor_level	string(4)	Level on which the Charge Point is located (in garage buildings) in the locally displayed numbering scheme.
coordinates	GeoLocation	Coordinates of the EVSE.
physical_reference	string(16)	A number/string printed on the outside of the EVSE for visual identification.
directions	DisplayText	Multi-language human-readable directions when more detailed information on how to reach the EVSE from the Location is required.
parking_restrictions	ParkingRestriction	The restrictions that apply to the parking spot.
images	Image	Links to images related to the EVSE such as photos or logos.
last_updated	DateTime	Timestamp when this EVSE or one of its connectors was last updated (or created).

Table 11: Connector object

Property	Type	Description
id	CiString(36)	Identifier of the Connector within the EVSE. Two Connectors may have the same id as long as they do not belong to the same EVSE object.
standard	ConnectorType	The standard of the installed connector.
format	ConnectorFormat	The format (socket/cable) of the installed connector.
power_type	PowerType	The type of power, including the different types of AC power and DC power
max_voltage	int	Maximum voltage of the connector (line to neutral for AC_3_PHASE), in volt [V]. For example: DC Chargers might vary the voltage during charging when battery almost full.
max_amperage	int	Maximum amperage of the connector, in ampere [A].
max_electric_power	int	Maximum electric power that can be delivered by this connector, in Watts (W). When the maximum electric power is lower than the calculated value from voltage and amperage, this value should be set. For example: A DC Charge Point which can delivers up to 920V and up to 400A can be limited to a maximum of 150kW (max_electric_power = 150000). Depending on the car, it may supply max voltage or current, but not both at the same time. For AC Charge Points, the amount of phases used can also have influence on the maximum power.
tariff_ids	CiString(36)	Identifiers of the currently valid charging tariffs. Multiple tariffs are possible, but only one of each Tariff.type can be active at the same time. Tariffs with the same type are only allowed if they are not active at the same time: start_date_time and end_date_time period not overlapping. When preference-based smart charging is supported, one tariff for every possible ProfileType should be provided. These tell the user about the options they have at this connector, and what the tariff is for every option. For a “free of charge” tariff, this field should be set and point to a defined “free of charge” tariff.
terms_and_conditions	URL	URL to the operator’s terms and conditions.
last_updated	DateTime	Timestamp when this connector was last updated (or created).

Images

Images in OCPI 2.2.1 are represented as URL links, therefore, to satisfy the requirements of this data field charge point operators will need to host images on a web server to generate the URLs needed.

Photo dimensions

The recommended dimensions for all photos is a minimum width of 800 pixels and a minimum height of 600 pixels. Thumbnail should always have the same orientation as the original photo with a size of 200 by 200 pixels.

Logo Dimensions

The recommended dimensions for logos are exactly 512 pixels in width and height. Thumbnail representations of logos should be exactly 128 pixels in width and height. If not squared, thumbnails should have the same orientation as the original.

Table 12: Image class

Value	Description
CHARGER	Photo of the physical device that contains one or more EVSEs.
ENTRANCE	Location entrance photo. Should show the car entrance to the location from street side.
LOCATION	Location overview photo. That shows the placing of the charge point within the environment.
NETWORK	Logo of an associated roaming network to be displayed with the EVSE for example in lists, maps and detailed information views.
OPERATOR	Logo of the charge point operator, for example a municipality, to be displayed in the EVSEs detailed information view or in lists and maps, if no network logo is present.
OTHER	Other
OWNER	Logo of the charge point owner, for example a local store, to be displayed in the EVSEs detailed information view.

Pricing data

Charge point operators must make available the advertised price for charging at an EVSE as outlined in provision 11 of the Public Charge Point Regulations 2023. In practice this means that charge point operators must make available as per 10.5 of the regulations, the Price_Components class of the Tariff object as described in paragraph 11.3.1 of OCPI 2.2.1.

Property	Type	Description
Price	number	Price per unit (excl. VAT) for this tariff dimension.
VAT	number	Applicable VAT percentage for this tariff dimension. Not providing a VAT is different from 0% VAT, which would be a value of 0.0 here.

Further detail on required data types

Further details on the required data types can be found in Section 8.4 of OCPI 2.2.1.