Businesses wanting to install electric vehicle charging are running out of time to access government funding which could save them thousands of pounds.

The government has made a number of schemes available to help business owners reduce the cost of installation, but these expire in less than a year.

Global EV charging pioneer Virta is urging businesses to look into the grants – or face losing both customers and staff.

“Being able to charge your car at work is becoming an increasingly important factor for staff,” said Virta’s Suki Sangha.

“A recent study we commissioned showed that, for 60% of EV drivers in the UK, charging at the workplace is a must-have feature or key choice when deciding where to work. Only 16% of people surveyed said it had little to no significance.

“A workplace, whether in an office building in the city centre or an industrial area, in a shopping centre in the suburbs or a large industrial plant, is a perfect place to leave your car to charge. Usually, people park their cars at work for approximately eight hours, which is more than enough time to fully charge a car’s battery.”

The main grants available are the Workplace Charging Scheme and the Electric vehicle infrastructure grant for staff and fleets. Both expire on 31 March next year.

The Workplace Charging Scheme provides support for organisations towards the cost of installing up to 40 electric vehicle chargepoint sockets at their sites. It is open to businesses, charities and public sector organisations.

The scheme covers up to 75% of the total costs of the purchase and installation of EV chargepoints, capped at a maximum of £350 per socket and 40 sockets across all sites.

The Electric vehicle infrastructure grant is for small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) and provides money off the cost of wider building and installation work needed to install multiple chargepoint sockets.

The grant covers 75% of the cost of the work, up to a maximum of £15,000. It is also limited to £350 per socket and £500 per parking space enabled with supporting infrastructure, but organisations can get up to five grants across five different sites.

“There are great incentives for businesses to install EV chargepoints,” said Suki. “Installing EV chargers is the perfect way to make buildings more sustainable and meet the requirements for green certificates, subsidies, and grants.

“At the same time, EV charging can open up new sources of income if businesses make their charging points publicly accessible.”

But, warned Suki, chargepoint operators also need to ensure they comply with new government regulations. The new rules were brought in last year, and chargepoint operators have just over six months left to ensure they are compliant on many of the aspects.

From 24 November, operators will need to meet set standards on contactless payment, reliability and customer support.

“In six months’ time, new public chargepoints over 8kW and existing public rapid chargers over 50 kW will need to offer contactless payment options to make it easier for drivers,” said Suki. “Operators will also have to have a free, 24/7 helpline available for customers.

“Rapid chargers will also have to maintain 99% reliability to help drivers with range anxiety know that they can get a reliable, fast charge.

“The changes might seem daunting, but that’s where businesses like ours come in, with help to ensure chargepoint owners and operators are compliant with the changes to the law.

“With financial support from the government available, it really is the best time to be looking at installing chargers. However, time is rapidly running out and businesses need to act before they miss out.”