The Government OLEV Scheme: What you need to know

With such determination the UK government has weighed in to push the agenda of decreasing carbon emission from transport, it has announced there won’t be any sale of petrol or diesel vehicles as of 2030. To rally more citizens into the greenway, it has come up with funding plans for electric vehicle chargers called the OLEV grant funding scheme. Below we discuss the scheme.

The grant arises from the OLEV policy. OLEV is the Office for Low Emission Vehicles. The creation of OLEV grant funding was to finance and support the populace into the ordering and utilising ultra-low emission vehicles (ULEVs). There is a necessity to have a robust chain of reliable charging stations to encourage more electric wheels on the street. By the OLEV scheme, the government contributes to each charging station you or your company buys.

OLEV administers four schemes aimed at institutions, car owners, local governments and electrical contractors. The schemes include;

Electric Vehicle Homecharge Scheme (EVHS)

Workplace Charge Scheme (WCS)
On-street Residential Chargepoint Scheme (ORCS)
Plug-in Car Grant (PICG)

Most people will want to charge their automobiles at their residence so that by morning they have enough charge to go about. The EVHS finances the acquiring and installation of a Home EV charger up to a £350 discount. The scheme is open for plug-in hybrids, and electric vehicles. You can demand a charger per qualified auto with a limit of two charging stations per home.

Your vehicle must be an electric vehicle or plug-in hybrid on the approved vehicles list found on the OLEV website.

Proof that you have ordered a vehicle on the qualified list

• Your home must have off-street parking i.e self-parking

• If you have rented your vehicle, you must hire it for a minimum of 6 months

• The vehicle in question should not have been in use in a previous claim

• If you are using a corporation vehicle, it should have been charged to you for a minimum of 6 months to you

• Those who have hired their vehicles as part of the wage sacrifice scheme are qualified

• You must use a certified EV charger and certified OLEV installer. The lists are on the OLEV website.

Scottish citizens
Scotland is also assisted by the Energy Saving Trust Scotland, providing an additional £300 to the EVHS grant.

WCS gives monetary assistance to companies, foundations and public bodies for the acquisition and installation of electric car chargers on their premises. Like the EVHS it gives an upfront of up to £350 per socket. Each company or business can claim up to 40 sockets.

How to qualify

There are precepts to be ensued for a workplace to qualify for the scheme.

• You must own the premises on which the chargers are to be installed or have the landowners permission.

• The property must offer off-street parking.

• You should be able to prove that you need the EV charger or declare a purpose to inspire staff to use electric vehicles.

• You must use a certified EV charger and certified OLEV installer. The list is on the OLEV website.

How it works

You apply online, and if you meet all terms, a receipt is generated for you, and you will receive a code. The contractor of your choice, certified, will install the charger then claim the funds on the WCS portal. They will collect funds of up to a limit of £350. For the balance, you need to correspond with your installer on a payment plan before they start working. Remember that the voucher is only valid for four months.

This scheme applies to those electric car owners who do not have off-street parking in their neighbourhoods, especially city dwellers. For such scenarios, the OLEV grant funding through the Energy Saving Trust (EST) is funding local authorities towards the installation of on-street residential electric car chargers. The funds are open for the local authority that applies for it

For citizens who are contemplating to buy new low-emission cars, they can get them at a reduced price. It is possible via a grant given to producers and sellers by the government.

Which cars are eligible?

Not all plug-in autos are qualified to the OLEV scheme. They must meet the following terms.

• Vehicles must release less than 50g/km of CO2 or travel at least 112km before emission

• Electric vans with safest CO2 release and cleanest taxis are legible

• Motorcycles and mopeds must have no CO2 discharge or must go for at least 50km before without charging

The grant is to a max of £3,000 for personal cars, a max of £1,500 for bikes and mopeds. Up to £8,000 for electric vans, and £7,500 for clean taxis. The list of approved vehicles is on the OLEV website.

Do not get left behind in this revolution in travel. The future is truly now, and the OLEV scheme is a perfect chance for you to make the migration to clean travelling before the final sale of diesel cars in 2030. Visit the OLEV website to get an approved list of electric vehicle chargers and charger installers.