On-street Residential Chargepoint Scheme

For electric vehicles, charging at home usually occurs off-street in garages and driveways, a convenient and efficient option. However, in many parts of the UK off-street parking is unavailable to many residents.

By installing chargepoints on-street or in public car parks, residents without off-street parking can enjoy the convenience and value of charging their electric vehicles at home. As more residents use electric vehicles, communities will benefit from improved air quality and lower their carbon footprint.

The Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV) announced the continuation of the On-street Residential Chargepoint Scheme (ORCS), to increase the availability of plug-in vehicle charging infrastructure for residents who do not have access to off-street parking.

Download a full list of successful ORCS applicants up to March 2022.

In addition to the continuation of ORCS, OZEV have announced the launch of the Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) pilot fund, which aims to further support the roll-out of electric vehicle charging infrastructure across England via large-scale, ambitious and commercially sustainable projects that use significant private sector investment.

The continuation of funding includes £20 million for 2022/23 and local authorities are invited to submit applications to receive this funding.

Local authorities can receive a grant to part-fund up to a maximum of 60% of capital costs relating to the procurement and installation of residential electric vehicle chargepoint infrastructure. Many projects may require less grant funding.

OZEV can fund up to a maximum of £7,500 per chargepoint, unless electrical connection costs are exceptionally high. In these cases, funding up to £13,000 per chargepoint may be provided.

Applications for projects that will be delivered by the end of the 2023/24 financial year (31 March 2024) will be considered.

There is no maximum or minimum project size, but OZEV reserve the right to approve or reject applications on a case-by-case basis.

Successful applicants will receive 75% of the grant funding upfront. The remaining 25% can be claimed on completion of the project. All capital costs associated with the installations must be individually evidenced. If the total project costs come in under the 75% paid in advance, the local authority will be required to reimburse OZEV.  For more information about how to submit a project claim, see claims assistance below.

If you are interested in applying for 2022/23, please contact onstreetchargepoints@est.org.uk for more information.

• Local authorities must have explicit support of the relevant Highways Authority if installing on-street
• Chargepoints should preferentially be installed on land owned by a local authority
• Where it can be demonstrated that a lack of suitable local authority land poses a barrier to installation, chargepoints may be installed on land not owned by a local authority. This will be considered on a discretionary basis
• Local authorities are responsible for estimating and controlling project costs and delivery
• Chargepoints must be located in residential areas that lack off-street parking and adhere to OZEV technical specifications
• All chargepoints must have a minimum payment method, such as contactless, to make EV charging as accessible as possible. This requirement will apply to all applications approved after the date that regulations mandating the minimum payment method for chargepoints above 7.1kW are laid in Parliament (currently scheduled for later in 2022)
• The OZEV guidance and our information pack provide further information about the scheme, what type of projects will be eligible and how to complete the application form.

As in previous years, ORCS will be administered by Energy Saving Trust with support from OZEV. When required, additional support will also be available from the LEVI support body partners PA Consulting and Cenex.

The application process can be cooperative, with a few rounds of feedback on the application before final submission to OZEV. We will never turn down an application on first receipt and will work with local authorities to ensure all OZEV’s eligibility criteria are met before final submission.

Our ORCS information pack answers common FAQs and provides valuable information and timelines for applicants. Contact us at onstreetchargepoints@est.org.uk if you need further assistance.

Download our application form and model claim form.

Once all chargepoints are installed, local authorities will need to submit a claim to onstreetchargepoints@est.org.uk with the following:

• Claim form (see model claim form for guidance)
• Monitoring log
• Confirmation that the chargepoints are on the National Chargepoint Registry (NCR) with either a screenshot or data download with ORCS chargepoints highlighted
• All invoices with a breakdown of the full eligible project costs

The amount for which a claim is submitted must account for all ORCS funding, not only the remaining 25% the local authority has yet to receive. For more information on claiming please see our information pack and the following short guidance videos:

1. Claim form and invoices (4m 24s)
2. Monitoring log (2m 55s)
3. National Chargepoint Registry (1m 25s)
4. Claim submission (3m 22s)

To access the recordings, you will be asked for your name and email address which may be used by Energy Saving Trust to contact you regarding ORCS and other relevant services.

Our On-street Residential Chargepoint Scheme webinars cover why the scheme is being offered, what is covered by the funding offered through the scheme, case studies of successful applicants, and more helpful information.

Please note that scheme criteria have changed since these videos were produced. However, you may find them useful for wider guidance about EV charging strategy.

Watch the webinars today:

• Tuesday 27 July 2021: The On-street Residential Chargepoint Scheme for two-tier local authorities
• Thursday 22 July 2021: The On-street Residential Chargepoint Scheme for rural local authorities
• Wednesday 16 September 2020: On-street Charging in Wales: Funding and Grid Connections
• Wednesday 9 September 2020: On-street Charging in Northern Ireland: Solutions and Funding
• Thursday 21 May 2020: On-street Charging: Strategies and Solutions
• Tuesday 19 May 2020: On-street Charging: Case studies and Funding

Please see our factsheet for an overview of the scheme and what information local authorities will require from you in applications, invoicing and usage data reporting.

Energy Saving Trust is impartial and we do not have approved installers and cannot recommend installers to local authorities. To become an improved installer for Transport Scotland-funded schemes, please email electricvehiclesscotland@est.org.uk.

Only local authorities are eligible to apply for ORCS and we encourage residents who would like a chargepoint installed near them to contact their local authority to request they apply to ORCS. Some local authorities are collecting resident requests as evidence of demand in ORCS applications. If you are a resident interested in an on-street installation, please check your local authority website to see if you can register your interest online.

If you have any questions about the On-street Residential Chargepoint Scheme, get in touch with our experts to find out more. Email us at onstreetchargepoints@est.org.uk

You can get in touch with the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles on Twitter (@OZEVgovuk) for updates about the ORCS.