Commercial EV Charger Installation in Cornwall: Grants, Costs and Rules (2026)
The short answer
Commercial EV charger installation in Cornwall usually means one or more 7kW or 22kW AC chargers on a smart, load-managed system, surveyed and priced per site. Most businesses, charities and public bodies can claim the Workplace Charging Scheme, which pays up to 75% of the cost, capped at £500 per socket, for up to 40 sockets. The catch is who can use them: at an ordinary business, grant-funded chargers are for staff and fleet vehicles. Charities, public bodies and accommodation businesses can let anyone charge.
Who needs commercial EV charging in Cornwall?
Across Cornwall, the businesses asking about chargers tend to fall into a few groups:
- Hotels, B&Bs, guest houses and holiday parks, where guests now expect to charge overnight
- Offices, workshops and trade businesses switching vans and company cars to electric
- Charities, clubs and village halls looking for a small income from visitors
- Schools, colleges and council sites with staff car parks and minibuses
- Shops, cafés and attractions wanting drivers to stay longer
Each group has different rules on grants and on who can plug in, so it's worth getting that right before choosing hardware.
Which grants cover commercial EV chargers?
GOV.UK lists four types of applicant for the Workplace Charging Scheme (WCS): businesses, charities, public sector bodies and small accommodation businesses. Who can use the chargers depends on which one you are.
| Applicant | Grant | Who can use the chargers |
|---|---|---|
| Business (offices, trades, shops) | Up to 75%, max £500 per socket, up to 40 sockets | Staff and fleet only. Local residents can be allowed outside working hours |
| Charity or public sector body | Same | No restriction: staff, visitors and customers |
| Small accommodation business (hotels, B&Bs, holiday lets) | Same | No restriction: guests, visitors and staff |
| State-funded school or college | Separate education scheme, up to £2,000 per socket | Staff and the school community |
A few rules apply to everyone:
- The site needs dedicated off-road parking clearly linked to the premises
- You must own the property or have the landlord's consent
- You must use an authorised installer, or the grant can't be claimed
- GOV.UK advises getting the site surveyed before you apply
- The scheme closes on 31 March 2027
If you want the chargers open to the general public, GOV.UK says that's allowed, but you then have to follow the Public Charge Point Regulations 2023, which cover things like contactless payment and pricing in pence per kWh.
The separate grants for commercial landlords and for larger EV infrastructure projects closed on 31 March 2026, so the Workplace Charging Scheme is now the main route for most Cornish businesses.
How much grant could you get?
The grant is worked out per socket, so twin-socket chargers and multiple chargers add up quickly:
| Sockets | Maximum grant (at £500 per socket) |
|---|---|
| 2 (one twin charger) | £1,000 |
| 4 | £2,000 |
| 10 | £5,000 |
| 40 (scheme limit) | £20,000 |
The grant can't be more than 75% of the total cost, including VAT.
AC or DC: which charger does a business need?
Most Cornish businesses only need AC charging. Cars that stay parked for a few hours, such as staff cars, guests' cars overnight or vans at the depot, charge fully on 7kW or 22kW AC.
| Charger | Typical power | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| 7kW AC (single phase) | Adds roughly 25–30 miles per hour | Overnight guests, staff parking all day |
| 22kW AC (three phase) | Up to three times faster, if the car can take it | Short-stay visitors, fleets with quick turnarounds |
| DC rapid | 50kW and above | Forecourts and sites on main routes, with a large grid connection |
Many cars can only take 7kW or 11kW on AC, so a 22kW charger won't always charge them faster. DC rapid chargers cost far more and usually need a grid upgrade, so they rarely make sense outside busy roadside sites.
What affects the cost of a commercial installation?
Every commercial job is priced after a survey. The main factors are:
- Your supply. Single-phase or three-phase, and how much spare capacity the site has
- Load management. Smart systems share power between chargers so you don't overload the supply
- Distance and groundworks. Trenching across a car park costs much more than a wall-mounted charger by the building
- Number of sockets. More sockets cost more overall, but the grant rises with them
- Grid approval. Larger systems need approval from the network operator, which in Cornwall is National Grid Electricity Distribution
Since 2022, new workplace chargers in Great Britain have had to be smart, which also lets you schedule charging on cheaper rates.
Can a commercial charger earn money?
Yes, where the rules allow paid use. Hotels, holiday lets, charities and public sites can charge visitors per kWh through an app. As a guide, a fair price for guests is 35–45p per kWh, while an overnight business tariff can be far lower. At an ordinary business, grant-funded chargers are for staff and fleet, but you can still pass the cost on to staff or open them to residents out of hours.
FAQ
Can my Cornwall business get a grant for EV chargers? Yes. Businesses, charities, public bodies and small accommodation businesses can all apply for the Workplace Charging Scheme, which pays up to £500 per socket for up to 40 sockets, until 31 March 2027.
Can customers use a grant-funded charger at my business? Only at charities, public sector sites and small accommodation businesses. At an ordinary business, grant-funded chargers are for staff and fleet vehicles, though you can let local residents use them outside working hours.
Do I need 22kW chargers? Usually not. Most cars parked for a few hours charge fully on 7kW, and many cars can't take more than 7kW or 11kW on AC anyway.
How many sockets should I install? Start with how many cars are parked for long enough to charge, then allow for growth. Twin-socket chargers are often the best value because the grant is paid per socket.
Who applies for the grant? You do, online, after a site survey. You then share the voucher with an authorised installer, who claims it once the chargers are fitted.
Thinking about commercial EV charging in Cornwall? Manta Power arranges smart, multi-socket charging for businesses, charities, hotels and holiday lets across Cornwall, Devon and the South West, fitted by our local installation partners. See our guide for businesses, check the holiday let offer, or call 07441 353701.
