The On-Street Residential Chargepoint Scheme could bring an EV Charger to your street

The UK government is looking to improve the availability of electric vehicle charging in residential streets where off-street parking may not be available. This is part of an ambitious push to reach net 0 emissions by 2050, and transform the UK's roads into pollution-free, energy-saving highways.

What is the scheme?

The purpose of the scheme is to increase the availability of on-street chargepoints in residential streets where off-street parking is not available, thereby ensuring that on-street parking is not a barrier to realising the benefits of owning a plug-in EV.

The Office for Zero-Emission Vehicles (OZEV) have teamed up with Energy Saving Trust to release the On-Street Residential Chargepoint Scheme, a program that could see an EV charging point installed along your street. This not only helps the residents who already own an EV but also encourages others to make the big switch and reduce their carbon footprint, and save (or even earn) money.

Who can apply?

The Energy Saving Trust and the OZEV are encouraging local authorities to apply for the grant to improve their local electric vehicle charging infrastructure. There is no strict maximum or minimum project size, although projects must be deliverable within appropriate timeframes (project completion expected by 31 March 2023). The Energy Saving Trust provides free, impartial advice and guidance to local authorities throughout the UK surrounding the electric vehicle schemes run by OZEV.

Local authorities can also apply for electric vehicle charging to be installed in car parks, instead of on a residential street. For this to happen, the car park must be owned by the local authority and situated in or close to a residential area that lacks off-street parking. The car park must also be accessible on a 24/7 basis (or at least for free overnight). Once EV charging stations are installed, each chargepoint must have its own dedicated EV bay (enforced by a traffic regulation order) and each bay must have a minimum 'maximum stay' time of 4 hours during the day. This is to ensure that any EV chargepoints installed are accessible, affordable and necessary.

If a local authority has already applied for, received, and completed a project successfully, they are then able to provide evidence that demand for EV charging infrastructure remains, they can apply for more funding to begin a new project - provided that funding remains available. This further funding isn't guaranteed by OZEV, but that shouldn't stop local authorities from applying.

How much could I get?

The maximum OZEV will fund per chargepoint unit installation is £13,000. OZEV anticipates costs to be much lower than this in most cases, and funding above £7,500 per chargepoint will be limited to those cases where connection costs are particularly high. Local authorities will need to prove that they have thought through the financial side of their application, and they should expect their costs to be scrutinized as the OZEV looks to give grants to those who have proposed a cost-effective plan, and value for money. Full evidence of financial planning will include quotes, cost breakdowns, evidence of discussions with suppliers, and invoices (if available).

OZEV has allocated £20 million of funding from 2021 to 2022 for the scheme. This funding is available to local authorities for eligible projects, which will be based on the existing infrastructure in the area, the demand for the infrastructure within the residents, and an appropriate time frame in which to carry out the project.

Why should I apply?

If you're a local authority, the On-Street Residential Chargepoint Scheme could improve the lives of EV users who live along the street, where there is a lack of off-street parking and no affordable EV charging around.

Widely accessible charging is a desirable advantage when EV users are looking for a new place to move into, and the OZEV grant could improve the infrastructure of your town and attract new and loyal residents.

How do I claim this grant?

If you feel that your residential area is lacking in electric vehicle charging infrastructure and you'd like to look at your options for improving it, please contact us for a free consultation regarding the scheme and applications for on-street residential chargepoints. To read about the other grants offered by OZEV read our post here.