New government grants for EV chargepoints at schools

The government has announced new grants for schools and nurseries to install electric car chargepoints.

The grants, which will cover up to 75% of the cost to buy and install chargepoints, will allow staff and visitors to charge up their EVs at schools.

They could open up new money-making opportunities for schools, by making their chargepoints accessible to the public.

The grants, which are part of the Workplace Charging Scheme, are worth £2500 per socket, a considerable increase on the previous grant of £350 per chargepoint.

Why is the government investing in electric car chargepoints at schools?

The government says the new investment is an “exciting opportunity for schools across England to become part of an ongoing move towards a greener public sector.

“Schools engaging with this grant will be supporting the development of green infrastructure, helping to improve their local environments.”

Minsters say they want to develop a greener education estate and “the expansion of this grant supports our ambition to improve the sustainability of our schools in the ongoing move towards net zero”.

That schools may also be able to make money from opening up their chargepoints to the public will also help give a much-needed boost to their coffers.

How else is the government speeding up chargepoint installation?

A £381 million Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) fund aims to help local authorities deliver projects to support electric car drivers.

The first payments for charging projects have already been approved – to three local authorities including East Sussex and North Yorkshire, and two London boroughs.

It will help support the installation of “thousands” of new chargers.

As part of the LEVI funding, the government has recruited almost 100 dedicated EV officers. They will help support chargepoint procurement.

The government is also rolling an out an electric vehicle infrastructure training course to local authorities. It will fully open in mid-March following trials.

In related news, the government has launched a consultation to look at ways to speed up electric car chargepoint installation across the UK.

The proposals would allow EV chargepoint operators to carry out street works using a permit, rather than a licence. Permits can be issued much faster – in days rather than months – and are significantly cheaper to obtain.