The Workplace Charging Scheme provides grants to support the cost of purchase, installation and infrastructure of up to 40 electric vehicle (EV) charger sockets at eligible places of work, including GP practices, covering up to 75% of the cost of purchase and installation. The scheme is available until 31 March 2025. Here, Jay Wilson, UK&I Marketing Operations Manager at Blink Charging UK, explores how a PCN or practice could make use of this offer.
About 3.5% of road travel in England relates to patients, visitors, staff and suppliers to the NHS. It’s a huge number of miles and contributes around 14% of the NHS’s total emissions. It’s no surprise that creating an electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure to support the NHS is a priority.
With hospital trusts and general practices putting together green plans to encourage NHS staff to use EVs, where can a PCN or practice start with EV charging, and what does the future of EV charging look like?
Blink Charging UK has supported 14 NHS Trusts in paving the way for greener travel, enabling patients, visitors, staff, and fleets to quickly and easily access EV chargers. Initiating a charging infrastructure for the first time across busy sites within budgetary constraints and tight deadlines has been a common theme. Although different in scale, what we’ve learnt can be applied to GP practices and their PCNs.
Things to consider when installing an EV charger
- ‘Right charger, right place’ isn’t just for right now, but should consider future plans. Many users are at the start of their EV journey, so look to accommodate any future requirements. Usage data can also help inform future expansion.
- Who’s the main user? Is EV charging primarily for fleet vehicles (i.e. ambulances, patient transport), GP staff or patient use? Effective back-office systems can support three-tiered payment solutions for these users. So, while fleet users most often access charge points for free via Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), public and staff members can access different tariffs using a mobile app or contactless payment.
- Can chargers be installed at scale? It is possible to install a number of chargers across one site or multiple locations. This is based on the needs of the trust or practice. For example, they might want to install the chargers all in one instance or adopt them through a phased approach. Other things to consider are the complexity of the request and external factors relating to the facilities which could prevent mass rollout to practices.
- How will chargers be managed and reported on? Tools are available to demonstrate savings involved in electrification and, particularly in larger organisations located across multiple sites, consideration is being given to any revenue generated by chargers being reinvested into future phases of the network, revenue share and revenue reimbursement.
- Working around busy, active sites is a given in the NHS. Planning and effective working relationships are key to maintaining business as usual during installation; any good supplier will consider traffic management systems and avoid restricted areas.
- Funding for GP practices is available. The Workplace Charging Scheme provides grants to support the cost of purchase, installation and infrastructure of up to 40 EV charger sockets at eligible places of work, including GP practices, covering up to 75% of the cost of purchase and installation. The scheme is available until 31 March 2025. One proviso is that installers must be approved by the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV), available on the government website.
- Cost is a big consideration, particularly in primary care. A project can cost anything from £20K depending on the scale and the complexity. Installation costs vary depending on a variety of factors, including the number and type of chargers, the power available on site (connecting to existing power or if a new connection to the power grid is necessary), and if there is groundwork that needs to happen. It is also important to ensure there are enough chargers to accommodate current needs and consider any future requirements, taking into account your budget.
- Frameworks can help. Whether you‘re considering installing a couple of chargers or buying a full end-to-end solution – where your provider offers a full set of services that go beyond just the hardware – there’s a range of frameworks you can draw from to help secure best value. These can help make the procurement process more straightforward. Being on a framework means EV suppliers have been approved based on their track record, performance, professional expertise and financial stability. Here are a few examples of frameworks available: Achilles (UVDB); Crown Commercial Services; Eastern Shires Purchasing Organisation; Herts The Procurement Partnership; Kent Commercial Services; and Oxford Council Dynamic Purchasing System
- In the case of fleet vehicles, it’s worth investing time in providing drivers with range confidence and assurance on the wider availability of chargers and their ability to top up vehicles where and when needed.
EV charging – what can we expect next?
The EV market in the UK has been increasing steadily since 2019. The number of EV cars on UK roads is over 1.1 million (April 2024), driven by government support, technological advancements and shifting consumer preferences. As the market continues to mature, consumer confidence in EVs should grow, driven by positive user experience and a wider range of EV models catering to a broader audience.
EV charging technologies continue to develop at a pace, particularly those that provide greater compatibility between different vehicles and chargers. Fast-charging technology is also significantly reducing the time needed to charge EVs.
In the UK, we are also seeing a new generation of vehicle-to-grid, bi-directional chargers. These chargers – suitable for the workplace and home – will be able to draw on energy stored in an electric vehicle’s battery to power, for example, lights or refrigeration in a GP practice. This can reduce dependency on the grid, minimise energy waste, and open up opportunities to feed electricity back into the grid. As a result, organisations, homeowners and grid operators will be able to better balance energy supply and demand.
UK legislation coming into effect in 2025 will also require the rollout of EV ‘roaming’ in the UK. EV chargers are typically ‘locked down’ to one charge point operator, requiring users to download multiple mobile apps to charge at different locations. Eliminating the need for drivers to have multiple apps is another step forward in further developing and simplifying the UK’s EV charging system.
