Grant schemes for electric vehicle charging

It is well reported that electric car sales are on the up. However, along with the expense of either buying or leasing such a vehicle, comes the additional upfront cost of the purchase and installation of electric vehicle (EV) chargepoints.

Depending upon who is incurring that cost and where you are based in the UK, there are a number of grants out there which might help mitigate that expense.

The Electric Vehicle Homecharge Scheme (EVHS)

• This is aimed at homeowners.
• It provides a 75% contribution to the cost of one chargepoint and its installation.
• You may apply for two chargepoints at the same property, if you have two EVs.
• It is capped at £350 (VAT inclusive) per installation.
• The vehicle must be listed on the EVHS eligible vehicles list at the time of installation.
• You must have dedicated off street parking.
• You have to use an approved EVHS installer who will make the claim on your behalf.
• Unless you live in a flat or rented accommodation, the EVHS comes to an end for installations completed after 31st March 2022.
• If you live in Scotland, you may be able to claim up to a further £350 on top of the EVHS grant, through the Energy Saving Trust. The money would come to you direct.

Workplace Charging Scheme (WCS)

• This is based upon similar lines to EVHS, but is for businesses.
• A business can claim for up to 40 chargepoints across more than one site.
• They must only be used for the business and its employees, but not for their customers.
• In this case, the business must apply online for a voucher code, which they then give to the authorised installer, who makes the claim and discounts their final bill.
• The chargepoint installation must be completed and the voucher claimed within 6 months of the voucher’s issue date.

There are significant tax breaks surrounding EVs which should be balanced against the additional cost of acquiring such a vehicle. We are happy to cover this off with you. Part of the service we can offer in this respect is a company car review. Please do not hesitate to contact us if this is of interest to you.