Project inc VAT£11,352–£30,552
Potential WCS£2,000
After grant inc VAT£9,352–£28,552
Workplace Charging Scheme · UK 2026
Up to £500 per socket — with the current scheme in its final year.
The Workplace Charging Scheme can reduce the upfront cost of eligible workplace EV chargers, but the £500 figure is only one part of the rule. Applicant type, parking use, site status, approved hardware and the timing of the application all matter.
Official scheme data checked: 1 September 2026
How much can you get?
The £500 socket cap is not automatically the grant amount.
The scheme pays up to 75% of eligible purchase and installation cost including VAT, but never more than £500 for each eligible socket.
Step 1
Eligible cost × 75%
vs
Step 2
Eligible sockets × £500
→
Grant
Use the lower figure
4 sockets£2,000maximum socket-based cap
8 sockets£4,000maximum socket-based cap
20 sockets£10,000maximum socket-based cap
40 sockets£20,000maximum socket-based cap
Worked planning examples
What the grant does to example workplace budgets.
These examples use the same V2 cost engine as our calculator: medium cable routes, light civils, RFID access, smart load management and electrical capacity not yet confirmed.
Project inc VAT£17,928–£45,048
Potential WCS£4,000
After grant inc VAT£13,928–£41,048
Project inc VAT£37,368–£88,008
Potential WCS£10,000
After grant inc VAT£27,368–£78,008
These are planning examples, not eligibility decisions. The calculator assumes the entered costs are eligible and that the applicant has not already used any of the 40-socket allowance.
Applicant eligibility
Who can use the standard Workplace Charging Scheme?
The current scheme is open in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland to eligible organisations that satisfy the applicant and site conditions.
Businesses
Including eligible businesses primarily run from a residential property where the address and parking rules are met.
Charities
Eligible registered charities and organisations able to provide the required evidence.
Public sector
Eligible public authorities and public-sector organisations across the four UK nations.
Small accommodation businesses
A specifically recognised applicant type with more flexible rules about who can use the supported parking.
Different scheme
School / education guide
State-funded education can receive up to £2,000 per socket.
Do not use the standard £500 WCS rate when the organisation qualifies for the separate state-funded education scheme.
Parking-use rules
This is where many WCS assumptions go wrong.
For an ordinary business application, the supported parking must be for staff or fleet rather than customer use. The parking needs to be clearly associated with the workplace and designated to the applicant.
Businesses can allow local residents to use the chargepoints outside office hours when they would not typically be used by staff or fleet vehicles.
Site rules
The site must already exist and the parking must belong to the workplace use.
A site survey before applying is strongly recommended because grant eligibility does not guarantee that the electrical or physical installation is straightforward.
✓
own the property or have landlord / landowner consent
✓
dedicated off-road parking clearly associated with the premises
✓
chargepoint spaces designated to the applicant
✓
existing spaces suitable for chargepoint installation
Application process
Apply before installation — then work to the 180-day voucher clock.
Installing first and trying to claim afterwards is not an eligible route.
Survey the site
Confirm likely charger locations, cable routes, electrical capacity and grant/site eligibility.
Apply for WCS
Submit the application with the required organisation and site evidence before chargepoints are installed.
Receive the voucher
If successful, GOV.UK says the voucher code is normally emailed within five working days.
180 days
The voucher is valid for 180 days. Installation and the installer's claim must both be completed before expiry.
Authorised installation
Use an OZEV-authorised installer and eligible commercial chargepoint equipment.
Grant deducted
The authorised installer claims on the applicant's behalf and deducts the grant amount from the customer invoice.
Eligible expenditure
The grant can cover more than the chargepoint hardware.
Potentially eligible
✓
new eligible chargepoint unit
✓
electrical components
✓
civil engineering works
✓
installation labour
✓
hardware costs
✓
site survey work where it leads to a completed installation
✓
VAT incurred by the customer
✓
additional smart meter/current clamp installed with the chargepoint where required
Examples not eligible
×
electricity consumed by the chargers
×
ongoing back-office data provision
×
ongoing maintenance or communication costs
×
project management / reporting and administration
×
additional land
×
marketing or transport costs
×
warranty extension beyond three years
×
second-hand or previously installed chargepoint units
Equipment & installer requirements
Grant eligibility follows the approved installer and approved equipment lists.
The installer must be OZEV-authorised. The chargepoint must meet the minimum technical specification and be on the approved commercial chargepoint model list at the time of installation.
The installation also needs an on-site three-year warranty on parts and installation and a BS 7671 Electrical Installation Certificate.
Subsidy control
Most applicants also need to consider the £315,000 MFA limit.
Current scheme guidance says an applicant must not exceed £315,000 in minimal financial assistance over the current financial year and previous two financial years.
This includes state grants, subsidies and other government-funded financial incentives that count as MFA. Public authorities are not required to make the MFA declaration during the WCS application process.
This site does not determine subsidy-control treatment. Check the applicant's other public funding before applying where the limit could be relevant.
Less obvious WCS routes
The scheme is not limited to a conventional office car park.
A primary workplace can also be a residential address.
Current rules allow an application where the home is the primary place of work and the address is supported by the required Companies House or non-domestic rating evidence, with off-road parking.
Company-vehicle charging can sometimes be installed at an employee's home.
Where an employee cannot charge the company vehicle at work, the employer can use WCS subject to the evidence and permission requirements in the current scheme.
The 40-socket allowance can be spread across sites.
Applicants can make subsequent applications for additional sockets/sites provided the cumulative WCS total does not exceed 40 sockets.
Standard WCS vs education WCS
Do not confuse the two current workplace schemes.
They share the 75% eligible-cost principle and 31 March 2027 funding horizon, but the per-socket grant amount is very different.
Workplace Charging Scheme FAQ
The rules businesses most often need to check.
How much is the WCS grant in 2026?
Up to 75% of eligible purchase and installation costs including VAT, capped at £500 per eligible socket and 40 sockets across all sites per applicant.
When does the Workplace Charging Scheme close?
The current Find a Grant listing gives a closing date of 31 March 2027 at 11:59pm. Government guidance describes this as the final year of the scheme, while retaining the right to change or end it.
Can business WCS chargers be for customers?
For an ordinary business application, the supported parking must be for staff or fleet, not customer use. Public authorities, charities and small accommodation businesses have more flexible parking-use rules.
Can local residents use workplace chargers?
A business can allow local residents to use WCS-supported chargepoints outside office hours when they would not typically be used by its staff or fleet.
Do I need an OZEV-authorised installer?
Yes. You cannot claim WCS if the work is not completed by an authorised installer. The chargepoint model also needs to satisfy the current approved commercial-equipment requirements.
Can I install first and apply afterwards?
No. Installations carried out before voucher approval are not eligible. Apply first, receive the voucher, then complete the installation and installer claim within its 180-day validity period.
Does a 22kW charger receive more grant than a 7kW charger?
No. The standard grant cap is £500 per eligible socket regardless of whether the eligible socket is 7kW or 22kW. The 75% eligible-cost limit also applies.
Can I claim WCS where chargers are already mandatory?
No. The scheme excludes installations where the chargepoints or infrastructure are a mandatory requirement, including relevant building-regulation requirements or planning conditions.
Official sources & methodology
Scheme rules checked against current GOV.UK guidance.
Grant rate, applicant/site eligibility, parking restrictions and application timing come from the current Workplace Charging Scheme Find a Grant listing. Expenditure and technical requirements are checked against the current OZEV installer guidance.
- GOV.UK Find a Grant — Workplace Charging SchemeCurrent £500 rate, 75% rule, 40-socket limit, closing date, applicant/site rules, MFA, application process and voucher timing.
- GOV.UK — Workplace Charging Scheme guidance for installersEligible/ineligible expenditure, authorised installer rules, approved chargepoints, technical requirements and three-year warranty.
- GOV.UK — Chargepoint grant changes from 1 April 2026Confirmation that WCS was extended for a final year and the maximum rate increased from £350 to £500 per socket.
- GOV.UK — WCS for state-funded education institutionsSeparate education route with a current maximum of £2,000 per eligible socket.
Independent grant guidance: CommercialEVCharger.co.uk does not administer WCS and cannot confirm an applicant's eligibility. The government can change or end the scheme; verify the live GOV.UK rules before placing an order or starting work.
Model the grant
See the installation budget before and after WCS.
Our cost calculator applies the current 75% rule, £500-per-socket cap and 40-socket limit to an indicative commercial installation budget.