Workplace Charging Scheme – Charities and Small Accommodation Businesses

The Workplace Charging Scheme (WCS) is being continued alongside the newly reformed Electric Vehicle Homecharge Scheme (EVHS) and the new Chargepoint Grant for Landlords.

However, the WCS has been extended. So, not only will businesses and public organisations be able to continue to claim the grant, but small accommodation businesses and charities will now be able to take advantage too, both for staff and customer use.

Keep reading to find out more.

What is the Workplace Charging Scheme? 

The Workplace Charging Scheme is another Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV) incentive. However, this specific grant is aimed at helping businesses make the switch to electric rather than the domestic market. £350 funding is available per charging socket, up to a maximum of 40 sockets, meaning up to £14,000 of grant funding is available.

Who is now eligible for the Workplace Charging Scheme Grant? 

Businesses and public sector organisations that meet the eligibility criteria can continue to claim the funding like usual. However, since 1st April, charities and small accommodation businesses are now free to claim the funding as part of the grant extension, either for staff use or customer use.

What counts as a small accommodation business? 

Under the Standard Industrial Classification Codes, the following businesses are classed as small accommodation businesses:

• 5510 – Hotels, B&B’s and similar accommodation
• 5520 – Holiday and short-stay accommodation
• 5530 – Camping grounds, trailer parks and recreational vehicle parks.

However, under the Workplace Charging Scheme grant, a small accommodation business is classed as a business with 249 employees or less. Therefore, if you are one of the previously stated businesses but have more than 249 staff members, you will unfortunately not be eligible.

When will the expanded Workplace Charging Scheme come into play? 

Charities and Small Accommodation Businesses can claim the Workplace Charging grant now!

How do I know if I am eligible for the Workplace Charging Scheme as a charity or small accommodation business? 

You must meet the following criteria and provide the relevant evidence:

• You must be a registered charity OR a small accommodation business with 249 employees or less.
• You must not have exceeded or are in the process of exceeding more than €200,000 worth of public support in the last three financial years.
• Declare a need for EV charging equipment.
• Have dedicated off-street parking either on-site or a reasonable distance from the place of work.
• The business must own or rent the property. If the latter, landlord permission will be required.
• Have either a Companies House reference number or a VAT registration number. If you do not have either forms of evidence, a HMRC registration letter may be used.
• Charities can upload a copy of their registration to the Charity Commission.
• The EV charger(s) installed must be authorised units under the Workplace Charging Scheme (see here for the full list).
• The electric vehicle charger must be installed by an OZEV approved installer (such as ourselves).
• Be located in England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland.

Please note, you do not need to have an electric vehicle yourself to be able to claim the Workplace Charging Scheme grant.

Once installed the electric vehicle chargers can be used by anybody, there are no restrictions for charities and small accommodation businesses, meaning both employees and customers/visitors can use the charger(s). Unfortunately, other types of businesses can not claim the WCS grant if the chargers are for customer use.

How do I apply for the Workplace Charging Scheme grant? 

Firstly, you will need to apply for the grant using the government’s online application form. Once this has been completed and signed off by the government, successful applicants will be given an identification voucher code via email, which you can then send to us. Once we have received your voucher code, we will take it from there and claim the grant on your behalf!

Please note that the electric vehicle charger must be installed and the grant claimed within 6 months of the voucher issue date.

Are you a small accommodation business or a charity looking to get one or more smart EV chargers installed at your workplace? We Power Your Car can sort it for you.

Contact us for more information or any queries you may have. We install nationwide with quick installation times and are an OZEV certified company.

Feel free to call us on 03333 44 96 99. Our expert customer service team are always happy to help.

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