Guide to: Local authorities and funding for chargepoints

EV Charging Points - Local authorities

Getting started and accessing funding

Demand for electric vehicles will grow hugely in the coming years and local charging infrastructure will be key for residents without driveways. If you are a local authority, here’s why and how you can get started and access funding for chargepoints in your area.

Why install charging points?

• From 2030, the UK government has banned the sale of new fossil fueled vehicles
• Around a third of households don’t have a driveway, so can’t easily plug-in to charge their EV
• Huge parts of the country still have few charging points, particularly rural communities

Who can get funding?

Local authorities can access tailored support and funding streams to install EV chargepoints. A local authority includes:

• County councils
• District, borough and city councils
• Unitary authorities and London and metropolitan boroughs
• Parish, community and town councils

Homeowners, or organisations that are not local authorities, such as private businesses, sports clubs or places of worship should look at different funding options. A guide of how to get a charging point as a private owner can found here. [link to be added].

What funding is available?

On-Street Residential Chargepoint Scheme (OSRC) - MORE

• A £20 million pot for local authorities - created by the Department for Transport
• Claim up to £13,000 to build each chargepoint
• The money is a grant, so you don’t have to pay it back

Innovate UK

• Government-backed R&D group
• Often runs ‘funding competitions’ for organisations to apply for multi-million pound grants
• Find out more on GOV.UK

Air Quality Grant

• Defra’s air quality grant scheme that’s given out more than £70 million in past 20 years
• Provides funding to eligible local authorities to help improve air quality
• More on Defra’s website

Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEP)

• A LEP is simply a locally owned partnership between local authorities and businesses
• A great way to create long-lasting and financially beneficial partnerships
• Search ‘Local Enterprise Partnerships’ with your location to find your local board

Private Sector Partnerships

• Charging network operators often partner with councils to install local infrastructure
• Potential to share operational costs and risks in part with a private operator
• In some cases, an authority may use the OSRC to cover 75% of the costs while a private business covers the remaining 25%.
• Follow the link for a list of charging network operators

How Bookmycharge can help with management

• Bookmycharge can help to manage and monetise your chargepoints for zero cost
• Through Bookmycharge, residents and visitors simply book a guaranteed a charging slot via the Bookmycharge website, which will then process their payment

Alternatively, Bookmycharge can be a brilliant community solution for local areas where charging points are unevenly spread. By encouraging residents with a chargepoint to register, you can ensure an increased availability of chargers. This step should be undertaken by all authorities as it is a cost-free way of boosting your local charging network.

Where to find help and more information

Energy Saving Trust / energysavingtrust.org.uk

The Energy Saving Trust administers the On-Street Residential Chargepoint Scheme (OSRC) on behalf of the government’s Office for Zero Emission Vehicles. They provide free, impartial advice and guidance to local authorities about establishing and growing their charging networks.

Bookmycharge / bookmycharge.com

Sometimes described as the Airbnb of EV charging, Bookmycharge can facilitate both management and payment for using a chargepoint. This means all residents and visitors need to do is simply book and pay via the Bookmycharge website and they’ll be guaranteed a charging slot.

Step-by-step guide

1. Encourage residents with EVs to share their chargepoint with their local community by registering for free on Bookmycharge.com
2. Use the Energy Saving Trust’s ‘On-street Residential Chargepoint Scheme information pack’ to satisfy the grant criteria, secure funding and source your chargepoint
3. Register your new chargepoint with Bookmycharge to enable residents and visitors to book and pay for EV charging