5 July, 2022

On-Street Residential Chargepoint Scheme (ORCS) Explained

• What is the On-Street Residential Chargepoint Scheme?
• Funding available
• Who can apply for the scheme?
• What does the funding cover?
• What about car parks?
• How to apply
• How eFaraday can help

 

On-street charge points are in high demand. Communities want them and the UK government wants to increase the uptake of EVs. The On-Street Residential Chargepoint Scheme has been put in place to address both of these and help those responsible for installing the necessary infrastructure for EV charge points. There’s a lot to take in, so we’ve gathered all the information you need to know and clearly laid out the scheme for you to digest.

 

What is The On-Street Residential Chargepoint Scheme? 

The On-Street Residential Chargepoint Scheme (ORCS) is a scheme put in place by the UK government and managed by the Office of Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV) to help build the best electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure network in the world. In order to achieve this, the network needs to be affordable, reliable and accessible for EV drivers. 

This is where local authorities have a big part to play, as they will need to support this transition to electric vehicles within their areas and communities. The scheme, therefore, helps these local authorities install on-street EV charge point infrastructure for residents, whereby off-street parking is not available, by providing them with grant funding that can be used as a contribution towards the cost of the installation. 

 

 

Funding Available

The UK government have announced that there is £20 million available for the scheme for the year 2022-2023. Grant funding can contribute to up to 60% of eligible capital costs for each application, of which a full list can be found on the government website. Maximum funding per charge point is £7,500, unless electrical connection costs are particularly high, in which case up to £13,000 per charge point is available.

 

Who Can Apply For the Scheme? 

The ORCS is open to relevant local authorities or authorities within the UK. Successful applicants will have the explicit support of the relevant highway authority or landowner and be responsible for the maintenance of the areas in which the charge points are located. They will also be able to guarantee the project can be completed by 31st March 2024. 

Applicants must tell the OZEV of any other funding received for EV charging infrastructure, such as the Go Ultra Low Cities Scheme. This is because scheme funding is demand-led and applications can be prioritised if they have received other sources of funding for on-street residential infrastructure or if the area has particular air quality challenges. 

 

 

What Does the Funding Cover?

The ORCS funding covers:

• A charge point of up to 22kW & necessary electrical equipment
• Civil engineering works and labour
• Hardware

 

What About Car Parks? 

Although the scheme focuses on on-street locations, the government recognises that some local authorities will be pressured to allocate parking spaces for electric vehicles on residential streets. For this reason, applications for charge points located in car parks owned by a local authority or another group with a long-term leasing agreement between the landowner and local authority (e.g. village hall) will be considered.

 

 

How to Apply 

Applicants can start the process by contacting the OZEV’s support body for the scheme and discussing their application via email: onstreetchargepoints@est.org.uk

After discussing the project, applicants will be advised to fill out the scheme’s application form (found here) and send it to onstreetchargepoints@est.org.uk 

Successful applications will receive a grant offer letter from the OZEV. 

 

How eFaraday Can Help

At eFaraday we can support you in the application process. We are an OZEV-approved installer and can provide a bespoke and fully managed solution for all your EV charge points. If you’re a local authority, get in touch!