Workplace Charging Scheme: five months left, but only ten working weeks to claim

The Workplace Charging Scheme closes at 11:59pm on 31 March 2027. That sounds like five months away. For most businesses it is closer to ten working weeks, because the grant is only paid on chargers that are installed and claimed before the deadline, not on applications made before it.

This is what the timeline looks like in practice, and why a January start is already cutting it fine.

What the grant is worth

Since 1 April 2026 the Workplace Charging Scheme pays up to £500 per socket, covering up to 75% of the cost of buying and installing the chargers, for up to 40 sockets across all your sites. Four sockets is up to £2,000 off; ten is up to £5,000; a full forty is up to £20,000. State-funded schools and colleges get more, up to £2,000 per socket. No replacement scheme has been announced for after March 2027.

Why the deadline is earlier than it looks

The grant is claimed by the installer after the chargers are fitted and commissioned, and that claim has to land before the scheme closes. Working backwards from 31 March 2027:

1. Site survey: a week or two to arrange and attend. We need to see the supply, the distribution board and the parking before anyone applies, because the voucher asks how many sockets you want.
2. Voucher application: a few minutes online with our guidance, then up to five working days for the voucher code to arrive. The voucher is valid for 180 days.
3. Design and quotation: a week. Longer if your supply needs a DNO application for extra capacity, which can add six to twelve weeks on its own.
4. Installation: one to three days on site for a typical office or school, but installer diaries fill up fast in the final quarter of any grant scheme. We saw it with the previous OZEV schemes and we expect it again.
5. Commissioning and claim: the installer submits the claim with the certificates. Allow a week.

Add that up and a straightforward site needs six to eight weeks from first call to claim. A site that needs a supply upgrade needs three to four months. That is why we are telling customers to book a survey by the end of January at the latest, and ideally before Christmas.

Who can claim

Businesses, charities, public sector organisations and small accommodation businesses anywhere in the UK, with dedicated off-street parking for staff or fleet vehicles. You need to own the site or have your landlord’s written consent, and you need a Companies House number, VAT number or business rates bill as proof of organisation. The work has to be done by an OZEV authorised installer. Customer-only car parks, parking that has not been built yet, and chargers that are already required by planning or building regulations do not qualify.

What happens after March 2027

Chargers go back to full price. The business case for workplace charging does not disappear, staff still want to charge at work, fleets still need electrifying and salary sacrifice schemes still need somewhere to plug in, but the government stops paying a quarter of the bill. If you have been meaning to do it, this is the last window where it is subsidised.