Changes to government grants for EV charging points

Individuals and businesses hoping to benefit from government help to install charging points for electric vehicles are advised to hurry before new rules come into force.   The Office for Low Emission Vehicles has changed the grant for home and workplace charge points to £350 per socket, down from £500 to enable more individuals and businesses to benefit, from 1st April 2020.  The OLEV grant – or the Electric Vehicle Homecharge Scheme (EVHS) –  provides 75 per cent off the cost of purchasing and installing a home charge point up to a maximum of £350.  All charge points must use smart technology in order to be eligible – meaning that charge points must be able to be remotely accessed, and capable of receiving, interpreting and reacting to a signal.   The grant is available for most EVs and plug-in hybrids. You can claim one charge point per qualifying vehicle. A household can claim up to two chargepoint grants.  In order to qualify for the OLEV Grant, you will need to: • Have a full electric or plug-in hybrid vehicle, purchased from the 1st October 2016 onwards. If you do not have your vehicle yet, you must have one on order.  • Have off-street parking (for example, a driveway or garage) at your property. (If you do not have access to off-street parking, your Local Authority may be able to help.)   Second-hand vehicles also apply – just make sure that with both new and used vehicles that your application for the grant is within four months prior to, or after receiving your vehicle.  The Workplace Charging Scheme (WCS) is a grant provided by the Office for Low Emissions Vehicles (OLEV) to enable businesses to provide charging solutions at work at a reduced cost.  The WCS reduces the purchase and installation cost of a workplace charge point by £350 per socket, for up to a maximum of 40 charge points. This can mean a cost saving of up to £14,000.  The grant is available to all businesses large or small with some considerations:  • Your workplace needs to have dedicated off-street parking available  • Whilst you do not need to have electric vehicles currently in your fleet, or employees who drive electric cars to work, your business should be able to highlight the future need for charging solutions at your workplace  • Have the work carried out by an OLEV-approved installer