LMF grant terms and conditions for EV charging points

County councillors can allocate some or all of their Local Member Fund (LMF) allocation as a grant towards the installation of electric vehicle charge points (EVCPs) within the community.

Funds will be provided to eligible parish, town, borough or city councils with the following terms and conditions.

1. Funding is to be spent on providing new EVCPs within community car parks. You can spend it on installation costs as well as associated works. For example, upgrading electric supplies, providing signage and protectors such as barriers and bump stops.
2. The allocated funding amount will be set by the county councillor and can cover part of or all the associated costs.
3. EVCPs installed through this grant will remain the property and responsibility of the applicable leaseholder or landowner.
4. You cannot use funding towards ongoing maintenance costs. For example, inspections, servicing, repairs, energy costs or data or software licence subscriptions. Nor can you use it for the upgrade or replacement of existing charge points.
5. Usage tariffs are to be determined and set locally. You should make every effort to provide a competitive pricing structure while covering ongoing maintenance costs where required.
6. EVCPs must be accessible to all members of the public to use, without the need of patronage to the business or landowner. 24/7 public access to EVCPs is encouraged wherever possible to support the overnight charging needs of local residents.
7. EVCP specification must conform to the Office of Zero Emission Vehicle specifications.
8. Consideration towards appropriate payment methods is crucial for public accessibility. As a minimum, members of the public should be able to pay for usage through a web-based app. It's recommended you consider the provision of a local contactless payment terminal.
9. Grant funding from the On-Street Residential Chargepoint Scheme (ORCS) can be sought where eligible. Advice and guidance on eligibility can be sought from electricvehicles@norfolk.gov.uk.
10. You must register all installations on the National Chargepoint Registry UK at https://chargepoints.dft.gov.uk/login. You must comply with the chargepoint requirements of the registry.
11. You must install EVCPs and have them operational within one year within receipt of LMF funding. You should notify Norfolk County Council at electricvehicles@norfolk.gov.uk.
12. You should return any unspent funds to Norfolk County Council at the earliest opportunity, but no later than one year after receipt. You should send purchase order or remittance advice to electricvehicles@norfolk.gov.uk.

LMF electric vehicle chargepoint guidance

There are many EVCPs on the market, of varying design and specification. We've provided the following information as a guide on various aspects of charge point design.

These are worth considering to ensure you meet the needs of charge point users.

Charge point speed

Faster is not always better. Most EVs on the market today can only accept 7.2kwh AC at most: many hybrids only charge at 3.6kwh AC. Cars will only charge at their maximum rating even if plugged into a higher-rated charge point.

Besides, the available power capacity at each site will vary according to existing load and supply. There is no point providing 22kwh chargers if the maximum power availability at site is 7kwh or less.

Socket type

Type 2 sockets are the most common interface in the UK. They are accessible to a wide range of vehicles from Renault Zoes to Teslas.

The recommendation is for a socket rather than a tethered cable. This is to minimise maintenance costs and repairs, with EV drivers providing their own cables.

Number of sockets

The recommendation is for the provision of at least two sockets at each site. This caters for demand as well as faults.

Positioning or location

The biggest variable in installation costs is the electrical connection. The further away from the consumer unit, the higher the costs will be.

Digging trenches to lay cables underground will be significantly more expensive than running cables in wall-mounted conduits. Charge points are available wall or floor mounted.

Wall-mounted options are usually cheaper to install. This is because they often don’t need extra protection such as barriers to prevent damage.

Consider accessibility – can users with limited mobility easily access the charge points? Availability of level access, including dropped kerbs on site, may influence where you want to position your charge points.

Signage

One of the biggest frustration of EV drivers is finding EVCPs. Make sure that charge points are highly visible, including the use of signs.

This will also help deter non-EV users who may otherwise inadvertently park in EV bays, particularly as they may not yet recognise EVCPs. It's also a good way of educating non-EV drivers. It can make them aware of the EVCPs and help encourage them to consider an EV as their next car.

Signage should also explain how to use the system. For example, how do public users access the charge points? You may need a web address and/or a QR code and charge point ID. Is there a helpline number for any problems?

Protection

EVCPs may need protection from damage by vehicles by using barriers.