Guide to OZEV’s EV Charge Point Grants

The Workplace Charging Scheme has been updated and two new grants have been established. Here we explain what grants are available to businesses and how to apply.

Workplace Charging Scheme 

Background 

Probably the most well-known and established grant, the Workplace Charging Scheme (WCS) provides financial support to businesses towards the cost of purchasing and installing workplace charge points.

It was first introduced by OZEV in 2016, renewed in 2020, and earlier this year was opened up to SMEs, small accommodation businesses, commercial landlords and charities.

The scheme allows for up to £350 per charging socket (maximum of 40 sockets) up to a value of £14,000.

Eligibility 

Fleet, workplaces, SMEs, accommodation businesses and charities are eligible for:

• up to £350 per socket
• a maximum grant of up to £14,000
• Under the scheme, charger usage is restricted to staff and fleet use only
• However, accommodation businesses will be permitted to let guests use the EV charge point(s).
• Businesses can also use the grant to fund the upgrade of charge points older than three years. The funding can’t be used for repairs. It must be a new charge point that’s installed and the 40 socket limit still applies.

Applicants must:

• be a registered business/charity/public sector organisation based in England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland.
• have off-street parking
• own the property or have consent from the landlord for charge points to be installed
• use an OZEV approved installer.

Example business case – corporate workplaces with electric fleet 

As an authorised OZEV installer we have supported many businesses to access the WCS. We recently assisted smart infrastructure solutions company, Costain through the process. Costain required a partner who could provide and install EV charging infrastructure across all its UK offices to power its 3,000-strong fleet.

Our expert associate provided advice on what the company could claim and what site power was required after a full site survey. The associate was also on hand to help with any application queries.

Costain saved approximately £12,000 on 34 sockets across four of their UK sites.

How to apply 

Before you can claim the grant, it is recommended that you speak to an OZEV approved installer, like Mer. Our EV charging experts will help you throughout the whole process and can offer advice when applying for the grant.

You will then submit an online application via OZEV’s portal. The grant operates as a voucher based scheme.

When eligibility checks are complete, you will receive a voucher for the number of required EV charge point sockets. Give this to your installer, who will then invoice you for the work, less the value of the voucher.

The voucher expires after 180 days and the installation must be completed before it expires. After the project is fully completed, your installer will claim the value of the grant on your behalf.

EV infrastructure grant for staff and fleets

Background 

Launched in April this year, the EV infrastructure grant for staff and fleets is aimed at small and medium-sized businesses that want to install EV charge points on their properties, either straight away or in the future. It has been designed to help businesses plan for the demand of low-emission vehicles.

Businesses can get up to £850 for each private parking space that the charging infrastructure and charge point is required for. Each grant application can be up to a maximum of £15,000. If more charge points are needed in addition to those provided by this grant, then the Workplace Charging Scheme may be used.

Eligibility

Small to medium-sized businesses are eligible for:   

• £350 towards each socket
• £500 per bay for supporting infrastructure (e.g. groundworks, electric cabling and electrical supply points such as feeder pillars) to power charge points planned for installation at a later date.
• max grant of up to £15,000 (per site)
• up to 5 grants in total
• Each grant claimed must be for a different site.

Applicants must:

• be registered with Companies House or have a VAT registration
• employ less than 250 people
• have at least one working charging station in place following the first round of funding.
• must have received – or have currently pending at the time of application – less than €200,000 of public support in the past 3 financial years and satisfy the state aid requirements
• designate a minimum of 5 parking bays
• ensure that the charge points installed are used exclusively by staff or fleet. 

Example business case

This grant is perfect for SMEs that have private parking on their premises. They may want to encourage colleagues to make the switch to EVs or have plans to upgrade their current fleet to electric car(s) or van(s) in the near future, and are planning ahead.

The great thing about this grant is that businesses can start small by installing one fully operational EV charger while laying the electrical groundwork for the installation of future charge points.

The grant can be used to cover the costs of: installation, the charging hardware, grid connections, vehicle barriers and site survey works.

How to apply 

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) administers the grant on behalf of OZEV. To access the grant, a business must first register with DVLA using this registration form.

Once registered, you can agree work to be undertaken at a specific site with an OZEV approved installer, like Mer UK.

Once work is complete, your approved installer will apply for the grant on your behalf. They will tell OZEV what was installed and send evidence to verify this. This will include a copy of your invoice, photos of the charge points installed and a diagram of the car park indicating the work completed.

Your installer will invoice you showing the total cost of the installation (including any VAT charged) minus the OZEV grant. DVLA will process the application and inform your installer of the result.

If the grant is awarded, OZEV will pay your installer the grant (which they will have already discounted from your bill).

(OZEV) is in the process of testing a new digital service that will simplify the grant application process. It is due to launch in autumn 2022.

EV charge point grant for landlords

Background

Launched in March of this year, the EV chargepoint grant for landlords gives financial support to landlords to buy and install EV charge points at residential or commercial properties in the UK. The grant can be used across a number of properties or for just one property.

Landlords can receive:

• up to 75% of the cost towards the purchase and installation of a charge point socket, limited to £350 per grant.
• up to 200 grants a year for residential properties
• a further 100 for commercial properties.

Eligibility

You may apply for this grant if you are one of the following:

• landlord of a property
• right to manage company
• companies owning the freehold of a leased or rented property
• companies owning a building’s common areas. The company may comprise shareholders who are the leaseholders. The company may also manage the building
• private registered providers of social housing (PRP)
• public authorities, such as government departments and their agencies, the armed forces, local governments, the NHS and emergency services
• Charities
• ​​If you are applying for a commercially let property, the charge point must be dedicated for use by the staff or fleets of the property’s tenant. It cannot be for public use.

You can apply for:

• single-unit residential properties, such as flats and houses
• multi-unit residential properties, such as apartment blocks
• commercially let properties that have parking dedicated for staff use or fleet use of the tenant or prospective tenant
• Holiday rental properties are not covered by this grant

Example business case

This grant is perfect for a landlord of a multi-residential complex with private communal (unallocated) parking bays. Installing EV infrastructure now, while there is funding available, helps to address the growing demand for charging and keeps the property attractive to potential renters.

Commercial landlords can also benefit. For example if you own and rent out commercial units to businesses, having the property equipped with EV charge points attracts environmentally conscious organisations who have an e-fleet or want to encourage their employees to make the switch.

How to apply 

Before you can apply, you must register with OZEV and get a landlord registration number.

To register, you will need one of the following:

• company registration number
• VAT registration number

You will also need:

• a contact email address
• contact address corresponding to that registered with Companies House or your VAT registration
• to complete the EV chargepoint grant for landlords registration form and send it by email to [email protected].

Once your details are verified, DVLA will provide you a landlord registration number for the scheme. You should then seek advice from a verified OZEV installer who will talk you through the next steps.

Get in touch 

We don’t expect our customers to be experts in EV charging, and that same ethos applies to the above OZEV grants. We know there’s a lot to take in and that’s why we are here to help.

Our associates can advise and guide you through the process from an initial chat, through to site surveys and DNO connection to install and aftercare. Speak to an associate today on 03300 562 562 or email [email protected]