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Could/should the OLEV EV charging point grant be scrapped?

Sparkingchip
Could/should the OLEV EV charging point grant be scrapped?


With the potential financial situation the country is facing could/should the OLEV EV charging point grant be scrapped? Given the level of debt the government is racking up it seems an appropriate time to say that actually people buying cars should cover the associated costs themselves without a subsidy.


If the grants are scrapped I think it would be a huge incentive for more electricians to become involved in installing EV charging points.


Andy Betteridge
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    Well If we  supplied and installed to the "Jewsbury" standard such as the Concept consumer unit and similarly engineered charge points it would be the answer
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    Forget the actual installation methods and practice, concentrate on the business model.


    Electrician completes the C&G and gains training certificates from charger manufacturers then registers with OLEV.


    As I understand it at the end of the first month the installer submits the grant claims then it may take two months to get the payment from OLEV.


    So assuming two installations a week, at the end of the first month the installer is owed £4,000 by OLEV and submits the claim, by the time it is paid the installer is owed £12,000.


    One of the YouTube vloggers said book all the materials through a wholesaler, then pay off the debt at the end of the second month using a credit card to get another month of credit. So at the end of the second month the customer has owned and been using the charger for two months, both the wholesaler and charger manufacturers should have been paid in full, but the electrician is left financing it all with debt on a credit card waiting for the OLEV grant payment.


    If the grant is scrapped the electrician could leave the job having taken full payment by card or other means, then just pay the wholesalers, who then pay the manufacturer with everything being settled by the end of the second month.


    So why do it? It seems that in many instances it the grant is just being used as part of an up selling package to include solar PV and storage batteries, by significantly increasing the overall cost the grant becomes a less significant part of the payment allowing all costs to be covered with the wholesalers manufacturers being paid out of the payment received rather than being financed by the electrician.


    I outlined the business plan that some guys are apparently trying to follow to my wife, she made comments that included mad and barge pole.


    The grant just seems to be a disincentive rather than an encouragement for small businesses and sole traders to engage in EV charger installation, if going at it relatively seriously and installing a charger a day the money owed would rack up at £2,500 a week with possibly £30,000 being owed before the first payment is received at at the time of each subsequent payment.


    Andy Betteridge 


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    Add in the fact that the grant claim application takes longer to do than each installation. Because of all the paperwork, photos and form faffing.

    And you'll have to wait at least 3-4 months for your first payment if you've managed to correctly complete the grant claim form.

    BTW its 3 strikes and you're out!

    I speak from experience. LOL.

    Completed 2 installs November and December last year still not been paid.

    I've followed your Mrs advice Barge pole etc...
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    I am a believer in Small Government, so I am not in favour of any scheme which promotes a particular course of action. However, I do accept that it is a perfectly reasonable political aim to encourage the take up of EVs.


    Hasn't this all been done before with PVs and the FIT?
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    It could be a rebate scheme allowing the customers to claim the grant after the installation is completed and paid for, then each customer has to claim back up to £500 each rather than the installer being owed thousands.


    But if there was any problems with the final payment of the grant to the customer because of the paperwork supplied by the installer or problems with the installation the customer would then be trying to recoup the grant money from the installer.


    I think the grant scheme could be closed on account of the financial issues facing the government because of the current lockdown, but the grant scheme is the reason I have never trained and qualified with the C&G or got involved in any installations. I see the grant scheme as a disincentive to engage.


    Andy Betteridge
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    Plus the grant is now reduced to £350

    Another disincentive.
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    I had not realised it has been reduced to a maximum of £350.


    Andy Betteridge
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    Sparkingchip:

    I had not realised it has been reduced to a maximum of £350.


    Andy Betteridge 




    As of the 1st April - so it's only just changed.


    I've applied to OLEV for registration, but I completely agree that it should be for the customer to reclaim the money rather than the Electrician. And OLEV should be much, much quicker paying than they are.


    The SEAI (Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland) has a €600 grant for EVSEs (so similar to the previous £500 grant), but this is paid directly to the customer upon sending in the RECI cert etc. So from the Electrician's point of view it's a far better system whereby you're not waiting on money forever (presuming the customer pays promptly of course).

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    Am I right in thinking that chargers installed with an OLEV grant no longer require a mobile phone network connection to allow OLEV to remotely interrogate it to obtain usage data.

    https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/772456/electric-vehicle-chargepoint-scheme-technical-spec-before-july-2019.pdf


    Andy  Betteridge
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    But the chargers have to be smart.

    https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-funded-electric-car-chargepoints-to-be-smart-by-july-2019


    Andy Betteridge

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