Blog | by Rob Young | October 2026
Installing Workplace EV Chargers: Bigger Grants and Tax Relief Until 2027
Rob Young
Searches for EV charging rules have been climbing over the last few weeks, and for once there is genuinely good news behind it. The government has increased its workplace EV charging grant and, separately, confirmed the 100% tax allowance for charge-point equipment now runs through to 2027. Put together, the two make this one of the better-timed pieces of kit a small business can buy right now, provided you get the paperwork right. We have not seen any new workplace charging grant announced at the Autumn Budget on 28 October so the dates below still stand.
What's changed with the workplace EV charging grant?
For installations completed from 1 April 2026, the government's Workplace Charging Scheme grant pays up to £500 per socket (and up to 75% of the cost), up from £350, which the Department for Transport describes as covering almost half the cost of a typical installation. The increase is explicitly described as a final year extension, running until March 2027, so there is a real possibility this is the last window to use it in its current form rather than something to put off.
The government has also trimmed the number of EV charge point grant schemes it offers: three, including the Staff and Fleets grant, closed to new applications on 31 March 2026, while five, including the Workplace Charging Scheme, were extended to 31 March 2027. If you are planning an install, it is worth confirming current eligibility with an approved installer before you commit, rather than relying on last year's terms.
What about the tax relief on top of the grant?
Separately from the grant, businesses can claim a 100% First Year Allowance on qualifying spend on electric vehicle charge-point equipment, meaning the full cost can be deducted against profits in the year you buy it rather than spread over several years. That allowance has been extended again, now running until 31 March 2027 for Corporation Tax and 5 April 2027 for Income Tax, so sole traders and partnerships get the same relief on a slightly different deadline.
The same 100% First Year Allowance applies to qualifying zero-emission company cars, so if you are planning both a charger install and a fleet update, it is worth timing the spend together while both reliefs are confirmed and running on broadly the same schedule.
How much could a small business actually save?
Take a single-socket installation costing around £1,100, roughly in line with the Department for Transport's “almost half the cost” description of the new £500 grant. The numbers below show how the grant and the tax relief stack on top of each other.
| Cost stage | Before April 2026 | From April 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Installation cost | £1,100 | £1,100 |
| Grant per socket | £350 | £500 |
| Net cost before tax relief | £750 | £600 |
| Tax relief at 25% (100% FYA) | £187.50 off your tax bill | £150 off your tax bill |
On that example, the real cash cost after both the grant and the tax relief comes to around £450 on a project that would otherwise have cost £1,100, and the saving scales up with every additional socket you install at the same time.
The table assumes the 25% main rate of Corporation Tax. Companies with lower profits pay a lower rate, so their saving from the allowance will be smaller, and sole traders and partnerships get relief at their own Income Tax rate.
Who's eligible and what should you check before installing?
- Get quotes from an approved installer, since only approved installers can process the grant on your behalf.
- Confirm how many sockets you need covered; the grant applies per socket, so a multi-socket install scales the saving accordingly.
- Keep invoices clearly dated, since both the grant and the 100% First Year Allowance deadlines depend on when the cost is incurred, not when you later claim.
- Ask us to check how the 100% First Year Allowance interacts with your company's specific tax position before you commit to the spend.
Frequently Asked Questions.
The scheme is aimed at charge points installed at a business's own premises for staff and fleet use generally, rather than being restricted to company-owned vehicles specifically, but check the current eligibility wording with an approved installer before assuming your situation qualifies.
Yes. The grant simply reduces what you actually pay for the installation, and the 100% First Year Allowance is a tax relief on whatever you end up paying for qualifying equipment, so the two work together rather than one ruling out the other.
Yes. The same 100% First Year Allowance applies for Income Tax purposes, with a deadline of 5 April 2027 rather than 31 March 2027 for Corporation Tax, so sole traders and partnerships get an equivalent relief on a slightly different date.
Need help?
If you are planning a charger install and want help working out how the grant and the tax relief apply to your business specifically, feel free to contact us via our website. And if installing chargers means your wider business electricity usage is about to go up, it is a good moment to check your electricity contract is still competitive. We can also introduce you to a trusted partner who reviews business gas and electricity bills for free, looking for savings, at no cost to you. This is general information rather than advice.
Book a free consultation: https://loveyouraccountants.com/contact.
Author
Rob Young
Rob is Managing Director at LYA, supporting ambitious businesses to scale with confidence through clear planning and proactive financial insight.
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