Salary Sacrifice Charging Benefits: Why Employees Love This EV Perk
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The modern workplace has changed what employees expect from their benefits package, and so have their priorities. Today's workforce doesn't just want a competitive salary - they want benefits that align with their values, support their financial well-being, and make their daily lives easier. Research shows 83% of millennials would be more loyal to a company that prioritised greener living and addressed environmental issues head-on. Enter salary sacrifice charging benefits: the game-changing EV perk that's transforming how employees think about electric cars and workplace benefits.
If you drive an electric car or are considering making the switch, salary sacrifice charging benefits could be the financial step-up you've been looking for. These employee EV charging perks allow you to save between 20 and 50% on your charging costs, whether you're plugging in at home, at work, or on the road!
The Charge Scheme is the UK's first and only salary sacrifice solution for EV charging, making these savings accessible to employees across the country. Whether you're charging at home, at work, or using any of the 69,000+ public charging points available through The Charge Scheme app, you can start saving immediately.
What Are Salary Sacrifice Charging Benefits?
Salary sacrifice charging benefits work by allowing you to pay for your EV charging costs from your gross salary, before tax and National Insurance are deducted. This simple change in how you pay for electricity can deliver savings on one of your biggest ongoing EV expenses.
Unlike traditional employee benefits that might offer small perks or discounts, workplace EV charging benefits address a real, everyday cost that affects thousands of drivers across the UK. At the moment, if you’re someone who relies on the public charging network, you can expect to pay more for charging than someone who drives a petrol or diesel car.
Whether you're charging a company car through a salary sacrifice scheme or driving your own electric vehicle, these benefits make the cost of going electric genuinely affordable. The beauty of salary sacrifice EV benefits lies in their simplicity. You don't need to change your car, your lease provider, or even your charging habits. Instead, you get to keep more money in your pocket every time you plug in your car.
The Financial Benefits That Make a Real Difference
The numbers speak for themselves. Public charging in the UK can cost up to 87p per kWh - that's roughly 22p per mile for most electric cars. For someone driving 15,000 miles per year and relying primarily on public charging, that's a substantial annual expense that can easily exceed £3,000.
Salary sacrifice EV charging can transform these costs. Take a typical higher-rate taxpayer who only charges their BYD Atto 3 on the public charging network over a four-year lease period. Without salary sacrifice, their public charging costs would total £13,501. With salary sacrifice charging benefits, they'd pay just £9,397 net - a saving of £4,104..
Even for those with home charging, the savings add up quickly. If the same person charges their EV only at home, the estimated cost would be £4,200 over the same period. With salary sacrifice, the net cost drops to £2,923 - still saving £1,277. For many employees, these savings can represent the equivalent of a small pay rise, delivered month after month. You can use our online calculator to see how much you can save on your charging. All you have to do is input your salary, car, charging habits and lease term and you’ll receive a personalised breakdown of your savings.
John Godfrey from Red Badger, who leased an MG4 through his company's EV salary sacrifice scheme, perfectly captures the appeal: "Since I don't have a home charger, I have been spending a lot on electricity from public charge points. I was pretty relieved to find out that there's a way to get some savings back through salary sacrifice. It'll likely save me more than £50 per month."
Convenience and Lifestyle Improvements
Beyond the financial benefits, employee electric car benefits like salary sacrifice charging offer genuine lifestyle improvements that traditional employee perks simply can't match. These benefits work wherever you charge your car - at home, at work, or using any of the 69,000+ public charging points across the UK. For employees living in flats or houses without driveways, this is particularly useful. Workplace EV charging benefits level the playing field, meaning employees without home charging aren't left behind in the transition to electric.
The convenience factor extends beyond just cost savings. Salary sacrifice charging benefits get rid of the admin burden of tracking and claiming back charging expenses. Instead of submitting receipts or managing complex mileage claims, using The Charge Scheme, you simply report your monthly mileage through an easy-to-use portal. The system calculates everything else automatically, from your home charging costs to your public charging sessions.
This streamlined approach means you can focus on the benefits of electric driving - the quiet drive, instant acceleration, and environmental benefits - without worrying about the financial details that have traditionally come with EV ownership.
Environmental and Sustainability Benefits
Today's employees increasingly want to work for companies that share their values, particularly around environmental sustainability.
When your employer offers salary sacrifice charging benefits, they're sending a clear message about their commitment to environmental responsibility. It's a tangible way for companies to support their employees' efforts to reduce their carbon footprint, making it financially easier to choose electric over petrol or diesel.
These workplace EV charging benefits also support broader corporate Net Zero objectives. By removing financial barriers to EV adoption, companies can accelerate their transition to electric fleets and help more employees make the switch to sustainable transport. It's a benefit that aligns personal financial gain with environmental responsibility - something that appeals strongly to modern workers.
The psychological impact shouldn't be underestimated either. When you're saving money while driving cleaner, you feel good about your choices. This positive association extends to your employer, creating stronger engagement and loyalty among environmentally conscious employees.
How This Benefit Reflects on Your Employer
In today's competitive job market, unique and forward-thinking benefits can help employers stand out. Employee EV charging perks position companies as progressive, forward-thinking organisations that understand the changing needs of their workforce. These benefits appeal particularly to younger professionals and those in sustainability-focused roles, who see electric cars as more than just transport. When employees can access strong benefits, such as salary sacrifice arrangements, it reflects positively on their employer's brand and their own professional choices.
The exclusivity factor also matters. Salary sacrifice charging benefits are still new in the UK market, making them a differentiating perk. Employees who receive these benefits often feel they're part of something exciting and special - a feeling that translates into stronger job satisfaction and retention. It demonstrates they work for a company that's ahead of the curve on sustainability and employee support.
How Salary Sacrifice Charging Compares to Other Employee Benefits
When you compare salary sacrifice charging benefits to traditional employee perks, the value proposition becomes clear. While gym memberships might save you £50 per month and cycle-to-work schemes offer one-time savings on bike purchases, salary sacrifice charging delivers ongoing monthly savings that can easily exceed £100 for many drivers.
Unlike one-off benefits such as health insurance or pension contributions, EV charging employee satisfaction comes from savings you see and feel every time you charge your car. It's a benefit that provides immediate, tangible value rather than long-term or abstract rewards.
Best of all, salary sacrifice charging works alongside your existing benefits, adding savings without replacing anything you already have.
Real Employee Experiences
Employees using The Charge Scheme consistently report the same benefits: financial relief and improved job satisfaction. These are monthly savings that directly impact household budgets.
Stephen Watson from Shaw Education Trust notes: "Since implementing The Charge Scheme, we've seen remarkable enthusiasm from our team. The ability to save 20-50% on all charging costs has removed a major barrier for educators considering electric vehicles.”
At Europa Worldwide Group, Amy Gordon explains: "For our staff moving across various sites, saving 20-50% on charging costs has been transformative in encouraging the switch to electric vehicles."
The pattern is clear: when charging becomes predictable and affordable, the entire EV experience improves for employees.
Why This EV Perk Matters for the Future
As more people start driving electric cars, salary sacrifice charging will likely join pensions and healthcare as a standard workplace benefit. The shift reflects broader changes in how we work and live. Modern employees expect benefits that support their daily lives beyond office hours, making transport costs a natural fit for workplace packages. Companies targeting sustainability-focused talent will find that EV charging employee satisfaction becomes as important as traditional perks for recruitment and retention.
The Bottom Line: Why Employees Love This Benefit
Salary sacrifice charging benefits succeed because they solve a real problem that affects people's wallets every week. Unlike theoretical benefits or occasional perks, these savings are tangible; you see them each time you plug in your car and again on your payslip. The combination of immediate financial relief, reduced admin hassle, and environmental impact creates something genuinely useful. For many employees, saving £500-£1,000 annually on transport costs makes a bigger difference than most other workplace benefits combined.
With The Charge Scheme, employees get practical support for a modern challenge: making electric driving affordable for everyone, not just those with driveways and home chargers. Convince your company to sign up to The Charge Scheme today, so you can start saving on EV charging.
Last updated: 15/09/2025
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