Cenex to help roll out government Depot Charging Scheme

Cenex, in partnership with Energy Saving Trust, has been selected to assist in delivery the UK government’s new Depot Charging Scheme (DCS). The £30 million injection is projected to support 3,000 new van and 200 HGV chargepoints, which will boost electrification and optimise productivity.

The Department for Transport has funded this scheme and the Government Grants Management Service (GGMS) have administered it, which means businesses and local authorities will receive targeted financial support and help when installing the necessary infrastructure for charging zero emission vehicles.

Commercial transport makes up more than a third of domestic transport CO2 emissions, making the electrification of depots crucial for decarbonising the UK’s logistics and coach travel sectors. 

Cenex and Energy Saving Trust will collaborate through this scheme to provide specialised technical support to both grant applicants and grant administrators, including designing assessment frameworks, developing evidence-based cost benchmarks, providing tailored guidance to applicants on infrastructure planning, procurement and deployment, as well as supporting GGMS with expert input during application reviews and appeals.

Cenex and Energy Saving Trust bring 20 years of expertise in the zero emission commercial vehicle sector, with extensive experience in strategic planning for fleet transition.

The Depot Charging Scheme grant opened yesterday (16th July 2025), and is available to HGV, van, and coach fleet operators across the UK. Those eligible will be able to claim reimbursement of up to 75 per cent of the costs associated with chargepoint procurement and installation, with a cap of £1 million per applicant. The grant will remain available until the allocated funding has been exhausted or until 28th November 2025—whichever comes first.

Chris Rimmer, head of department, policy, strategy and implementation, Cenex said: “We are delighted to be supporting this scheme with expert input from the Cenex and Energy Saving Trust. Facilitating the deployment of quality infrastructure into depots will be a crucial step in accelerating the electrification of vans, coaches and HGVs, which are the next big challenge for transport decarbonisation.

Nick Harvey, senior programme manager at Energy Saving Trust, said: “For many years, Energy Saving Trust has been a trusted source of expert advice and support to UK fleets on the road to decolonisation. This new scheme is vital, as it directly addresses one of the main barriers: the cost of installing charging infrastructure. We’re proud to partner with Cenex to provide the expert guidance businesses need to reduce their emissions and lower running costs by making a confident switch to electric vehicles.”