A recent survey of EV installers in the UK, carried out by charge point management platform Fuuse, found OZEV grant applications to be the biggest hurdle installers are facing, and may be hindering EV rollout despite the aim to incentivise it.
Fuuse found that over half of respondents claimed that the complexity of applying for and reclaiming the government grants were posing a challenge. 40% said the process for the Homecharge scheme – which is due to scale back next month – was difficult to navigate, with over 10% calling for the OZEV schemes to be scrapped altogether. Requesting too much information, manual paperwork and lengthy payment delays were cited as the main pain points with the current application process.
James Harding, founder of the UK EV Installers community, shares his views in the Fuuse report:
“Whilst EV installation is, on the face of it, a profitable and high growth business, operating successfully in this space requires superior administration skills to successfully navigate the OZEV grant process, robust financial controls, as well as deeper cash reserves than most small trades typically have.”
Discussing the calls to scrap the OZEV grants, Mr Harding explains the advantages the scheme brings to the industry:
“If there’s a consensus [in the EV installer community] it’s a concern that installation standards may fall. The OZEV grant process is a barrier to entry and their exacting standards, whilst burdensome, keep the cowboys away, because rejected grants can cost the installer £350 each time.”
The Fuuse report also concludes a need for better and clearer education in the market, with 46% of installers citing client knowledge and understanding as posing another challenge. The report covers the correlation between those approaching EV transition with reluctance and those with a lower understanding of the charging needs and solutions available to them.
Rising costs are also potentially holding back drivers and installers, as the report explores how increased equipment costs and salaries are leading to higher costs for installers and their customers – and the potential affect this is having on decisions to transition.
Michael Gibson, CEO of Fuuse, said:
“This first installer survey has been a huge success and highlighted some significant challenges that the industry faces. It will be fascinating to see how these numbers change next year and whether new challenges emerge. We’re actively championing installers to help address some of these barriers, supplying them with documents for their customers, features to help them grow their business and support to help them thrive.”
To download the full report click here
