Workplace EV charging is one of the most tax-efficient employee benefits available in the UK right now — and most employers don't know it exists. Here's the full picture: the business case, the employee benefits, the grants available, and what installation actually involves.
Why workplace EV charging is growing fast
The number of EVs on UK roads is growing rapidly. As more employees drive electric, the question of where they charge during the working day is becoming a real one. Employers who get ahead of this are finding it's a meaningful, low-cost perk — particularly because of how HMRC treats it.
The HMRC benefit-in-kind exemption — the bit most employers miss
This is the most important thing to understand about workplace EV charging, and it's genuinely underreported.
Under current HMRC rules, electricity provided by an employer for an employee to charge their electric vehicle at work is exempt from benefit-in-kind tax. This means:
- The employee pays nothing extra on their tax bill
- The employer pays no National Insurance on the benefit
- The employee is effectively getting free fuel — worth £400–£1,000+ per year — as a tax-free perk
For context: if an employer gave an employee £500 cash to cover their fuel costs, both sides would pay tax and NI on it. Free workplace EV charging delivers the same financial benefit with zero tax liability on either side. It's one of the most efficient employee benefits available.
💡 Important note: the benefit-in-kind exemption applies to charging at the workplace premises. It does not apply to employers paying for employees to charge at home or at public chargers. The charger needs to be at the place of work.
The benefits for employers
Government grant reduces the cost significantly
The Workplace Charging Scheme (WCS) provides a grant of up to £350 per socket, for up to 40 sockets per applicant. For a business installing 10 chargers, that's £3,500 off the installation cost before you've paid a penny. As an OZEV-approved installer, EV Monkey handles the WCS application on your behalf.
Capital allowances — full tax deduction
The cost of purchasing and installing workplace EV chargers qualifies for 100% first-year capital allowances under the enhanced capital allowances scheme. This means the full cost of the installation reduces your taxable profit in the year of purchase — effectively cutting the net cost by your corporation tax rate (25% for most businesses).
Staff recruitment and retention
As EV adoption grows, workplace charging is becoming a genuine differentiator in recruitment. For employees with electric cars, the ability to arrive at work with a low battery and leave with a full one — for free — is a tangible, daily benefit worth £400–£1,000 per year. It costs the employer the electricity (typically 24p/kWh × a few kWh per day per car) — far less than the perceived value to the employee.
ESG and sustainability credentials
Workplace EV charging supports your business's environmental commitments — reducing Scope 3 emissions from employee commuting. For businesses working toward net zero targets, sustainability reporting, or ISO 14001 certification, it's a measurable, demonstrable action rather than a policy statement.
Future-proofing your premises
From 2035, new petrol and diesel cars will no longer be sold in the UK. EV adoption will accelerate significantly over the next decade. Installing charging infrastructure now, while grants are available and costs are at current levels, is significantly cheaper than retrofitting later. Buildings with EV charging are also increasingly valued more highly by tenants and buyers.
The Workplace Charging Scheme — what you need to know
The WCS is the government grant for workplace EV charging, administered by OZEV. Here's how it works:
- Grant amount: up to £350 per socket, covering up to 75% of the purchase and installation cost per socket
- Maximum: 40 sockets per applicant (chargers with two sockets count as two)
- Who qualifies: UK businesses, charities, and public sector organisations with off-street parking
- How it's claimed: as an approved installer, we apply on your behalf and deduct the grant from your invoice
- Landlords note: the separate EVHS Landlord grant covers residential rental properties — different scheme, same principle
| Number of sockets | Installation cost (est.) | WCS grant | Net cost after grant |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 sockets | ~£2,500 | £700 | ~£1,800 |
| 4 sockets | ~£4,500 | £1,400 | ~£3,100 |
| 8 sockets | ~£8,000 | £2,800 | ~£5,200 |
| 20 sockets | ~£18,000 | £7,000 | ~£11,000 |
| 40 sockets (max grant) | ~£34,000 | £14,000 | ~£20,000 |
*Estimates only — actual costs depend on site survey, cable runs, power supply capacity and charger specification. Fixed price provided after site survey.
What does workplace EV charger installation involve?
Commercial installation is more involved than a domestic job — but the process with EV Monkey is straightforward:
- Site survey: we assess your power supply capacity, available car park space, cable routing and any load management requirements
- Fixed-price proposal: a detailed quote covering equipment, installation, WCS grant deduction and timeline
- Installation: our NICEIC-certified engineers install to Part P standard with full documentation
- Load management: for larger installations, we configure load balancing so multiple chargers share available power without overloading your supply
- Handover and documentation: full completion certificates, test results and ongoing support
Free workplace EV charging is worth £400–£1,000 per year to each employee —
and costs the employer nothing in tax.
One of the most tax-efficient benefits you can offer employees right now
Workplace EV charging combines a meaningful employee benefit, government grants of up to £14,000, full capital allowances, and a future-proof infrastructure investment. For businesses with car parks and employees driving EVs, the question isn't really whether to install — it's how many chargers and when. The grants won't be around forever, and installation costs only rise over time.
Interested in workplace EV charging?
We work with businesses, landlords, developers and fleet operators across the South East. Get in touch for a no-obligation conversation about what's right for your site.
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