What Is the Workplace Charging Scheme (WCS)?
The Workplace Charging Scheme (WCS) covers up to 75% of the cost of buying and installing workplace EV chargepoints, including VAT, capped at £500 per socket. Installations completed before 1 April 2026 are capped at £350 per socket. The scheme closes on 31 March 2027.
The grant is paid as a voucher. An authorised installer does the work and claims the grant, usually taking it off your invoice. Terms were checked on the GOV.UK Find a grant page in October 2026, and the government can change or end the scheme, so check that page before you apply. Home, landlord and school grants run under separate rules, which the EV charger grants guide sets side by side.
Who Is Eligible for the Workplace Charging Scheme?
Businesses, charities, public sector organisations and small accommodation businesses can apply. The site needs dedicated off-road parking that is clearly associated with the premises. Organisations that are not public authorities must stay within the Minimal Financial Assistance limit of £315,000 over 3 financial years.
Each applicant can claim for up to 40 sockets across all of its sites. The limit is cumulative, so an organisation that has already claimed 10 sockets can claim 30 more.
Public sector organisations are on the list of eligible applicants. State-funded schools and other state-funded education institutions have a separate scheme with a higher cap of £2,000 per socket.
Who may use grant-funded chargepoints depends on the applicant. A business must keep them for staff and fleet vehicles, although it can let local residents use them outside office hours. Public authorities, charities and small accommodation businesses have no restriction on who uses them, so customers, guests and visitors can charge too. Chargepoints opened to the public must also meet the Public Charge Point Regulations 2023.
How to Apply for the Workplace Charging Scheme
Follow the application link on the GOV.UK Find a grant page for the Workplace Charging Scheme. An approved application gives you a voucher that is valid for 180 days, and your authorised installer completes the work and claims the grant within that time.
The grant can only be claimed when an authorised installer does the work, so confirm the installer is authorised before you sign a contract. GOV.UK also advises having the site surveyed by an installer before you apply.
Workplace EV Charger Installation Costs
Installation quotes vary by site. Socket power, the number of sockets, cabling distance, supply upgrades and groundworks all affect the cost. Get a site survey and several installer quotes before budgeting. Ask each installer to itemise the work so you can compare quotes for the same requirements.
The grant pays the lower of 75% of the eligible cost or £500 per socket. Work out both figures from each itemised quote to see what you will pay after the grant.
Employer EV Charging Policy: What to Include
A written charging policy protects both employer and employee and heads off disputes over cost and access once demand for a limited number of sockets grows. A workable policy usually covers:
- Who can use the chargepoints. Decide whether access is for staff, fleet or both, and whether it is first come first served or booked. Businesses that use the WCS grant cannot open grant-funded chargepoints to visitors (see eligibility above).
- Cost to the employee. Many employers provide charging free at point of use as a staff benefit. HMRC does not usually treat this as a taxable benefit (see Tax Benefits below for the conditions). Others recover cost through a per-kWh charge or a salary sacrifice arrangement for employees with company cars.
- Session limits and etiquette. Set a maximum charging time, or a rule to move your car once charged. This lets a small number of chargers serve more people across the working day.
- Home charging reimbursement. Many employers pair workplace charging with a policy for reimbursing home charging costs for company vehicles. HMRC treats a reimbursed share of a domestic energy bill used to charge a company car in a similar way to workplace charging for tax purposes.
- Fair access across multiple sites. Local authorities and other public sector bodies with several depots or offices should set one consistent policy across all sites. The policy should cover how sockets are shared between fleet vehicles and staff-owned cars.
- Maintenance and safety basics. Name the person responsible for reporting faults and arranging repairs. Provide clear signs for accessible parking bays with chargers.
Put the policy in your employee handbook and review it annually, particularly as more staff switch to EVs and demand for a fixed number of sockets increases.
Tax Benefits for Workplace EV Charging
Two separate tax reliefs apply on top of the WCS grant itself.
Benefit-in-kind exemption: since 6 April 2018, workplace charging has been exempt when the chargepoints are at or near the workplace and available to employees generally. HMRC guidance says the benefit stays taxable if it is offered through an optional remuneration arrangement, such as salary sacrifice. Charging a company car or van is covered by a separate exemption.
Capital allowances: businesses can claim a 100% first-year allowance on qualifying chargepoint equipment, deducting the full cost from profits before tax in the year of purchase. GOV.UK confirms the allowance applies to qualifying expenditure up to 31 March 2027 for Corporation Tax and 5 April 2027 for Income Tax.
Check how the reliefs and the grant apply to your business with your accountant before you commission the work.
Choosing the Right Chargers for Your Workplace
Employee Commuter Charging (7kW)
7kW chargers suit staff who park for most of the working day. A 7kW charger adds up to about 7kWh per hour, so how much a car gains depends on how long it stays and how much charge it needs. Lower-power chargers also draw less from your electrical supply.
Fleet Charging (22kW)
22kW chargers can give faster turnaround for company fleets. A car only charges at 22kW if its onboard charger accepts 22kW AC, and many cars accept 11kW or 7kW. Check your fleet models before paying for 22kW units.
Smart Load Management
Smart load management shares the available power across connected vehicles so the chargers stay within your site's supply limit. Ask your installer to assess your supply and expected charging demand, and to say whether load management, a supply upgrade or both are needed for the number of chargers you plan.