The complete guide to EV grants

Thinking about getting an electric car? Or finally sorting that home charger so you can stop trailing extension leads out the window?

Good news: there’s quite a bit of financial support out there. From money off the car itself to help with installing chargepoints, the government is still nudging the UK towards electric.

In this guide, we’ll cover:

• How does the Electric Car Grant work?
• How does salary sacrifice make EVs more affordable?
• What if you can't access EV salary sacrifice?
• Is there a grant for at-home chargers?
• What about landlords and residential car park owners?
• Can workplaces get help installing chargers?
• What EV grants are available in Scotland?
• So, what support is actually worth looking at?

In July 2025, the government rolled out a new Electric Car Grant, which makes lower-priced EVs a bit less painful on the wallet.

Here’s what it offers:

• £1,500 to £3,750 off eligible new electric cars
• Available on vehicles priced at £37,000 or under
• Applies to cars ordered from 16th July 2025 onwards
• The discount is automatically applied by the manufacturer or leasing provider

The exact amount depends on how sustainably the car is produced, including how the battery is made. 

And most importantly: the grant applies whether you lease the car or get it through salary sacrifice, so you don’t need to buy one outright to benefit.

EV salary sacrifice is usually where the biggest savings happen.

That’s because payments come from your gross (pre-tax) salary, which means you save on Income Tax and National Insurance. EVs also have very low Benefit in Kind (BiK) tax compared to petrol and diesel cars. 

Depending on your tax band, that can reduce the effective cost by up to 40%.

With our salary sacrifice scheme, your monthly payment includes the car, insurance, servicing and maintenance, breakdown cover, and either a home charger or £600 worth of credit for Electroverse, Europe’s biggest public charging network. 

That said, salary sacrifice isn’t right for everyone. Your post-sacrifice pay can’t fall below the National Minimum Wage, and you’ll want to understand how it affects things like pension contributions or borrowing applications. We’re happy to chat these things through with you - just book a call with our team.

If your employer doesn’t offer salary sacrifice, there are still ways to make the switch a bit easier. You could buy a car outright, lease one privately, or explore personal contract hire deals. Because EVs have lower running and maintenance costs, you’ll still probably save money overall.

And if you’d prefer a simpler, all-in-one approach, our monthly Intelligent EV package is designed to take the stress away. You pay a fixed monthly amount, with insurance, servicing, and maintenance all included. 

If you’re already with Octopus Energy, you’ll get exclusive charging discounts, too.

Yes, but it’s mainly for renters and flat owners.

If you rent your home or own and live in a flat with private off-street parking, you may be eligible for the government’s chargepoint grant. This covers 75% of the cost of buying and installing a charger, up to £350. And from April 1st 2026 this grant will increase to a maximum of £500.

To qualify, you must already own an EV and have a dedicated off-street parking space. If you own a standard house, this particular grant doesn’t apply. 

The upside? Charger costs have come down quite a bit anyway.

The government also has a grant to support towards the costs of the chargepoints for cross-pavement charging solution at residential properties. And the good news? This grant has been extended for a final year until 31 March 2027. The maximum grant will increase from £350 to £500 for applications submitted from 1 April 2026.

The government’s Workplace Charging Scheme is available to businesses, charities and public-sector organisations. It covers up to 75% of the cost of purchasing and installing EV chargers at work – that’s up to £500 per socket starting from 1st April 2026, and up to 40 sockets per organisation. This scheme has also been extended another year to 31st March 2027.

This charging scheme is part of our commercial partnership with Blink - so your company not only benefits from government funding but also gain peace of mind, knowing our trusted partner handles everything from expert advice and system design to installation, funding, operation, and ongoing maintenance.

Once installed, employees can benefit from convenient charging while they work – so you know you'll always have enough power for the commute home.

If you’re north of the border, there’s usually extra support available through Energy Saving Trust Scotland. This can include interest-free EV loans, home charger funding and extra help for rural or off-grid households. 

Schemes do change fairly regularly, so it’s worth checking the latest guidance rather than relying on that one thing your friend mentioned six months ago.

For most people:

• EV salary sacrifice → usually the biggest overall saving
• Electric Car Grant → reduces the upfront vehicle cost
• Home charger grants → useful if you rent or live in a flat
• Workplace grants → helpful for your employer if they’re installing chargepoints

The right mix depends on how you’re getting your EV and where you’ll charge it.

There’s more support available than ever. Some of it knocks money off the car. Some of it helps with charging. Some of it quietly saves you tax every month.

And if you're ready to go green without the guesswork, our team is here to help - so get in touch with us today.