The UK government has set a target to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel cars by 2030 in order to promote the adoption of electric vehicles (EVs). To make EVs more affordable and accessible, the UK government has introduced several grant schemes to incentivise individuals and businesses to make the switch to electric vehicles. These grant schemes are administered by the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV).
With a number of government grants available, determining who is eligible and what for can get confusing, especially when new grants are announced. In this guide, we’ll explain the types of government grants available, explain who is eligible for them and which grants are applicable for different situations.
What EV grants can I get?
There are currently four main grant schemes for electric vehicle charging infrastructure in the UK:
- Electric Vehicle Chargepoint Grant (EVCG) – This grant offers funding of up to 75% for the installation of EV chargepoints at domestic properties. It has replaced the Electric Vehicle Homecharge Scheme (EVHS) since April 2022. The grant is available for both residential and commercial property owners.
- Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Grant (EVIG) – This grant offers funding of up to 75% to cover the cost of wider building and installation work required to install multiple AC EV Chargers.
- Workplace Charging Scheme (WCS) – This is a voucher-based scheme designed to support eligible businesses, charities and public sector organisations with the up-front cost of purchasing and installing EV charge points.
- On Street Residential Chargepoint Scheme (ORCS) – This provides grant based support to local authorities for the installation of on-street residential chargepoints for plug-in vehicles, particularly in areas where off-street parking is not available.
Electric Vehicle Chargepoint Grant Or Infrastructure Grant
Who is eligible?
The EVCG and EVIG grants are available to property owners, renters and managers in the UK who own or manage flats, apartment blocks or business premises. This includes residential landlords, commercial landlords or individuals who own or rent a flat with a private off-street parking space and eligible electric vehicle.
It’s important to clarify there are different application processes depending on if you’re a landlord, a property owner or a renter applying for Electric Vehicle Chargepoint Grants.
What are you entitled to?
The Electric Vehicle Chargepoint Grant entitles you to either £350 or 75% off the cost (whichever is lower) to buy and install an AC EV charger. Residential properties can receive up to 200 grants per financial year, while commercial properties can receive up to 100 grants per financial year.
The Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Grant entitles you to either £30,000 or 75% off the cost of wider building and installation work required for multiple AC EV chargers. The amount received depends on the number of parking spaces covered by the work, and up to 30 infrastructure grants are available per financial year, with each grant used for a different property.
Are there any exceptions?
The main exceptions to note include:
- The property must be located in the UK (excluding the Channel Islands and Isle of Man).
- The grants are applicable only to existing properties, not buildings under construction.
- For landlords, the grant is only eligible for properties in which they do not reside.
- Commercial properties applying for the grant must have private parking.
- Property owners or renters must be living in a flat, not a house.
How to apply?
To apply, landlords need to create a landlord profile and follow specific steps, such as updating the building’s electrical supply if necessary, arranging maintenance of the charge points, ensuring accessibility, and updating the property’s risk assessment. Flat renters or owner’s can apply separately. Approved installers and charge point models must be selected. The Zaptec Pro and Zaptec Go are both approved models for EV chargepoint grants.
The Workplace Charging Scheme (WCS)
Who is eligible?
The Workplace Charging Scheme is available to registered businesses, charities, and public sector organizations located in England, Wales, or Northern Ireland. Off-street parking facilities must be designated and available for the applicant’s use.
What are you entitled to?
The grant covers up to 75% of the total cost for the purchase and installation of EV charge points. The maximum grant amounts are £350 per AC EV Charger, with a maximum of 40 chargers per applicant across all sites.
Are there any exceptions?
The Workplace Charging Scheme is not available for locations outside of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. It doesn’t cover parking facilities that are part of a domestic property or for customer car parks. The scheme is also not available for people who have already claimed under the WCS, EVHS or domestic recharging scheme.
How to apply
To apply you must also choose an approved installer and approved charge point model. The Zaptec Pro has been approved for the WCS scheme. Once the installation is complete, the installer claims the grant on behalf of the applicant.
The On-Street Residential Chargepoint Scheme (ORCS)
Who is eligible?
The On-street Residential Chargepoint Scheme is open to local authorities in the UK. Relevant local authorities must have the support of the highway authority or landowner responsible for the maintenance of the areas where the chargepoints will be located.
What are you entitled to?
The scheme provides grant funding to local authorities for the procurement and installation of on-street EV chargepoint infrastructure in residential areas. The funding covers up to 60% of eligible costs, with a maximum funding limit of £7,500 per chargepoint (or up to £13,000 in exceptional cases of high electrical connection costs).
How to apply?
Local authorities can contact the support body to discuss their application needs. Once the application form is completed, it should be submitted via email. If the application is accepted, the grant will be paid in two instalments: 75% upfront and the remaining 25% upon project completion. Local authorities must provide itemized breakdowns of capital costs and add the chargepoints to the National Chargepoint Registry (NCR).
The Zaptec Pro offers a charging solution recomended for all Government Grant schemes. Ideal for businesses, commercial and residential landlords. The Zaptec Pro is flexible and easy to install, with state-of-the-art technology for balancing charge loads.
If you’re looking for a flexible charging solution for your development, or have any questions, simply contact our helpful team today.
