Andy Burnham’s new driveway rule hits UK drivers with ‘£2,060 penalty’

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Andy Burnham’s new driveway rule hits UK drivers with ‘£2,060 penalty’ Andy Burnham's new driveway rule update this October is great news for some EV owners, but others will be confused why they are paying a lot more. 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 08:00, Sun, Oct 25, 2026 Andy Burnham's new rule change has widened the 'driveway divide' (Image: Getty) Andy Burnham’s new driveway rule changes introduced this October are hitting some UK motorists with a staggering £2,060 penalty, according to new analysis.

The Prime Minister slashed VAT rates on domestic electricity on October 1, with rates cut from 5% to 0% . Although aimed at cutting electricity bills, the new update will have a knock-on effect for anyone charging their electric car at home. Those topping up on their driveway are likely paying just 7p per kWh due to the lower VAT rates, around 2p per mile . However, the same can’t be said for the millions of road users without access to off-street parking.

Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT Many of these are still relying on public charging bays to top-up tier cars despite VAT at 20% and rates closer to 50p per kWh. There had been pressure from the car industry to bring public charging rates into line with domestic rates, but what Mr Burnham did was actually extend the so-called "driveway divide”. New analysis from costpermile.co.uk found that a homeowner topping-up at home using a smart charging tariff would pay around £200 per year in electricity fees.

Meanwhile, those relying on rapid chargers in the community would be splashing out over £2,200 per annum. 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 . Experts at costpermile.co.uk said: “A homeowner with a driveway charging their EV overnight spends just £200 annually in electricity. A terraced-home dweller who drives the exact same 10,000 miles but relies on public rapid chargers spends £2,260 annually — paying an extra £2,060 every year simply because they park on the road.”

Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT Andy Burnham introduces new 2p per mile driveway rule – starts in October Andy Burnham needs to overrule this silly, hated EU rule - scrap it now Driveway VAT fees changed from October 1 (Image: Getty) Hippo Leasing has also warned that Mr Burnham’s decision to cut domestic VAT instead of tackling the 20% VAT fees could cost some drivers hundreds of pounds. Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT Tom Preston, Chief Executive Officer at Hippo Leasing previously warned that the current 20% VAT rate on public EV charging costs effectively “penalises motorists who don't have a driveway”.

Tom added: “Equalising public charging VAT with the 5% domestic rate could save high-mileage EV drivers around £389 a year, making electric leasing far more accessible for urban households.” However, the Government has stressed that the VAT tax cut will help households with their energy bills, taking around £45 off the yearly Ofgem price cap. 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 Express tells readers that Andy Burnham's VAT cut on home electricity hits street-parked drivers with a £2,060 "penalty". Its own figures show that £2,060 is the whole gap between home and public rapid charging, a gap the experts it quotes put down to parking on the road. Public charging VAT stayed at 20%, so the cut did not make anyone pay more. The headline and opening present a long-standing price gap as a new charge imposed by the Prime Minister.

Headline goes beyond the article
Serious
“hits UK drivers with ‘£2,060 penalty’”
Why this matters
The headline says Burnham's rule "hits UK drivers" with a "£2,060 penalty". It puts "penalty" inside quotation marks as if a source used the word for the rule's effect.
The impression it gives
A reader believes the October change imposes a new £2,060 annual charge on drivers.
The context
The body shows the change cut VAT on home electricity from 5% to 0%. The £2,060 is costpermile's estimate of the whole annual gap between home and public rapid charging. The quoted experts say the gap exists "simply because they park on the road". Nobody in the article calls the rule a £2,060 penalty.
How we know
- Elsewhere in the article“paying an extra £2,060 every year simply because they park on the road”
- Elsewhere in the article“with rates cut from 5% to 0%”
Show it in the article
Written straight
Burnham's VAT cut on home electricity leaves drivers without driveways still paying 20% VAT at public chargers, where analysts estimate yearly costs run £2,060 above home charging.
Uses figures that mislead
Serious
“are hitting some UK motorists with a staggering £2,060 penalty”
Why this matters
In its own voice the Express says the rule changes are "hitting" motorists with £2,060, and attaches the full home-versus-public price gap to the October VAT cut.
The impression it gives
A reader believes the VAT change added £2,060 a year to some drivers' costs.
The context
The article says public charging still carries 20% VAT and costs closer to 50p per kWh, so nothing changed for public chargers. The only change was a 5 point VAT cut on home electricity. That is a small part of a roughly £200 home bill, not the source of a £2,060 gap.
How we know
- Elsewhere in the article“despite VAT at 20% and rates closer to 50p per kWh”
- Elsewhere in the article“spends just £200 annually in electricity”
Show it in the article
“likely paying just 7p per kWh due to the lower VAT rates”
Why this matters
The Express credits the 7p per kWh home price to the VAT cut.
The impression it gives
A reader believes the VAT cut brought home charging down to 7p per kWh, and so created the gap.
The context
The article's own source ties the cheap home figure to a smart charging tariff. A cut from 5% to 0% VAT removes only a few per cent from the price.
How we know
- Elsewhere in the article“using a smart charging tariff”
- Elsewhere in the article“with rates cut from 5% to 0%”
Show it in the article
“others will be confused why they are paying a lot more”
Why this matters
The standfirst says drivers without driveways are "paying a lot more" because of the update.
The impression it gives
A reader believes public-charging drivers now pay more than they did before October.
The context
The article says public charging VAT is still 20%. These drivers pay what they paid before, and the higher public cost predates the change.
How we know
- Elsewhere in the article“Many of these are still relying on public charging bays”
Show it in the article
Written straight
The VAT cut lowers home charging costs slightly while public charging, still taxed at 20%, is unchanged; analysts put the existing annual gap between the two at £2,060.
Outdated quote left uncorrected
Minor
“Equalising public charging VAT with the 5% domestic rate”
Why this matters
The Express prints a quote that gives the domestic VAT rate as 5%, with nothing to say it is out of date.
The impression it gives
A reader may take the domestic rate to be 5% and the £389 saving to apply now.
The context
Earlier in the same article the Express says domestic VAT was cut to 0% on 1 October. The quote, which S19 says Preston gave "previously", reflects the old rate.
How we know
- Elsewhere in the article“with rates cut from 5% to 0%”
Show it in the article

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Andy Burnham’s new driveway rule hits UK drivers with ‘£2,060 penalty’

Headline goes beyond the article

Uses figures that mislead

Outdated quote left uncorrected

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