The UK’s goal is zero emissions by 2050. But as one of the biggest and most industrially advanced countries in the world, how is this possible? While we can’t grasp the bigger picture yet, electric vehicles will dominate the streets of both urban and rural areas around the country. To help the public adapt to this new transport technology, the government is extending help through the OLEV grant.
OLEV Grant: The Basics
In light of the aggressive stand of the government against climate change, petrol and diesel cars will be banned by 2035. The Office of Low Emission Vehicles offers a grant for electric car chargers. There’s the OLEV Workplace Grant and another for home chargers. In this article, we will focus more on the scheme for workplaces and other business establishments.
In a nutshell, the grant aims to help companies cover the cost of installing charging stations for their employees. The cap amount is £10,000 or 20 charging sockets per business. This scheme is available to all companies, whether public or private, and also includes charities. However, the scheme isn’t retroactive. Hence, it’s only applicable to new installations.
What are the qualifications?
Although every business can technically apply, there are requirements that could disqualify your company from receiving a grant from the scheme. First, the workplace should have a dedicated parking space off-street. Also, the company needs to express the need to include electric cars as part of the business fleet. Finally, you can only have the charging stations installed by OLEV-certified installers.
How does the process of applying and claiming work?
The first step to qualify for the scheme is to apply. Once your application is successful, you’ll receive a voucher code. This voucher is what you’ll present to the installer which they, in turn, will use to claim against the grant.
How does your business benefit from having dedicated EV charging stations?
One of the main deterrents to acquiring an electric car is the inconvenience of charging. Since not every household has a parking garage, being able to charge in public locations is a big help. Charging while in the workplace is a perfect solution because cars are parked during working hours. In the case of company vehicles, these can be charged at night. Indeed, investing in charging stations has an excellent ROI.
So, how else can your company benefit from this initiative?
- Significant savings in fuel costs for company and fleet vehicles
- Encourage employees to use electric cars, which is a big help in reducing carbon emissions.
- Reach sustainability and eco-friendly goals that are in line with the government’s targets.
- It can be an add-on to employee benefits.
Embracing the demand for electric vehicles is only one of the many ways the UK can achieve zero emissions by 2050. This government scheme may not be the only solution, but it at least helps ease the additional cost of investing in quality charging stations. And when you can charge your EV on the go, you’ll have more reason to switch to an EV and live a more eco-friendly lifestyle.