How to help your employees offset EV costs

Upfront costs can feel like a steep hill to climb when you’re thinking about switching to an electric vehicle (EV). EVs have historically been more expensive than petrol and diesel cars, and although that’s changing, it’s still enough to put many people off.

But the price tag is only part of the story. For both employers and employees, the long-term savings are huge. EV drivers save an average of £5,850 over the ownership period, thanks to lower running costs, tax efficiencies, and access to government help.

Forward-thinking businesses are already using salary sacrifice schemes, grant funding, and charging infrastructure support to make EVs more accessible for their teams, all while improving their sustainability profile and employer brand.

Let’s get up to speed on how this works.

From EV salary sacrifice schemes to government grants, there are lots of simple ways to help make your employees’ switch to electric super affordable and rewarding.

Here are some of the best ways they can cut costs when driving an EV in the UK today.

1.EV salary sacrifice

One of the most tax-efficient and impactful ways to provide electric vehicles is through our EV salary sacrifice scheme. Employees can lease a brand-new EV with everything included – from the car itself to insurance, servicing, home charger installation, breakdown cover, and more – all bundled into a single monthly payment. That payment comes directly out of their gross salary, which means big savings on income tax and National Insurance.

For employers, it’s a high-impact benefit that supports your corporate social responsibility (CSR) goals, boosts retention, and can even reduce National Insurance contributions, all at no cost to the business.

2.Electric Vehicle Chargepoint Grant

With our EV salary sacrifice scheme, all employees get a home charger installed for free, so there’s no need to worry about the extra cost or admin. And if they live in a flat or a home without a drive, they’ll get £600 public network credit via Octopus Electroverse – that’s about 4,000 miles worth of EV charge.

If your employees live in a flat or residential property with its own private off-street parking space, they could also look into the EV chargepoint grant. The government gives you either £350 or 75% off the cost to buy and install a socket, whichever amount is lower.

Charging at home is one of the cheapest and most convenient ways to power an EV, so these options can make life a lot simpler.

3.Workplace Charging Scheme

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 £350 per socket, and up to 40 sockets per organisation. This charging scheme is part of our commercial partnership with Plug Me In - so you not only benefit 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, your employees can benefit from convenient charging while they work – so they know they’ll always have enough power for the commute home.

4.Local and regional charging grants

Beyond national schemes, many local councils offer support for EV initiatives, especially for installing public or community chargepoints.

Nottingham City Council, for example, provides grants of up to £25,000 for local businesses to fund sustainable transport infrastructure, including EV chargepoint installation. Recently, the council awarded £9,271 to local manufacturing business A.N. Wallis, helping them install four 22 kW chargers for staff and fleet use.

It’s always worth checking your local council’s website to see what’s available. Lots of regions offer different levels of funding, and some are time-limited.

Helping your team go electric doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive. With the right mix of salary sacrifice, government grants, and charging support, it’s never been easier to make EVs more affordable and accessible for your employees.

The long-term savings are real, and the benefits go well beyond lower fuel bills. You’ll be supporting your sustainability goals and offering a standout perk that helps you boost engagement and attract and keep brilliant people.