Common Questions about Government Grants
Kirsten Cross 18th Jun 2019 4 Min Read
There are multiple Government Grants out there for electric vehicle charge points but along with it comes a number of questions.
When it comes to application forms we all want to push it aside and leave it for the last possible moment to complete but we are here to help. So here are a few answers to most of your questions about the Government Grants.
I personally like to think of myself as an expert with the Government Grants after dealing with them for quite some time. Here at Andersen, we help you apply for all the grants that you qualify for. Different grants require different information and documentation about you and your EV. For the smoothest process, we recommend setting aside an hour or two to collate everything you need.
WHAT GRANTS ARE AVAILABLE
Firstly there are multiple grants available depending on where you live and your situation i.e. a charge point for your home or business.
So a snapshot overview of them are:
For those that live in the UK, there are three main grants available.
Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV): For UK customers, if you’re eligible, you could get £500 off your Andersen charge point, find out more here
Workplace Charging Scheme (WCS): For UK commercial customers, if you’re eligible, you could get £500 off per socket for your Andersen charge point, find out more here
Energy Savings Trust (EST): For Scottish customers, you could get £300 back on top of your OLEV grant, find out more here
For those that live in The Republic of Ireland, there is one main grant available.
Sustainable Energy Authority Of Ireland (SEAI): For Republic of Ireland customers, the Irish government provide €600 towards the cost of your charge point, find out more here
WHEN CAN I APPLY FOR A GOVERNMENT GRANT?
You don’t have to worry at all about applying for any grants as we do this on your behalf. We only require you to provide us with some information.
Your application for a Government Grant only gets processed after your installation has been completed. Except for the EST grant. So if you are worried about not having your EV when you want to purchase a charge point you don’t have to.
The ONLY parameter is you are unable to have a charge point installed more than 4 months prior to taking delivery of your EV.
HOW DO I APPLY FOR THE EST GRANT
Firstly, find out if you qualify for the OLEV grant. If you do, then purchase the charge point. We will then begin requesting the documentation which you will need to return before your installation.
The actual application for the OLEV grant is submitted after your installation has been completed (the form requires the engineer to sign it off).
I’m getting OLEV, what is the earliest I can get my charge point?
The earliest you can have your charge point installed (without invalidating your OLEV) is four months prior to getting your EV. Many customers like to purchase and install their charge point before they receive delivery of their ev.
HOW DO I APPLY FOR THE EST GRANT
We will also assist you with this application. Either you or we can submit your application to the EST.
EST request you to complete this application form and provide proof of ownership of your Electric Vehicle, along with a quote from us that includes the cost for your charge point, installation, and OLEV.
If you are purchasing an Andersen Charge Point and are based in Scotland, you don’t need to wait for the EST to approve your grant before placing an order. You can place your order to start the manufacturing process of your Andersen and simultaneously we will work with you in processing your application. It’s pretty simple!
COMMON PITFALLS
For any grant, the most crucial requirement for a successful application is to provide the evidence that demonstrates your status of ownership of an electric vehicle.
This could be in one of the following ways:
- The registered keeper/vehicle on order
- Leasing or have a finance agreement for this vehicle
- The nominated user of an employer vehicle
- Leased the vehicle as part of a salary sacrifice scheme
The Government Grants are here to support you when going electric and we aim to assist you throughout the process. If you have any more questions on the Government Grants please contact us.
Kirsten Cross
Kirsten has been with Andersen since 2018 and is our super-organised, in-house EV operations expert. She’s a marketing thoroughbred and the first point of contact for many of our residential and commercial customers. Originally from South Africa, she’s rock solid and multi-tasked as they come. If our online customer systems went down, she wouldn’t be phased because she holds the equivalent knowledge bank of Google - she’d even have the energy to run home too.
