The OZEV Grant is ending for homeowners on March 31st, 2022, which means time is running out to claim the £350 EV charger installation funding. Here is what you need to know to make sure you beat the closing date!
While the majority of customers experience no issues at all with their installations being carried out within the standard 3-4 week lead time, there are factors that can delay the process which are out of the control of Smart Home Charge. Unfortunately, if any delays occur that are beyond the control of Smart Home Charge, we will not be able to help you claim the £350
Read below to understand what is changing, how the OZEV grant works and what can delay an installation.
What is happening to the OZEV Grant?
The OZEV Grant, or Electric Vehicle Homecharge Scheme, is ending for homeowners. The changes mean homeowners with off-street parking will no longer be able to claim the £350 Government contribution if their installation has not taken place by March 31st, 2022. Instead, the Government OZEV department is directing the grant elsewhere such as landlords.
How long do I have to claim the OZEV Grant?
Officially, the OZEV Grant for homeowners finishes on March 31st, 2022, which is the final date for installations under this scheme.
However, don’t wait until the last minute to get your charger installed because you could miss out on the grant due to overwhelming demand for OZEV-approved installers like Electric Vehicle Charging NI.
We don’t want our customers to miss out, so if you have an EV or have one on order then request a quote from EVCNI as soon as possible so we can begin the process and schedule you in well before the closing date for the grant.
There are also a number of things that can delay your installation, some of which are out of our control. The last thing we want is for your installation to end up taking place after the March 31st deadline because of one of these delays and you missing out on the £350 grant.
What can delay my EV charger installation?
Average lead times for a charger installation at Electric Vehicle Charging NI is 2-3 weeks from the point of payment, which allows the proper amount of time for the dispatch of your charger, OZEV Grant evidence collation, and DNO notification.
However, there are factors that can delay your installation some of which can be avoided, and others cannot. We’ve listed these below.
Most EV charger installations avoid any unnecessary delays entirely, but the below are examples of what can happen and how you can prepare.
Most common delays to installation (but easily avoidable!):
If you are applying for the OZEV Grant then your vehicle must be on the Government approved list. While we try to check you are eligible for the grant as quickly as possible, it is in your interest to make sure you fulfil the Government requirements of the OZEV Grant.
Before we can arrange an installation date, we must make sure all the documentation is in place for your OZEV Grant application to ensure your application is not rejected by the Government. During this process we will ask you to complete a short questionnaire, which is then followed by a second stage where you need to upload your documentation as evidence to our online portal. The sooner this is completed correctly by you, the quicker we can arrange your installation.
In cases where private off-street parking isn’t clear, we will request a “Land Registry Red Line Plan” which clearly shows your property boundary as part of your property deeds. You should have received this when you purchased your property, but if you don’t have a copy you can obtain this from the Government Land Registry website.
If you are getting your EV via work or salary sacrifice scheme, we will need specific documentation to prove this is the case. The Government is very strict about what this documentation should include, such as a nominated driver letter or salary sacrifice document, so it is imperative we receive the correct information from you. Unfortunately, the smallest of errors (such as a typo or missing information) will be rejected by the Government delaying the entire process.
As part of the evidence, we need to submit to the Government, we have to prove you are the owner/driver of the eligible vehicle. This often means the dealership where you bought or ordered the vehicle from will need to provide some documentation. Unfortunately, some dealerships are very slow or lethargic when it comes to supplying this information. We will advise you what information is required, so it’s important you make sure your dealership does its part!