What should you prepare before contacting EV charger installers?

Prepare a parking sketch, ownership permissions, electricity supply records, bills and a clear charging goal. State who will use the bays and when. For eligible workplace projects, the grant is capped at £500 per socket [S1], so check eligibility before assuming funding. Mark missing information for the survey rather than guessing. Checked October 2026.

Last checked 17 October 2026

What is your business goal for installing EV chargers?

Write a short brief before asking for equipment. Are you trying to earn host income, serve staff, charge delivery vehicles or meet a requirement attached to building work? Rank those aims. A design cannot be assessed against an undefined goal. The network operator’s business process starts with your charging needs [S2].

Record who visits, how long vehicles stay and which vehicles must leave charged. Separate observations from estimates. A visitor count is not a forecast of paid charging sessions. If you want income, ask the installer to show the demand assumptions behind its offer.

State your funding preference using the same wording throughout the enquiry: fully funded, part funded or self funded. For fully funded, ask what yearly rent or revenue share the host could receive. For part funded and self funded, request annual net income, return on investment and simple payback in years, with low-use sensitivities.

Use the commercial installation hub for the overall process and the site check to turn your goals into a project outline.

How many parking bays can your site actually offer?

Draw the whole car park, including entrances, accessible routes, loading areas and the proposed equipment. Mark total bays separately from those you can dedicate to charging. Add a possible cable route and photographs taken without exposing customer information.

Record busy periods, deliveries and seasonal closures. Note whether charging customers could reach the bays without crossing locked gates. Include space for cabinets and maintenance access in the survey request. These are preparation prompts, not a dimensioned design or a claim that your layout is compliant.

What should go in your enquiry pack?

The electrical rows support a connection assessment [S2]. Ofgem explains how to identify relevant metering information on your bill and how half-hourly records show when energy is used [S3]. Leave unknown fields marked unknown. Never open sealed supply equipment to complete this checklist.

What electricity information should you send before a survey?

Power in kilowatts (kW) describes the charging rate; energy in kilowatt hours (kWh) describes how much is delivered. Your distribution network operator (DNO) handles the local electricity network. It is a different role from the supplier that bills you. Ask the installer to identify the correct DNO and connection process [S2].

Include the Meter Point Administration Number (MPAN) from your bill. Send existing supply records and photographs of visible labels. Ask your electrician to confirm the main fuse, distribution board, earthing and whether the supply is three-phase. An impressive-looking board is not evidence of spare capacity. The proposed charging load needs assessment against the existing site load [S2].

Request half-hourly consumption data if available. Include busy trading days, heating or cooling demand and planned new equipment. Annual bills alone cannot show when loads coincide. Ofgem’s half-hourly guide explains the distinction between total consumption and its timing [S3].

Use site power for an initial discussion. Compare your bill’s structure with business electricity price data and the wider cut energy costs goal; a benchmark does not replace your contract or a capacity study.

Which permissions and access arrangements need checking?

Give the installer your tenure and known restrictions. Ask your solicitor whether the lease permits installation, third-party occupation, cable routes and the proposed operating hours. Identify who can sign and who must consent. Keep pending permission separate from permission already received.

Ask for a planning check for your UK nation and actual layout. England has permitted development rights for some off-street charging, with conditions and exclusions. Listed buildings and conservation areas need particular attention; do not assume a car park automatically qualifies [S4]. Check the position with your solicitor and planning authority.

Tell your insurer what equipment and public use are proposed. Request written allocation of equipment damage, public liability, maintenance access and driver complaints. For public charging, ask who will deliver the required staffed telephone helpline [S5]. This prevents the reception desk becoming an undefined support service.

What funding paperwork belongs in the first enquiry?

For the Workplace Charging Scheme, current guidance states support of up to 75% of eligible purchase and installation costs, capped at £500 per socket and 40 sockets per applicant across sites. The published scheme end date is 31 March 2027 [S1]. These limits do not establish your project’s eligibility.

Use the grant checker, describe staff, fleet and public use accurately, and ask the installer to confirm the application sequence. Do not deduct an assumed grant from every offer. Keep grant eligibility, capital contribution and host income as separate questions.

What should you do next?

Send the same brief to each prospective installer and request a list of missing information. Use how to compare chargepoint quotes and the charging cost tool when reviewing the response. Then get matched with an installer that covers your area.

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