How much is the Workplace Charging Scheme grant in 2026?

£500 per socket from 1 April 2026 (up from £350). Covers up to 75% of cost; capped at 40 sockets per applicant. Scheme runs until 31 March 2027. For a 5-socket install, that's up to £2,500 in grant funding.

Who qualifies for the Workplace Charging Scheme?

Businesses, charities, public sector bodies, and not-for-profits with off-street parking and permission to install on the site. The chargers must be primarily for staff and fleet use (some visitor use allowed). Holiday parks and hotels typically qualify.

How much does a 4-socket workplace EV charger install cost in Cornwall?

£4,500-£6,500 fitted. After WCS grant at £500/socket (£2,000 total), net cost is around £2,500-£4,500. Costs depend on cable routing, supply capacity, load-management hardware, and site preparation.

Do I need to upgrade my electrical supply for workplace charging?

Possibly. Small installs (1-2 chargers) usually fit existing supply. 4+ chargers often need DNO supply upgrade or load-management hardware. Survey first — the installer will assess Western Power supply capacity and quote any upgrade.

Can I charge employees for workplace charging?

Yes — many workplaces use pay-per-kWh at cost or modest markup. Alternatively, free for staff is a tax-free benefit (BIK exempt) per HMRC guidance. Visitor charging is typically pay-per-use. Specifics depend on your tax structure.

What's the best charger for a workplace install?

Pod Point Commercial Plus (proven at scale), Easee One (excellent load-sharing), Zappi 2.1 with hub (solar PV integration), or Wallbox Commander 2 (workplace-tuned). All OZEV-approved and grant-eligible. Installer will recommend based on site.

How long does a workplace EV charger install take in Cornwall?

4-8 weeks from survey to live for typical 2-8 socket installs. Larger fleet depots (12+ chargers with supply upgrade) can take 3-6 months due to DNO scheduling and groundworks.

Is the WCS grant deducted from my invoice?

Yes — the OZEV-approved installer submits the grant claim and deducts £500/socket from your invoice up-front. You pay the net amount. They reclaim from OZEV after installation.

Are workplace EV chargers tax-deductible?

Yes — they're a qualifying business expense. Capital allowance relief applies (check current rate for 2026). VAT is recoverable for VAT-registered businesses. Workplace charging for employees is BIK-exempt. Always confirm with your accountant.

Workplace EV Charging Cornwall: Grants, Costs and Process

Workplace EV charging is moving from "nice-to-have benefit" to "expected facility" in many Cornish industries. With the Workplace Charging Scheme (WCS) grant increased to £500 per socket from 1 April 2026 (up from £350), installing 3-10 EV chargers at a Cornwall workplace is dramatically cheaper than the headline cost suggests. This guide covers the grant, the install economics, who in Cornwall benefits most, and the operational details.

Why Cornish workplaces are adding EV chargers

Staff retention. Employees with EVs (a growing minority) value workplace charging as a strong perk — comparable in value to a £200-£400/year salary bump for staff who use it daily.
ESG / sustainability reporting. Increasingly important for Cornwall businesses with corporate clients, public-sector contracts, or net-zero commitments.
Visitor and customer-facing image. Holiday parks, retail centres, restaurants, attractions — chargers attract EV-driving customers who linger longer (and spend more).
Fleet electrification. Any business with company cars or vans transitioning to electric needs depot charging.
Tax efficiency. EV charging at work is a tax-free benefit for employees (BIK exempt); EV company cars carry low BIK rates (2-3% in 2026).

Workplace Charging Scheme (WCS) — the 2026 grant

WCS is the UK government's workplace EV charging grant. Key 2026 facts:

Grant value: £500 per socket (up from £350 from 1 April 2026, per gov.uk guidance)
Coverage: Up to 75% of total cost of purchase and installation
Cap: 40 sockets per applicant (per company)
Eligibility: Businesses, charities, public sector bodies, not-for-profits
Deadline: Scheme extended to 31 March 2027
Applicant must: Have a dedicated off-street parking area; own or have permission to install on the site; provide chargepoints primarily for staff or fleet (not commercial-pay services)

For a 5-socket install at a Cornish workplace: that's up to £2,500 in grant funding — a meaningful chunk of total cost. See our dedicated WCS employer guide for full application detail.

Workplace install costs

Workplace setup	Cost (typical)	After WCS grant
Single 7kW staff charger (small office)	£1,200 - £1,800	£700 - £1,300
Dual 7kW chargers (load-managed)	£2,400 - £3,200	£1,400 - £2,200
4-socket bay (most common SMB install)	£4,500 - £6,500	£2,500 - £4,500
8-socket bay (mid-size workplace)	£8,500 - £12,000	£4,500 - £8,000
22kW three-phase rapid bank (fleet depot)	£12,000 - £20,000+	£8,000 - £16,000

Note: install economies of scale matter. Five chargers in one bay are much cheaper per unit than five separate chargers at separate sites — the cable runs, ducting, and labour share efficiencies.

What's involved in a workplace install

Survey. OZEV-approved installer visits, assesses your DNO supply capacity, parking layout, cable routes, and consumer/distribution unit. Issues a quote with WCS grant pre-applied.
DNO notification or upgrade. For larger installs (more than 2-3 chargers), Western Power Distribution may require a supply upgrade or load-management to avoid grid issues.
Site preparation. May include trenching for buried cable, ducting under tarmac/concrete, bollards for charger protection, line-marking for EV bays.
Hardware install. Mounting, cabling, RCBOs, connection to load-management hub.
Commissioning. App pairing, RFID or PIN setup, payment integration if used, staff training.
WCS grant claim. Installer submits to OZEV; grant deducted from your invoice.

Total time from survey to live: 4-8 weeks for typical small/medium installs.

Which Cornish businesses benefit most

Holiday parks and caravan sites. Customers spend whole weeks; chargers convert range-anxious EV drivers into repeat bookers. Highest ROI of any Cornwall workplace category.
Retail and hospitality near A30 / A38. Capture passing EV traffic stopping for food/shopping while charging.
Larger employers (250+ staff). Truro hospital, university campuses, Cornwall Council sites, big supermarkets, large hotels. Staff retention and parking management benefits.
Fleet operators. Cornwall Council vans, delivery firms (notably food and parcel), maintenance contractors. Depot charging at 22kW makes the EV-fleet transition viable.
Visitor attractions. Eden Project, National Trust sites, garden centres, beach car parks — already adding chargers as visitor draw.

Operational decisions

Pay-per-use or free?

Three common models:

Free for staff, paid for visitors. Most common at office sites; uses RFID or smart-charger user tagging.
Free for all during business hours. Simple; works for smaller workplaces with low usage volume.
Pay-per-kWh for all, ideally at cost or modest markup. Recovers electricity cost; mandatory for some commercial sites under HMRC rules.

Load management

If you're adding 4+ chargers, load management is essential. The hardware (often built into Zappi, Easee, Ohme, or Pod Point commercial models) limits total simultaneous draw to your supply's capacity. Without it, you trip the main fuse the first time multiple EVs charge at once.

Hardware brand

For workplace settings, most Cornwall installers recommend:

Pod Point Commercial Plus — proven at scale, EDF-owned, strong workplace deployment
Easee One / Easee Charge — excellent load-sharing in multi-charger setups
Zappi 2.1 (with hub) — solar PV integration if your workplace has on-roof solar
Wallbox Commander 2 / Copper SB — workplace-tuned with RFID and reporting

Tax considerations

Capital allowance: EV chargers qualify for 100% First Year Allowance until 31 March 2026 — check 2026 budget for current relief.
BIK exemption: Workplace EV charging for employees is exempt from Benefit in Kind tax (per current HMRC guidance).
VAT: Recoverable on the install for VAT-registered businesses.

Always confirm specifics with your accountant for your particular business structure.

Common Cornwall workplace install scenarios

Small office, 5-15 staff, 4-8 parking spaces: 2x 7kW chargers, load-managed. Cost £2,500-£3,500 fitted, £1,500-£2,500 after WCS. Payback: indirect (staff perk + ESG positioning).
Hotel with 30 parking bays: 4-6 charger bay, mix of free-for-guests and pay-per-use. Cost £5,500-£8,000 fitted, £3,500-£6,000 after WCS. Payback via nightly-rate uplift and ESG positioning, 18-36 months.
Holiday park with 80 caravan pitches: 6-10 chargers split across park. Cost £8,000-£14,000 fitted, £5,500-£10,000 after WCS. Payback via guest-charging fees + booking competitiveness, 24-36 months.
Council depot, 12 vans transitioning to EV: 6x 22kW + load-managed hub. Cost £18,000-£28,000 fitted, £14,000-£24,000 after WCS. Payback: fuel cost savings vs diesel, 36-60 months.

Run a Cornish workplace and want quotes for adding EV charging? Submit your postcode and we'll match you with a vetted OZEV-approved commercial installer experienced in WCS grant administration.

Disclosure

EV Charger Cornwall is a lead-gen service connecting you with vetted local OZEV-approved installers. Tax and grant specifics depend on your business; always check with your accountant.