30% of Irish Homes Cannot Easily Charge an EV at Home: What Is Changing

Around 30% of Irish households do not have easy access to private home charging, according to an RTÉ analysis published on 2 October 2026. Those homes are in terraces, apartments or semi-detached houses with no driveway or limited off-street parking, and they are being left behind by a market where most EV owners charge at home. The article sets out the regulatory gaps behind the problem and the fixes now being worked on. Here is what the access gap means for your running costs, and what you can do about it today.

Why Can't 30% of Irish Households Charge at Home?

Ireland's housing stock is the root of the problem, not the cars.

• About 80% of people who already own an EV charge at home, because a private driveway allows a dedicated wall charger.
• Around 30% of households live in terraces, apartments or semi-detached homes without a driveway or with very limited off-street parking.
• Ireland has the highest share of houses versus apartments in the EU, yet one of the lowest rates of public EV charging, so the homes that cannot charge privately also have fewer alternatives nearby.

The result is a two-speed market. A driver with a driveway charges overnight for a fraction of the cost of a driver who depends on the public network.

What Does Relying on Public Charging Cost?

The price gap is the whole story. At the time of writing (October 2026), home charging on a night tariff is inexpensive, while public rapid charging is priced like a convenience service.

*Figures correct as of October 2026, based on an EV using about 17 kWh per 100 km, or 2,550 kWh over 15,000 km. Tariffs and charging prices are subject to change.*

That gap of roughly €1,000 to €1,600 a year is why access to a home charger, rather than the price of the car, now decides how cheap an EV is to run.

What Fixes Are Coming for Homes Without Driveways?

Several solutions are in the pipeline, though none is fully in place yet.

• Pavement gullies. A channel cut across the pavement lets a cable reach a car parked at the kerb safely. Changes to private wires legislation are expected later this year, but supporting regulations and standards are still needed.
• Charging arms. An overhead arm carries a cable over a footpath, but many councils, including Dublin City Council, treat it as a permanent structure that needs planning permission. Some TDs want it exempted.
• Apartment schemes. SEAI already supports bulk charger installation in multi-unit developments, covering 90% of costs for local authorities and approved housing bodies, 80% for owners management companies, and 60% for build-to-rent management companies.

The direction is clear, but the timelines are not, so homes without a driveway should not wait on policy to act.

What Can You Do If You Have No Driveway?

There are practical options even before the new rules arrive.

• If you rent or own an apartment, our guide to installing an EV charger in an apartment explains the permission steps and the apartment grant.
• If you have a small driveway or a shared space, a compact charger such as the Ohme ePod can often be wall-mounted where a larger unit will not fit.
• Combine public charging with a home top-up where you can, and time it around cheap supermarket or workplace chargers.
• Check the arithmetic before you buy, using our breakdown of home versus public EV charging costs.

Whatever your parking situation, our EV charger range and the EV charging FAQs are a good place to see what fits.

Final Thoughts

The 30% access gap is the biggest structural issue facing EV adoption in Ireland, and it will not close on its own. Policy will help at the margins, but the fastest route to cheap running costs is still a smart home charger wherever there is off-street parking to support one. If you have a driveway, use it. If you do not, the apartment schemes and emerging kerbside solutions are worth tracking closely.

Ready to Sort Out Home Charging?

WattCharger installs SEAI grant-approved home chargers across Ireland, and can advise on the best option for apartments, shared parking and small driveways. Get in touch for a free consultation and see how little it could cost you to charge at home.