Andy Burnham’s £274 driveway decision - started this October

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Andy Burnham’s £274 driveway decision - started this October Andy Burnham has introduced new driveway rule updates this October, with VAT fees cut from earlier this month. Share Article Share Article Facebook X LinkedIn Reddit Bluesky Email Copy Link Link copied Add us as preferred source Comments By Luke Chillingsworth , Cars Reporter 08:24, Mon, Oct 26, 2026 Updated: 08:25, Mon, Oct 26, 2026 Andy Burnham has overseen new driveway updates this October (Image: Getty) Andy Burnham’s new driveway rule change introduced this October has widened the divide between home and public electric car charging to as much as £274, according to analysis.

New data from ChargeUK has revealed that the so-called driveway divide, the difference between charging at home vs in public, has soared under the Prime Minister’s actions. Domestic electricity was charged at 5% until October 1, when Mr Burnham oversaw change s to cut the fee to 0%. However, Mr Burnham decided to keep public charging costs the same, with road users still paying 20% VAT to top up their battery. This has widened the divide from just 15% to 20%, with those relying on public charging bays now paying hundreds of pounds more.

Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT According to ChargeUK, drivers charging an electric car in public are paying a total of £1,642 per year, with £274 in VAT fees alone. Meanwhile, those charging their car at home are paying just £224 per year due to cheaper smart tariff rates. These owners are also paying £0 in VAT from this October. Those who do a mix of home and public charging will also be affected. An estimated 80/20 home and public split would see these motorists pay £611 per year to use the roads.

These owners will also be paying around £72 per year in VAT fees. Get the latest politics news - straight from our team in Westminster and more I would like to receive emails from the Daily Express featuring our latest products, services, offers, and promotions from across the Reach Plc family . Subscribe Invalid email You agree you are 18 or over. We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you.

This may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. You can unsubscribe at any time. More Info . Shane Brennan, chief executive officer, ChargeUK said: “Cutting VAT on home electricity is the right call at the right time, it will relieve some pressure on what will be a tough winter for energy consumers, including EV drivers. However, it will also entrench the driveway divide for those current and want-to-be EV drivers who pay the full 20 per cent VAT to charge their cars at the worst moment.”

Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT Petrol and diesel drivers facing new HMRC mileage charges - started in September Older motorists above 70 could be banned from the roads by DVLA — 'stop driving' Motorists charging their EVs in public are paying much more (Image: Getty) ChargeUK has written to Andy Burnham and Chancellor John Healey demanding an end to the driveway divide. Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT The open letter has also been signed by a range of experts, including AA President Edmund King, AutoTrader's Ian Plummer and the Chief Executive of the BVRLA Toby Poston.

The letter reads: “It is time to end the unfair driveway divide that sees drivers with access to home electric vehicle charging benefitting from zero VAT and those without paying 20%." Andy Burnham Driveway Electric cars Share Article Share Article Facebook X LinkedIn Reddit Bluesky Email Copy Link Link copied Add us as preferred source Comments

Read the original article on express.co.uk

What we found (3)

The Daily Express hangs a £274 figure on Andy Burnham's VAT cut for home electricity, when its own figures show £274 is the VAT public chargers already paid at an unchanged 20% rate. It then tells readers that public chargers are now paying hundreds of pounds more, although the article itself says their costs stayed the same.

Uses figures that mislead
Serious
“Andy Burnham’s £274 driveway decision”
Why this matters
The headline ties the figure £274 to a decision by Andy Burnham.
The impression it gives
That Burnham's October decision cost or shifted £274 for drivers.
The context
The article's own figures put £274 as the yearly VAT paid by public chargers at the 20% rate, which Burnham left unchanged. The decision cut home electricity VAT from 5% to 0%. On ChargeUK's £224 home figure, that is worth about £11 a year.
How we know
- Elsewhere in the article“paying a total of £1,642 per year, with £274 in VAT fees alone”
- Elsewhere in the article“Mr Burnham decided to keep public charging costs the same”
- Elsewhere in the article“those charging their car at home are paying just £224 per year”
Show it in the article
“has widened the divide between home and public electric car charging to as much as £274”
Why this matters
The Express says the rule change widened the home and public gap to £274.
The impression it gives
That the gap between home and public charging is £274, and that the change created it.
The context
On the article's own numbers the total gap is £1,642 against £224. £274 is only the public VAT bill, which existed before October. The change widened the VAT gap only by the few pounds of home VAT removed.
How we know
- Elsewhere in the article“drivers charging an electric car in public are paying a total of £1,642 per year”
- Elsewhere in the article“Domestic electricity was charged at 5% until October 1”
Show it in the article
Written straight
Cutting VAT on home electricity from 5% to 0% saves home chargers about £11 a year on ChargeUK's figures. Public chargers still pay 20% VAT, about £274 a year, as they did before October.
Uses figures that mislead
Serious
“with those relying on public charging bays now paying hundreds of pounds more”
Why this matters
The words "now paying hundreds of pounds more" follow straight on from the VAT change.
The impression it gives
That public chargers' bills rose by hundreds of pounds because of Burnham's decision.
The context
The article itself says public charging costs were kept the same. Public chargers pay more than home chargers mainly because of cheaper home smart tariffs, not because of the October change.
How we know
- Elsewhere in the article“road users still paying 20% VAT to top up their battery”
- Elsewhere in the article“due to cheaper smart tariff rates”
Show it in the article
Written straight
Public charging costs are unchanged by the cut. Drivers who charge in public already paid far more than home chargers, mostly because of cheaper home tariffs.
Uses a loaded word
Minor
“has soared under the Prime Minister’s actions”
Why this matters
The Express uses "soared" for a change in the VAT gap.
The impression it gives
That the cost gap between home and public charging jumped dramatically because of the Prime Minister.
The context
The VAT rate gap moved from 15 to 20 percentage points when home VAT fell from 5% to 0%.
How we know
- Elsewhere in the article“widened the divide from just 15% to 20%”
Show it in the article

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Andy Burnham’s £274 driveway decision - started this October

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