As part of our mission to support the transition to a more sustainable society, we’re pleased to be able to offer all UK employees a more affordable option to lease an electric car. The scheme is operated through Octopus EV and allows you to lease a car through Wholegrain Digital and save money in the process.

How much does it cost?

By leasing a car through the scheme, you don’t pay income tax and national insurance on the monthly lease cost, which can save you a significant amount of money. On the other hand, you will pay Benefit in Kind tax, which is 2% in 2023 (and may rise in future).

You can use the online quote tool to browse vehicles and lease options to find out how much they would cost you each month.

See example below:

What does it include?

You can choose from most electric cars available in the UK via the quote tool. The lease is all inclusive of the following:

  • A car of your choice for 2, 3 or 4 years
  • A free home charger installation (if applicable)
  • 4000 miles of free charging (via public chargers or at home if you are an Octopus electricity customer)
  • MOT
  • Maintenance and repairs
  • Tyre replacement
  • Breakdown cover
  • Fully comprehensive insurance

Ordering process

The ordering process is fairly simple, as follows:

  1. Use the online quote tool to find a car that’s right for you
  2. Place an order through the online quote tool
  3. Read and sign the driver agreement from Octopus
  4. Wholegrain approve/decline the order. We won’t unnecessarily decline, but we will check the following:
    • You are a UK employee
    • That your take home pay will still be above the minimum wage after the lease costs
    • That Wholegrain are within our credit limit with Octopus. This is limited so it’s first come first served. We can apply for more if needed but this cannot be guaranteed.
    • That the car is not being ordered during your probation period (though you can use the quote tool during your probation)
    • That you have signed an amendment to your employment contract agreeing to the minimum term
  5. Octopus then order the car
  6. The car is then delivered to your home

Note that once you have taken delivery of your car, any issues or arrangements such as MOT and servicing should be directed through your contact at Octopus EV and not through Wholegrain Digital.

General advice

The following advice may help you get the most out of this benefit:

  • Check that you can afford the monthly lease. The Octopus Money scheme that we also offer can be used to help you plan your finances
  • Read the driver agreement carefully before making a final commitment
  • Plan in advance. Some cars have a long delivery time so plan in advance and coordinate it with your own needs
  • Only lease a car if you are confident that you will be at Wholegrain Digital for at least 6 months after delivery of the vehicle to avoid incurring any penalty fees
  • Do your own research to make sure that the quote from Octopus is a good deal for you
  • Talk to the Octopus support team to get advice and help you plan

For more information, check out these resources provided by Octopus:

  • Weekly Wednesday webinars run by the Octopus EV Specialist team, where they discuss an overview of the scheme so you can learn how to claim additional benefits and get updates on current offers.
  • Employee Toolkit with the official info and most things you would want to know.