Electric Vehicle Homecharge Scheme changes are ‘mainly positive’, says Andersen EV

The Office for Low Emission Vehicles, or OLEV, recently announced some pretty key changes to the Electric Vehicle Homecharge Scheme. 

These changes have a wide ranging impact on those installing electric vehicle chargers, so Electrical Review caught up with Andersen EV to see what the electric vehicle charger manufacturer thought of the changes. This is what it said. 

Do the recent changes to the Electric Vehicle Homecharge Scheme go far enough, or should there be further changes? 

“The changes made were mainly positive ones and we look forward to the process being more streamlined, this will vastly improve the approval process and in turn speed up payment and enhance cash flow, which as we know was a major issue previously.”

Are the changes to the Electric Vehicle Homecharge Scheme a positive step in the right direction?  

Very much so, the administration time will be reduced in both obtaining certain evidence for the Electric Vehicle Homecharge Scheme grant and also the submission process.

Many in the industry have argued that a greater burden should be placed on homeowners obtaining a voucher, like the Green Homes Grant Scheme, do you agree?

I do believe that ultimately the homeowner should be responsible for claiming the grant rather than the installers, it is still a burden on a company’s time, money and resource. 

The current Workplace Charging Scheme model works very well, with the company’s applying for the grant being issued with a voucher code. This is then verified and submitted to the installers. It’s a simple yet effective process that one day may lean itself to the Electric Vehicle Homecharge Scheme.

Do you have any concerns regarding the changes to the Electric Vehicle Homecharge Scheme? 

The only concern I have is over the fact that any OLEV-approved installer can fit any OLEV-approved charge point. For me this was possibly a step too far and wasn’t really warranted. 

EV installation isn’t as easy as it seems, with all manufacturers requiring varying degrees of protection. It can be a bit confusing and makes me concerned that some units will be installed without the installer completing some training or having the basic knowledge of that particular charge points installation requirements.

 This is something the manufacturers will need to keep a close eye on.