A simpler way to help your team switch to electric vehicles
Many businesses are looking for practical ways to reduce emissions, improve staff benefits and support employees with the cost of driving.
One option is an electric vehicle salary sacrifice scheme. JPEC Electrical is pleased to recommend the scheme from Octopus Electric Vehicles, which helps employers offer access to brand-new electric vehicles through a straightforward employee benefit.
Rather than buying or leasing a car privately, employees can choose an electric vehicle through their workplace and pay for it from their gross salary. This can reduce the monthly cost and make switching to electric driving more manageable.
What is an EV salary sacrifice scheme?
An EV salary sacrifice scheme allows an employee to exchange part of their gross salary for the use of a new electric vehicle.
Because the payment comes out before Income Tax and National Insurance are calculated, the employee may pay less tax and National Insurance overall. This can make a new electric vehicle more affordable than arranging a similar car independently.
With the Octopus Electric Vehicles scheme, the package can include more than just the vehicle. Depending on eligibility and the option selected, it may cover:
- The electric vehicle
- Charging support
- Insurance
- Servicing
- Maintenance
- Breakdown cover
- Replacement tyres
This gives employees one monthly payment and helps remove some of the uncertainty around running costs.
Why this matters for electrical contractors and businesses
For many organisations, electric vehicles are no longer a future consideration. They are already becoming part of staff travel, company benefits, fleet planning and wider environmental policies.
However, moving to electric vehicles often raises practical questions:
- Where will vehicles be charged?
- Will staff need home chargers?
- Is workplace charging worth installing?
- How will the business manage energy demand?
- What support will employees need?
That is where the electrical side matters. EV adoption is not only about choosing the car. It is also about making sure the right charging infrastructure is in place, safely installed and suitable for the way people actually use their vehicles.
Benefits for employers
Offering an EV salary sacrifice scheme can help employers improve their staff benefits without directly purchasing vehicles for the business.
It may help your company:
- Offer a more attractive employee benefit
- Support sustainability and carbon reduction goals
- Reduce employer National Insurance contributions
- Help staff access electric vehicles with no upfront deposit
- Encourage lower-emission travel
- Show customers and employees that your business is taking practical steps towards cleaner transport
Octopus Electric Vehicles states that the scheme has no set-up cost for businesses and is open to companies of different sizes.
For employers, this can make it a relatively simple benefit to introduce, especially compared with managing a vehicle scheme internally.
Benefits for employees
For employees, the main advantage is access to a brand-new electric vehicle through their employer, with potential savings through salary sacrifice.
The scheme can make electric driving easier to understand because many of the common costs are included in one monthly payment.
Employees may benefit from:
- A new electric vehicle
- No upfront deposit
- Income Tax and National Insurance savings
- Charging offers
- Insurance, subject to eligibility
- Servicing and maintenance
- Breakdown cover
- Tyre replacement
- Support when choosing the right EV
This can be especially useful for drivers who are interested in electric vehicles but are unsure about the cost, charging or day-to-day practicalities.
Charging at home and at work
Charging is one of the biggest parts of the conversation when someone switches to an electric vehicle.
Some employees may be able to charge at home using a dedicated EV charger. Others may not have off-street parking and may rely more heavily on public or workplace charging.
The Octopus Electric Vehicles scheme can include a free home charger with standard installation, plus 4,000 miles of free home charging. For drivers without off-street parking, Octopus can offer 4,000 free miles of credit through Octopus Electroverse instead, subject to the relevant terms and conditions.
For businesses, this may also raise the question of workplace EV charging. Installing chargers at your premises can support employees, visitors and fleet vehicles, but it needs to be planned properly.
A good workplace EV charging setup should consider:
- How many vehicles may need to charge
- Whether chargers are for staff, visitors or company vehicles
- The electrical capacity available on site
- Load management
- Future demand
- Safe installation and ongoing maintenance
Why proper installation matters
EV charging equipment should always be installed by qualified professionals. This is important for safety, performance and long-term reliability.
A suitable installation will take account of the property, the existing electrical supply and how the charger will be used. For commercial premises, it may also need to consider multiple users, parking arrangements, usage patterns and future expansion.
Poor planning can lead to inconvenience later, especially if the system cannot support the number of vehicles that need to charge.
How JPEC Electrical can support your business
JPEC Electrical works with businesses that need safe, reliable electrical installation and support. As electric vehicles become more common, charging infrastructure is becoming an increasingly important part of commercial electrical planning.
If your business is considering EV salary sacrifice, workplace EV chargers or wider electrical upgrades, it is worth thinking about the full picture early.
That may include:
- Assessing whether your premises are suitable for EV charging
- Planning charger locations
- Reviewing electrical capacity
- Installing commercial EV charge points
- Considering future expansion
- Maintaining safe and compliant electrical systems
This helps make sure your business is not only offering access to electric vehicles, but also supporting the practical side of using them.
Is EV salary sacrifice worth considering?
For many businesses, EV salary sacrifice can be a useful employee benefit. It can help staff access electric vehicles more affordably, while supporting the company’s environmental goals and benefits package.
For employees, it can reduce some of the barriers around cost and vehicle maintenance.
For employers, it can be a practical way to support cleaner travel without taking on the full responsibility of buying and managing vehicles directly.
The key is to look at the scheme, the charging requirements and the wider electrical setup together.
Find out more
If your business is interested in the Octopus Electric Vehicles salary sacrifice scheme, you can register your interest below:
