February 16, 2021 //
1:53 pm
The UK and Scottish governments have outlined an ambitious plan that will allow them to meet their climate change objectives. As part of this sales of petrol and diesel vehicles will be banned by 2030.
This announcement has sparked an interest and increased demand for electric vehicles in Scotland as they prepare for a future of electric cars. In 2019 a record breaking number of 2.1million elective vehicles were sold worldwide.
One of the main reservations that people often have with switching to electric cars, is that they are worried about the ease of charging.
They are worried about running out of battery at an inconvenient time, especially with charging ports not yet being as readily available as petrol stations.
That’s why we recommend that if you are interested in an electric vehicle that you install your own charging port. This means that you will be in charge of when you charge your car and it can help you to reduce the running costs.
However, this means that not only do you need to factor in the increased cost of an electric car, but you also need to account for the cost of installing a charging port, which could be between £300-£1000 on average.
In this blog, we’ll look at whether there are any government grant schemes to help cover the costs of installing an Electric Vehicle (EV) charging port.
What grant schemes are available for installing EV charging ports in your home?
In order to help overcome one of the major challenges in getting people to switch from petrol and diesel cars to electric vehicles, the government is providing financial investment.
This grant will help them to shoulder the financial burden of installing an electric vehicle charging station in their home.
There is both a home and workplace grant available. However, this blog will be focussing on the home grants available.
The Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV) grant is also known as the Electric Vehicle Homecharge Scheme (EVHS), and offers the grant for installation of home charging stations.
This grant provides £350 off the cost of the supply and installation of a home charging station for an electric car.
In addition the Energy Saving Trust (EST) will provide up to £250 further funding to those who are eligible.
As the supply and installation of a charging station can be between £300-£1000 on average, this means that the grant will cover a large portion of the costs, or in some cases all of it.
This removes the financial burden of switching from petrol to electricity. And, it allows people to feel more comfortable with their electric car, knowing that they always have somewhere to charge it from.
Who is eligible for the OLEV grant?
So, is everyone eligible for this grant?
Well, pretty much. There are no financial restrictions on the grant, however there are a few logistical hurdles.
To qualify for the OLEV or the EST grant, you need to have off-street parking (ie. a driveway or a garage) for the charging station to be installed in.
In addition, you must use an OLEV-approved home charging point installation team.
This is something that the team at Cerretti can help with, as we are an approved installer.
Ready to Install your EV Charging Station?
As demand for electric cars increases, so does the need for electric car charging stations at your home.
However, in addition to the cost of the car, the installation costs of charging points can add an additional financial burden. This is why the government is offering a grant scheme to help pay towards the cost of supply and installation of the EV charging station.
Get in touch with us if you are looking to install a charging station for your electric car. We can provide you with an exact quote so that you are better equipped to budget your installation, and help you understand how to apply for the grant.
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