What it is and how it works

A workplace charger is a fixed point that delivers power to a vehicle and controls how much, when, and to whom. Most workplace installations use 7 kW or 22 kW units on a post or a wall. Rapid DC charging exists but rarely belongs in a staff car park: cars are there all day, and paying for speed nobody uses is money spent on the wrong thing.

The interesting part is not the charger. It is the supply, the ground between the board and the bay, and the software.

The supply. Every charger is load on your incoming service. Six 7 kW sockets all running at once is 42 kW, which many small commercial supplies cannot spare. Load management solves this by sharing the available capacity dynamically, backing the chargers off when the building’s own demand rises. It is almost always cheaper than a supply upgrade, and for all-day parking it costs the driver nothing they notice.

The ground. Trenching, ducting, reinstating tarmac and getting a cable across a car park is usually the largest single line on the quote. We survey it properly and price it before you commit, because it is the part that surprises people.

The software. A back office lets you separate staff from visitors, charge for use, restrict access and pull reports. If the chargers are for a fleet, this is where the actual value sits.

The Workplace Charging Scheme

The scheme is a voucher against the cost of buying and installing chargepoints.

What it covers. Up to 75% of the total cost of purchase and installation, VAT included, capped at £500 per socket for installations completed on or after 1 April 2026. The cap was £350 before that date.
How many. Up to 40 sockets across all of an applicant’s sites, and you can apply for more vouchers over time until you reach that total.
Who qualifies. Registered businesses, charities and public sector organisations with dedicated off-street parking for staff or fleet, that own the property or hold the landlord’s consent. There are limits on other public support received, so the check comes first. State-funded education institutions use a separate version of the scheme.
How long. Funding is confirmed until 31 March 2027.
How it is claimed. Through an installer authorised by the scheme, who applies on your behalf and takes the value off the invoice. We confirm the position for your site in writing before you order.

Figures reviewed 20 September 2026.

Charging with the rest of the site

Workplace charging is the cleanest possible partner for commercial solar: the cars are plugged in during generating hours, so the power that would have been exported at a low rate goes into a vehicle instead. Adding battery storage stretches that past the end of the solar day and takes the edge off several chargers starting together. Where the car park work, the switchgear and the roof are all being touched, our design and consultancy work sequences them so the ground is opened once.

Pros and cons

Pros

The Workplace Charging Scheme covers up to 75% of purchase and installation, capped at £500 per socket since 1 April 2026
Up to 40 sockets can be claimed across all of an applicant's sites
Cars parked all day are the easiest load to match to a solar roof
Load management lets several chargers share one supply instead of paying to upgrade it
Back office systems can bill drivers, separate staff from visitors and report on fleet use

Cons

The grant is claimed through an installer authorised by the scheme, not by the business directly
Scheme funding is confirmed only until 31 March 2027, so the timing of a project matters
The standard rate of VAT applies to commercial installations
Trenching, ducting and surfacing across a car park often costs more than the chargers do
A bank of chargers can exceed your incoming supply, and a supply upgrade is slow and expensive
Leaseholders need the landlord's consent before anything is fixed to the building or the ground

Who it suits

Offices and business parks with dedicated staff parking
Fleet and van depots charging overnight on site
Hotels, gyms and visitor attractions offering charging as a facility
Landlords adding charging to a let building or a shared car park
Sites with commercial solar that want the daytime generation used on site

What is included in a Bespoke installation

A survey of the incoming supply, the distribution board, the spare capacity and the cable route
A load management design, so the chargers share what the site has where a supply upgrade is not worth it
The Workplace Charging Scheme position set out in writing, including whether your site and your organisation qualify
Groundworks, ducting, mounting posts or wall mounts, and the surface made good
Supply, installation, earthing arrangements and commissioning of the chargers
Back office setup, access control and the handover pack

Frequently asked questions

How much is the Workplace Charging Scheme worth?

The scheme covers up to 75% of the total cost of buying and installing chargepoints, including VAT, capped at £500 per socket for installations completed on or after 1 April 2026. Before that date the cap was £350. An applicant can claim up to 40 sockets across all of their sites, and the funding is confirmed until 31 March 2027.

Who can apply for it?

Registered businesses, charities and public sector organisations. You need dedicated off-street parking for staff or fleet, and you must either own the property or have the landlord's consent. There are limits on how much other public support your organisation has received, so the eligibility check comes before anything else. State-funded education institutions apply through a separate version of the scheme.

Do we need to upgrade our electricity supply?

Often not. Load management shares the capacity you already have between the chargers, slowing them down when the building is busy rather than tripping the supply. It suits workplace parking well, because a car that sits there for eight hours does not need to charge at full speed. We check the spare capacity at the survey and tell you where the real limit is.

Can the chargers run from our solar?

Yes, and workplace parking is the best case for it. Cars are plugged in during exactly the hours the roof is generating, so the charging can be set to follow the surplus rather than draw from the grid. Where there is also a battery, the surplus can be stored and used later in the day.

What about VAT on a commercial installation?

The standard rate applies. The 0% rate for energy-saving materials covers residential accommodation and buildings used solely for a relevant charitable purpose, not commercial premises. Note that the grant cap is expressed inclusive of VAT.