Workplace EV charging: what installing for staff really involves.
Installing workplace EV chargers is mostly a question of electrical capacity, not chargers. How many bays you can run, and how quickly they charge, is set by the spare capacity in your incoming supply at the times staff are plugged in. Survey that first and the rest follows: how many chargers, whether load management is needed, and whether the network operator has to be involved.
Why the supply decides everything.
A building’s incoming supply was sized for its lighting, heating, kitchens and plant, not for a car park of vehicles charging at once. The awkward part is timing: staff arrive and plug in at the same time the building wakes up, so the chargers want power exactly when everything else does.
That is why the first job on any workplace scheme is a proper look at the existing maximum demand and how much headroom is left, ideally from metered data rather than a guess. Everything else, from the number of chargers to the size of the cables, is built on that one figure.
Load management: more bays from the same supply.
Staff cars sit plugged in for most of the working day but only need a fraction of that time at full power to top up for the commute. Load management uses that. It shares the available capacity across the cars that are actually charging, turning each one down slightly when the building is busy rather than tripping the supply or forcing an upgrade.
- Static limits cap the chargers at a fixed total that the supply can always carry.
- Dynamic management measures the building’s live demand and gives the chargers whatever is spare, minute by minute.
- Fewer chargers than cars is often enough. The Energy Networks Association makes the same point: it is not always necessary to install one charger per vehicle if cars rotate through the bays.
When the network operator gets involved.
Charge points are notified to your Distribution Network Operator, and if the scheme needs more capacity than your connection has, that becomes an application for a bigger supply. The DNO designs the connection and quotes for it, and some of the work can only be done by them. This is usually the longest lead time in the whole project, so the conversation should start before the chargers are chosen, not after.
A good design often avoids the upgrade altogether: load management, charging windows outside the building’s peak, or a phased rollout that grows as demand is proven.
The rest of the checklist.
- The route. Cable runs, containment, trenching and making good the car park surface are often a bigger part of the job than the chargers themselves.
- Earthing and protection. Outdoor chargers need specific protection arrangements under BS 7671 and the IET Code of Practice for EV charging equipment installation, particularly on the common TN-C-S supply. This is design work for the installer, not a detail to leave to the charger manufacturer.
- Smart chargers. Chargers sold for use in a workplace in Great Britain must meet the Electric Vehicles (Smart Charge Points) Regulations 2021, so check any unit you are offered complies.
- Planning. Many wall-mounted and upstand chargers in off-street parking fall within permitted development, with conditions. Listed buildings and conservation areas are different, so check before committing.
- Who pays for the electricity. Decide at the start whether charging is free, paid for through an app, or limited to pool vehicles. It shapes which chargers and which back office you need.
The grant.
The government’s Workplace Charging Scheme is open until 31 March 2027. It covers up to 75% of eligible installation costs, capped per socket, up to 40 sockets across all of an applicant’s sites, and the cap per socket rose for installations completed on or after 1 April 2026. The work must be carried out by an installer authorised under the scheme, so ask about that before you ask about anything else, and check the current terms on the government page before you rely on them.
What you should have at the end.
An Electrical Installation Certificate for the new circuits, confirmation that the DNO has been notified or has approved the connection, the load management settings written down, commissioning records for each charger, and access to the charger back office in your own name rather than the installer’s. If you claimed the grant, keep its paperwork with the rest.
Charging for residents in apartment buildings is a different design problem, covered in our guide to EV charging for blocks of flats. For staff and fleet charging, see workplace EV charging and commercial EV charging. We survey, design and install across Buckinghamshire, Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire and Northamptonshire.
Sources: GOV.UK: Workplace Charging Scheme; Energy Networks Association: connecting electric vehicle fleets; GOV.UK: Electric Vehicles (Smart Charge Points) Regulations 2021; IET: Code of Practice for EV Charging Equipment Installation, 5th edition; Planning Portal: permitted development for EV chargers; HMRC: exemption for workplace battery charging.
Asked about this.
Is there a grant for workplace EV charging?
Yes. The Workplace Charging Scheme is open to businesses, charities and public sector organisations until 31 March 2027. It covers up to 75% of eligible costs, capped per socket, for up to 40 sockets across all sites, and the installer must be authorised under the scheme.
How many EV chargers can my building support?
It depends on the spare capacity in your incoming supply at the times people are charging, which is why a survey of existing demand comes first. With load management sharing the available power, far more bays can usually charge than a simple calculation suggests.
Do I need planning permission for workplace EV chargers?
Often not. Many wall-mounted and upstand chargers in off-street parking fall within permitted development, subject to conditions. Listed buildings, conservation areas and larger installations can need consent, so check with the Planning Portal or your council first.
Is free workplace charging a taxable benefit for staff?
HMRC exempts charging provided at or near the workplace for employees’ electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles from being taxed as a benefit in kind, as long as the charging is available to staff generally at that workplace. Check the detail with your accountant before setting up the scheme.