Charge point operators fall short of requirements, says new report

Monta surveyed more than 200 senior UK charge point operator (CPO) decision-makers to explore challenges in meeting the Government’s Public Charge Point Regulations and the requirement that rapid charge points must be, on average, reliable for 99% of the time during each calendar year.

In the national survey, just 4% of CPOs reported average charger uptime of 99.5% or above. The level most closely aligned with the 99% requirement. The majority (74%) achieve uptime above 95%, indicating strong progress, but also underlining the challenge of bridging the final percentage points needed to consistently reach the regulatory benchmark.

For many operators, this performance gap raises concerns about the risk of civil penalties of up to £10,000 per charge point, with nearly half (47%) of respondents citing the penalty regime as a major worry.

The research, contained in a new report on ‘The pain points and growth opportunities impacting charge point operators in 2025’, also reveals significant visibility gaps across the network. Fewer than one in five CPOs (17%) said they could access key diagnostics such as uptime, charge success rate and user satisfaction on demand. Instead, 40% receive this data only periodically, 33% occasionally and one in 10 (10%) rarely or never have access.

Jon Evans, head of market, UK & Ireland at Monta, said the findings underline the scale of operational, technical and financial pressures facing CPOs as the sector works to adapt to higher regulatory expectations.

“The UK government is right to set ambitious standards for charge point reliability. EV drivers need to know that charging will be available and dependable wherever they travel, and uptime is the cornerstone of that trust. Regulations that focus on the quality of service are essential if we are to accelerate EV adoption and build public confidence.”