From April 2026, the government’s proposed EV chargepoint levy will add 1–2 p per litre to fuel duty at forecourts without rapid chargers. For a typical independent rural garage selling 500,000 litres a year, that is an extra £5,000–£10,000 in annual costs – costs they cannot fully pass on to customers in price-sensitive areas.
Many rural garages already operate on margins of 4–6 p per litre. The levy pushes them below break-even. The Petrol Retailers Association (PRA) 2025 survey shows that 62 % of independent forecourts in rural and semi-rural locations say the chargepoint levy will force closure or severe cutbacks within 18 months. These are not just fuel stations – they are the last shop, last ATM, last tyre fitter, and last coffee stop in many villages. When they close, communities lose essential services and local jobs.
Large supermarket forecourts and motorway services can install chargers and offset the levy through higher footfall. Small independent garages cannot afford the £80,000–£150,000 cost of rapid chargers plus grid upgrades. The result: rural areas become “charging deserts” while small businesses bear the burden of the government’s net-zero transition.
The solution is targeted and affordable:
- Create a £10,000 EV Infrastructure Conversion Grant for every independent forecourt with turnover under £2 million.
- Funds can be used for: partial charger installation, grid connection costs, signage, or marketing as a charging stop.
- Eligibility: sites in rural or semi-rural postcodes (ONS rural definition).
- Estimated cost to the Treasury: £120 million over three years – covering 12,000 independent forecourts at £10,000 each, less than 0.1 % of the £130 billion annual fuel duty take.
This is not a subsidy for fossil fuels; it is a bridge. The grant buys time for small garages to install chargers, attract EV drivers, and remain viable during the transition. Norway and the Netherlands both offered similar grants to rural forecourts, preserving local services while EV adoption grew.
Do not let net-zero policy kill the last lifeline in rural Britain. Give independent garages the help they need to adapt and survive.
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