Government EV Homecharge Schemes

So, what is the EV Homecharge Scheme? Each year, the number of electric vehicles on the roads in the UK rises. By 2020 it is predicted that over one million electric vehicles will be on the road. However, this means the number of electric vehicle chargers available to use on the roads will have to increase six-fold. The UK’s current target policy is to insist that by 2040, all new cars and vans sold in the UK should be zero emissions capable – that means battery electric, plug-in hybrid electric or hydrogen. In order to meet these targets the number of accessible chargers needs to increase. The availability of accessible and affordable charging options is the key to increasing the uptake of plug-in vehicles in the UK. That is why the government have various schemes available for both domestic and commercial premises.

EV Homecharge Scheme

It comes as no surprise that most plug-in vehicle owners will carry out the largest proportion of their charging at home. Some Electric Car owners say they are put off having an EV charger installed at home due to the price. However, the government currently has the EV Homecharge Scheme, which is designed to help people cover the cost of purchasing an electric charge point. Each household/eligible vehicle owner is entitled to a contribution of up to 75% towards the cost of one charge point, to a maximum of £500 (including VAT).

Having a home charger will end up saving you money. The average cost to fully charge your car is just over £3. For example, to fully charge a 30kWh Nissan LEAF overnight will cost about £3.96 Whereas, if you were to use a rapid charging point, typically found at service stations, it generally costs about £6.50 for a 30-minute charge. A home charger is also far more convenient too. Charging points have not yet been installed in every service station and supermarket, in fact, currently, only 3% of supermarkets have chargers, this means you can spend a large amount of time driving around to find a charger. 

There are several different styles and brands of Electric Vehicle chargers to choose from in the scheme. The full list is available of the gov.uk site.

Workplace EV Charging Scheme

The Workplace Charging Scheme (WCS) is a voucher-based scheme that provides support towards the up-front costs of the purchase and installation of electric vehicle charge-points, for eligible businesses, charities and public sector organisations. The scheme allows eligible applicants to claim 75% of the purchase and installation costs of a commercial EV charger, up to a maximum of £500 per install. You can claim for up 20 commercial EV chargers across all sites.

Having an EV charger at your business can benefit your business in many different ways. For example, having an EV charger for public use installed at your business premises could be a very lucrative investment. Many EV charger providers have chargers specifically designed for commercial properties, thus having the option to have a ‘Pay as You Go’ feature installed. This will bring a new stream of revenue to your business.

If your business is eligible for the Workplace Charging Scheme you can only redeem your vouchers with an authorised installer and can only install charge point models which are approved by OLEV.

The full range of eligible workplace charge points is available on the gov.uk website.