Workplace Charging Scheme grant for office EV chargers

The Workplace Charging Scheme is administered by the UK government's Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV) and provides grant funding for businesses installing EV chargers at workplaces with off-street parking.

Grant value is £350 per socket up to a maximum of 40 sockets per applicant business across all sites — total maximum £14,000. Both 7 kW and 22 kW chargers qualify, as do single-socket and dual-socket models.

Eligibility is broad: any UK business with off-street parking can apply, including SMEs, public sector, charities, and not-for-profits. Chargers must be from an OZEV-approved installer (we are approved) using approved hardware models (published on the OZEV portal).

Application process is straightforward: 1. Business applies for WCS voucher via OZEV portal (online form, ~30 minutes) 2. Voucher is issued within 5-10 working days 3. Installer commissions chargers within 120 days of voucher issuance 4. Installer redeems the voucher by submitting commissioning evidence to OZEV 5. Grant value is passed through to the customer as discount on the installer's invoice

For office solar projects with workplace EV charging integration, the WCS grant typically covers 8-15% of the EV-charger portion of capex. For a 16-charger workplace install costing £45,000 net, WCS contributes £5,600 — small but useful, and the application process is trivial.

We typically structure office solar + workplace EV charging as a single integrated install, with WCS application and voucher handling included in the package. Customers see a single invoice with the grant value deducted at source.

Solar PV + workplace EV charging: the integrated case

The Workplace Charging Scheme and solar PV are natural partners. Solar generates cheap electricity during working hours; workplace EV chargers provide a daytime load that improves the solar system's self-consumption ratio. The combination solves a specific problem for office buildings: solar peak generation (11:00-15:00) often exceeds building baseload demand in spring and summer, creating export that earns only 8-12p/kWh under SEG. EV chargers, running during these same hours, consume that surplus at 28-32p/kWh of avoided grid cost — a 2.5× improvement in value per kWh generated.

For a 280 kWp office solar system with 20 × 7 kW EV chargers:

• Solar self-consumption without EV chargers: ~72%, exporting ~71,000 kWh/year at ~10p = £7,100/year SEG
• Solar self-consumption with EV chargers (60% used 09:00-16:00): ~89%, exporting ~28,000 kWh/year at ~10p = £2,800/year SEG
• Value of additional self-consumption: 43,000 kWh × 18p incremental value = £7,740/year
• Net improvement from adding EV chargers: +£4,440/year on solar economics alone

This is before accounting for EV charger revenue (if the business charges employees or visitors), and before the WCS grant, which reduces EV charger capex by up to £14,000.

WCS-approved charger models for offices in 2026

The OZEV approved products list is updated periodically. Common office-grade charger models that currently qualify include:

• Zappi (myenergi): 7 kW or 22 kW, solar divert mode (explicitly designed to prioritise solar export over grid import). Popular for office solar integration.
• Ohme Home Pro / Ohme ePod: Smart scheduling, load management. WCS-approved.
• Pod Point (EDF Energy): Smart 7 kW, widely used in commercial fleet charging. WCS-approved.
• Rolec EV SECURICHARGE: 7 kW and 22 kW commercial units, RFID access control, WCS-approved.
• EVBOX Business Line: 3-phase 22 kW, load management across multiple units, WCS-approved.

Not all charger models qualify — particularly older units without smart scheduling capability. The full approved list is published on the OZEV portal and updated quarterly. We specify WCS-approved hardware exclusively on all workplace charging installations.

WCS for public sector and charities

The Workplace Charging Scheme is available to public-sector organisations and charities — there is no requirement to be a private company. Local authorities, NHS trusts, universities, and charities can claim WCS on workplace EV chargers for staff parking facilities.

For public-sector bodies also pursuing Salix PSDS for solar PV, the WCS covers EV charger capex while PSDS covers solar capex — the two grants can be applied to different elements of the same integrated install without any stacking conflict. This is the optimal structure for public-sector office solar + workplace EV charging projects.

WCS beyond the 40-socket cap: options for larger sites

The 40-socket maximum per applicant means that large office campuses with 50+ EV charger points cannot be fully funded by WCS. Options for larger installations:

• Phase the installation: Install 40 sockets in year one (WCS-funded), apply for additional WCS vouchers in subsequent years as the policy allows (the 40-socket limit resets annually for businesses with genuine additional charging needs — confirm with OZEV for current policy).
• AIA on the uncovered capex: EV chargers qualify as plant and machinery for AIA purposes. On a 60-charger install at £120k total, WCS covers £14,000, AIA covers £26,500 in tax relief (25% CT × £106k uncovered capex). Combined: 34% effective subsidy.
• Operating lease: For very large installations (100+ chargers), specialist EV charging operators offer lease arrangements where the operator installs and maintains chargers in exchange for a revenue share from charging fees. This removes the capex burden entirely.