Is the price of electric vehicle charging installation stopping you from buying an EV? Go Zero Charge explains all the OZEV grant schemes to help you get cheaper charging infrastructure.
The UK Government will ban the sale of all new petrol and diesel cars from 2030. To help increase the adoption of EVs, a range of OZEV grants will subsidise the installation costs of EV charging infrastructure.
Made available through the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV), the grants are available to small- and medium-sized businesses, landlords, and people living in rented properties.
Here is everything you need to know about the OLVE grant scheme and how it can save you money in the EV transition.
What small- and medium-sized businesses are eligible?
Any charity, company, or public sector organisation with no more than 249 employees registered in the UK can apply for an OZEV grant to install EV charging infrastructure in its commercial car parks.
The installed infrastructure must support at least five parking spaces with a minimum of one working charger. Businesses can receive upwards of £850 – equating to £350 per charger installed and £500 per parking space enabled with supporting infrastructure. The grant is capped at £15,000.
Businesses can apply for an OZEV grant online by submitting an application highlighting where it plans to install the chargers and how many parking spaces will be supported.
The businesses will also need to identify a domestic and commercial OZEV-authorised installer. Once OZEV approves the grant, the installation can commence.
When completed, the installer will claim the grant on the business’ behalf by uploading a copy of the invoice, a diagram of the car park, and photos of the chargers.
Landlords can benefit from an OZEV grant
Landlords can apply for two grants depending on if they are commercial or residential landlords – an EV chargepoint grant and an EV infrastructure grant. In certain circumstances, both grants can be used on the same property.
An EV chargepoint grant provides either a £350 or 75% discount on EV charger installation. A landlord can receive up to 200 grants for residential properties and 100 grants for commercial properties each financial year.
However, a commercial landlord applying for an EV chargepoint grant must ensure the charger is only used by the building’s staff and vehicles.
The EV infrastructure grant provides an alternative option, giving landlords a discount of 30,000 or 75% off on the cost of wider building and installation work needed for multiple chargers at properties with multiple homes, such as flats and estates with shared car parks.
Commercial landlords cannot apply for an EV infrastructure grant, with the discount depending on how many parking spaces are involved.
Residential landlords can receive up to 30 grants per financial year – but they must be used for a different property. They also cannot apply if they live in the property or it’s a holiday rental.
Landlords must ensure each parking space is accessible to tenants, clearly defined, off-street, and private to receive either OZEV grant. They may need to demonstrate a Land Registry title register to prove they own the parking space.
Can holiday accommodation apply?
Holiday and short-stay accommodation businesses can apply for the Workplace Charging Scheme (WCS), which supports the upfront costs and installation of EV chargers.
The WCS can be utilised alongside the EV infrastructure grant at the same site but not to fund the same chargers. Businesses have to claim at least one charger under the EV infrastructure grant and only use the WCS for any chargers added later.
Up to 75% of the total purchase and installation costs are covered under the grant and are capped at a maximum of £350 per socket and 40 sockets across all of the applicant’s sites. So if an applicant has 40 sites, they would have one socket available per site.
Applicants are emailed a voucher code after applying online that they give to their OZEV-authorised commercial chargepoint installer. The installer then claims the OZEV grant on the applicant’s behalf once the chargers are installed.
Renters can apply for an OZEV grant
People who own or rent a flat can apply for £350 or 75% off the cost to buy and install an EV charger under the EV chargepoint grant.
To be eligible, the owner or tenant must live in the flat, have an accessible parking space that is clearly defined, off-street, and private and own an OZEV-approved electric vehicle.
This also includes being the registered owner of an OZEV-approved EV, leasing one for at least six months, using one as a work vehicle for at least six months or currently having one on order.
Supporting evidence, such as a rental agreement and all legal rights and permissions, including from the freeholder of a block of flats, may be required to apply for the grant. The parking spaces will also need to be assessed by an OZEV-authorised installer to check they are suitable for an electric or hybrid vehicle.
