UK Power Networks has increased the proportion of domestic electric vehicle charge point and heat pump applications approved automatically to more than 86%, as it uses digital tools and revised processes to speed up connections.
The distribution network operator said the overall rate had risen from 70% a year earlier. Figures published in Octopus Energy’s annual league table place UK Power Networks at the top of the industry for auto-approvals for the second consecutive year.
Approval rates rise across both technologies
For EV charge points, the automatic approval rate increased from 68% in July 2025 to 88% in June 2026. Heat pump approvals rose from 74% to 86% over the same period.
UK Power Networks attributed the improvement to enhanced digital tools, closer collaboration with installers and refinements to its approval processes. The company said work with installers and trade associations had improved understanding of application requirements, reducing avoidable errors and increasing the number of applications submitted correctly the first time.
Ashley Southgate, low carbon technology strategy manager at UK Power Networks, said: “As more customers move to electric vehicles, heat pumps and other low-carbon technologies, it’s vital that connecting them to the network is simple and straightforward.
“By investing in smarter digital tools, streamlining our processes and working closely with the industry, we’ve increased automatic approvals while maintaining the high safety and reliability standards our customers expect.”
Southgate said the results reflected collaboration with charge point installers, trade bodies and UK Power Networks teams, adding that the approach would help the network support the UK’s transition to net zero.
Tej Patel, managing director at Renbee, said UK Power Networks’ Smart Connect service and the operating model behind it were “critical to the adoption of low carbon technologies”. He said the focus on the customer journey, higher approval thresholds, shorter response times and greater installer adoption would strengthen trust between platforms, installers and the distribution network operator.