Electric Vehicle Grants for UK Businesses: What is the Workplace Charging Scheme?

In 2023, the conversation about climate change can’t be avoided. From floods in Italy to water shortages in the UK, we can see the early signs that more must be done.

To meet the targets set out in the climate change act, the UK government hopes to increase public buy-in through grants, but what does it mean for UK businesses who run a fleet?

At face value, it may seem best to use cost of ownership tools that allow you to compare electric to petrol, but the impact of shifting to electric vehicles goes further than the initial financial outlay. Logistical concerns about charging and whether vehicles are fit for purpose can complicate matters.

The latest data from Zap-Map (April 2023) says that there are 42,566 EV charging points across the UK, across 24,909 charging locations. This is a 37% increase on the previous year, but it may not be enough to convince business owners that switching to electric is viable. They need to know that their staff will have a fully charged battery whenever necessary, and that there is no risk to operations.

Fortunately, there are options that mitigate this risk, and one is the Workplace Charging Scheme. This government grant aims to provide financial aid to install charging points in the workplace and can be used in conjunction with the EV Infrastructure Grant.

Eligibility for Electric Vehicle Charging Point Grants

Firstly, the grant is available in England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Island, but not in the Channel Islands or Isle of Man. The WCS is open to businesses, charities and public sector organisations that meet the following applicant and site eligibility criteria.

•         The organisation must fulfil one of the following three criteria:

• Be a public authority as referenced in Local Government Act 2003, Section 33, the Freedom of Information Act, Schedule 1, parts 1-3) and in the Public sector classification guide
• Have received – or have currently pending at the time of application – less than €200,000 of public support in the last 3 financial years
• Have received – or have currently pending at the time of application – less than 325,000 Special Drawing Rights (SDR) limit of public support in the last 3 financial years

and

• Declare a need for EV charging equipment, or an intent to encourage uptake among their staff and/or fleet
• Have dedicated off-street parking for staff and/or fleet use only
• Have parking facilities that are clearly associated with the applicant premises and be either on-site or at a reasonable distance from the workplace
• Own the property or have consent from the landlord for chargepoints to be installed at all the sites listed in the application

What Does the EV Workplace Charging Scheme Cover?

The WCS grant covers partial costs related to the up-front installation and procurement cost of electric vehicle charging points. Whilst it covers installations that are in multi-use spaces, it does not cover parking spaces that are for the sole use of customers.

The grant covers up to 75% of total costs (inclusive of VAT) and it is capped at a maximum of:

• £350 per socket
• 40 sockets across all sites per applicant – for instance, if you would like to install them in 40 sites, you will have 1 socket available per site

Once an application is approved, a unique code is sent via email to the applicant, and this should be forwarded to an OZEV authorised commercial chargepoint installer; it is the responsibility of the installer to claim the grant on behalf of the applicant, and this must be done within six months of the voucher issue date.

Until the payment is made by OZEV, the installer must not charge their client. It’s also worth noting that there is an option to add more charging points later, and this means that companies can scale at a rate that suits them.

Overall, shifting to electric is on the horizon for us all. Yes, there’s a long way to go until the UK has an effective network of charging stations, but there is support out there if you’re ready to switch now.