A third of UK fleets are planning to install charging points at drivers’ homes as a result of increased remote working, according to Centrica Business Solutions, aimed at supporting wider uptake of electric vehicles.

One third of businesses are planning to install home chargepoints to support wider EV uptake.

The company commissioned a study of 200 UK businesses with a turnover in excess of £1m and a vehicle fleet, which was carried out in March.

Although some had reduced their fleet size, respondents projected a £15.8bn investment in vehicles and charging equipment over the next 12 months – 50% higher than the year previously. One fifth said they had accelerated plans to invest in electrification following the Covid-19 pandemic.

With an increase in home working, respondents also said it was important to provide drivers with the right equipment to make the electric transition easier. A third (34%) said they planned to install chargepoints for drivers, and 81% cited the growth of home working as the reason why this was under consideration. Two thirds (67%) expect to be all-electric by 2030, when sales of non-hybrid petrol or diesel cars and vans will be stopped in the UK.

However, there are challenges. More than one in ten (13%) said they had cancelled plans to roll out electric vehicles post-pandemic, while 42% claimed the complexities of managing home and public charging were a barrier to using them. Companies with no plans to install home chargepoints said up-front cost (53%), operational challenges (41%) and limited knowledge about installation partners (35%) were ongoing barriers.

Based on experiences with its own heavily electrified fleet, Centrica Business Solutions offers a home chargepoint which can be integrated with a business’s payroll software, automatically reimbursing drivers for the energy used and issuing monthly statements to fleet managers. It also offers a ‘virtual fuel card’ which can coordinate home and public charging expenses and send that data to the company payroll for reimbursement.

Greg McKenna, managing director of Centrica Business Solutions, said: “A third of drivers don’t have access to off-street parking, meaning businesses will need a balance of home charging, workplace charging and a robust public charging network to achieve their electrification plans.

“With the ban on traditionally-fuelled vehicles inching ever closer, and on-street charging costs prohibitively expensive, it’s likely we’ll see more employers offering to install home charging, alongside systems to help them manage the chargers and the energy they use.”