The council received £100,000 to extend a trial of cross-pavement charging solutions to enable safe on-street charging. As a result, 80 electric vehicle (EV) owners had cable trays installed outside their homes. These solutions facilitate legal and safe connection of a cable between a car parked on-street and a resident’s home chargepoint, allowing them to take advantage of cheaper domestic charging rates even when they don’t have a driveway.
After three months, the feedback from participants was very positive, and the council team felt it had been well supported.
Key points
LEVI Pilot Fund allocated £100,000 to Lancashire County Council to expand its cable trays pilot.
Over 100 EV owners submitted expressions of interest, and 80 cable trays were installed.
82% of trial participants responded to a survey after three months, many highlighting benefits for their finances and wellbeing.
The problem
With petrol and diesel cars due to be phased out from 2030, Lancashire County Council wanted to help its residents transition to electric vehicles (EVs). But for those without off-street parking, charging at home without cables trailing across the pavement posed a challenge.
By finding affordable, reliable, scalable solutions to this issue, the council hoped to make EV ownership an option for many more people. This would in turn cut carbon emissions, support UK climate goals, improve air quality and reduce noise pollution.
Without funding to test a range of solutions, the council wouldn’t have been able to make fully informed decisions about how best to support the transition to EVs.
The solution
Lancashire County Council applied to the LEVI Pilot Fund for a £100,000 grant to extend an existing trial of cross-pavement charging solutions. With this funding, it was able to test three different cable tray products.
Eighty households received cable trays on a ‘first come, first served’ basis, after their locations had been checked for safety and suitability. The trays were installed by highways operatives with a six to eight weeks wait time on average.
Throughout the process, Lancashire County Council was assisted and advised by our team as part of the LEVI Support Body.
The outcome
After three months, 82% of trial participants completed a feedback survey. They said the cable trays made their lives easier, emphasising both financial savings and benefits to their wellbeing.
Participant feedback
“This is a great initiative and makes charging much more convenient and much cheaper.”
“It’s absolutely brilliant – and needs rolling out across the county ASAP.”
“It’s been such a wonderful addition and allows me to charge my car from home… I am an active wheelchair user, but I can set up the system from my chair.”
As a result of the trial making charging cheaper and simpler, many people gained confidence to switch from hybrid vehicles to fully electric. The cable trays also generated interest in electric vehicles among other residents.
Impact
One trial participant said they had saved over £1,600 since switching to an EV. Another said their charging costs on a home EV tariff were 10% of what they had paid at public charging points.
I drive 80 miles a day to get to work, which led to a fuel spend of around £50-60 a week. Since switching to an EV in March, we have spent a grand total of £377 on charging the car at home, a saving of around £1,600, let alone the emissions saved. Having a convenient (and legal) way to charge the car without having a driveway is a total game changer.Craig Hirst, Lancashire County Council resident
This is a brilliant product/idea, and it’s made such a difference in my day-to-day life. Not only has it given me back time that was previously spent waiting at public charging points, it’s already saving me a fortune as now I can access home electricity costs (plus special EV electricity tariffs), rather than the expensive rates charged at public points. It now costs me less than 10% of what it did previously.Craig Hirst, Lancashire County Council resident
It has been a massive learning experience and wasn't always easy, but seeing the real change these cable trays make for our residents makes it worthwhile. Additionally, the support from Energy Saving Trust and shared experience from other authorities has been invaluable in shaping the project and overcoming challenges.Kate Wood, Senior Project Officer (EV Charging Infrastructure)Lancashire County Council
Last updated: 24 September 2025
Tell us where you live
Get the most relevant content from Energy Saving Trust by telling us where you live
