Workplace Charging Scheme for state-funded education institutions

[EssentialRug]

Has anyone used the above mentioned grant to install EV chargers at their school?

If so, would be really interested to hear about your:

- Model of charger
- Use of charger, do you allow staff/public use, if so do you charge for it and how?

- Location of installation

- Anything else useful of note

Thanks!

 

[Edu-IT]

We have a number of ICS charges connected to the TAP Electric management platform.

[pete]

@Edu-IT - How's the TAP Electric management platform from a usability point-of-view?  We've had funding confirmed for our schools and our finance and estates teams will be using it.

 

@EssentialRug - Our installers (installation pending) are being very twitchy about installing in conservation areas or near listed buildings, which means we can't put chargers on the front car park at one school (the  public part of that site).

The turnaround time from "have vouchers" to "we can start installing on Wednesday" was very short.

 

[EssentialRug]

34 minutes ago, pete said:

@Edu-IT - How's the TAP Electric management platform from a usability point-of-view?  We've had funding confirmed for our schools and our finance and estates teams will be using it.

 

@EssentialRug - Our installers (installation pending) are being very twitchy about installing in conservation areas or near listed buildings, which means we can't put chargers on the front car park at one school (the  public part of that site).

The turnaround time from "have vouchers" to "we can start installing on Wednesday" was very short.

 

 

Thanks for this. What model of charger are you having installed do you know?

[EssentialRug]

On 06/11/2025 at 11:13, Edu-IT said:

We have a number of ICS charges connected to the TAP Electric management platform.

 

Interested to know more about the TAP Electric management platform. As @pete says, I'd be interested to know how it is from a usability point-of-view. How do you go about charging your staff/public and how easy is it for them to access?

 

[pete]

We're using these people: https://zapvehiclecharging.co.uk/ who have chargers from 7.4 to 22kw and they have a list of schools here: https://zapvehiclecharging.co.uk/schools-completed/

 

I've got a pending "so...Paxton integration?" query for the RFID auth side of things.

[Andycat]

We've just applied for a 2nd time to have more installed.

 

Our first lot are Rolec Quantum (up to 22kW), on the Monta platform. You can add our existing ID cards when you setup the app, they're connected via 4G sim, as most can't see hidden networks (that took some working out, as the electricians were clueless).

 

They're on a back car park (closest to building), and we don't let public use them, as to charge a fee/public use, you then have to pay into a subscription model for the management platform.

 

We're applying for more as we're currently having to run an ad-hoc rota due to the uptake of EV's.

[EssentialRug]

26 minutes ago, Andycat said:

We've just applied for a 2nd time to have more installed.

 

Our first lot are Rolec Quantum (up to 22kW), on the Monta platform. You can add our existing ID cards when you setup the app, they're connected via 4G sim, as most can't see hidden networks (that took some working out, as the electricians were clueless).

 

They're on a back car park (closest to building), and we don't let public use them, as to charge a fee/public use, you then have to pay into a subscription model for the management platform.

 

We're applying for more as we're currently having to run an ad-hoc rota due to the uptake of EV's.

 

Do you charge your staff to use the chargers? If so how do this work? Do you do this through Monta?

 

Also, are you able to apply for the grant multiple times for the same site?

Edited November 19, 2025 by EssentialRug

[Andycat]

We don't charge staff, no.

 

Yes, you can apply for the grant as many times as you want up to a number of chargers, rather than number of times, whilst it's running.

[Cazab]

Lucky! One of the schools I worked at had these installed summer '24. They don't charge staff, but the company whose chargers they are do! (Not part of the school's electricity supply, you see...)

[EssentialRug]

14 minutes ago, Andycat said:

We don't charge staff, no.

 

Yes, you can apply for the grant as many times as you want up to a number of chargers, rather than number of times, whilst it's running.

 

Does that have any implications around benefit in kind etc?

[Andycat]

10 minutes ago, EssentialRug said:

 

Does that have any implications around benefit in kind etc?

 

Apparently not, there's an exemption for EV charging due to electricity (currently) not being classed as a fuel. But please check this!

[EssentialRug]

On 19/11/2025 at 08:49, Andycat said:

 

Apparently not, there's an exemption for EV charging due to electricity (currently) not being classed as a fuel. But please check this!

 

Interesting! Something about the taxpayer essentially paying for staff to charge their private vehicles for free seems a bit...off.

[Andycat]

6 minutes ago, EssentialRug said:

 

Interesting! Something about the taxpayer essentially paying for staff to charge their private vehicles for free seems a bit...off.

It's not only schools, it's all workplaces. 

 

Plus, if you get reimbursed for charging at home from your work generally, this isn't a BIK anymore either.

 

[pete]

^ Is that instead of or as well as any mileage claims relating to business use (other than commuting to/from work)?

[Andycat]

https://www.rossmartin.co.uk/sme-tax-news/7281-electric-car-charging-hmrc-bik-policy-change

 

 

[pete]

Has anyone got the dual-socket Evec vecSprint pedestal chargers?

 

If you have, did you hardwire their network connection or rely on the built-in 4G?  In initial testing the 4G (Teltonika RUT200 4G router) seems a bit flaky, even though someone stood next to the charger using a phone gets a decent connection.

[EssentialRug]

This is dull, but has anyone ordered custom stickers for their chargers to specify which is which? Looking for something that we can custom make that is suitably weatherproof/tamperproof

[Edu-IT]

On 18/11/2025 at 14:31, EssentialRug said:

 

Interested to know more about the TAP Electric management platform. As @pete says, I'd be interested to know how it is from a usability point-of-view. How do you go about charging your staff/public and how easy is it for them to access?

 

Tap is really easy to use. Like the majority of charging apps, it’s a case of find the charger and click to charge.

[pete]

18 hours ago, EssentialRug said:

This is dull, but has anyone ordered custom stickers for their chargers to specify which is which? Looking for something that we can custom make that is suitably weatherproof/tamperproof

 

We're considering spraypaint and stencils, but a dystopian/cyberpunk look may not go down well with our headteachers.

[EssentialRug]

Anyone had any experience of it being difficult for either them or their electrical installer to get the grant payout after installation?