Why ‘Public Charging’ Belongs in Every Employer’s EV Benefit Strategy
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The overlooked pillar of fair, sustainable and scalable electrification

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Electric vehicles have already changed the way organisations think about benefits, sustainability and brand leadership. Salary sacrifice has made EVs affordable, visible and aspirational. But there’s a crucial piece still missing from many corporate EV strategies: public charging.

Without it, your scheme isn’t complete. It’s equitable for some employees, complicated for others, and inconsistent with modern ESG expectations.

Adding public charging through Paua Solo transforms that - turning EV salary sacrifice from a great idea into a fair, scalable and fully sustainable benefit.

1. The myth of the “fully supported” EV benefit

Many employers proudly advertise their EV salary sacrifice scheme as a sustainability milestone. And it is - until you ask one simple question:

“How do your employees charge their cars?”

For those with driveways and home chargers, the answer is easy. For everyone else - roughly 44% of the UK workforce, it’s often “not easily” or “not affordable.”

That’s the hidden gap in today’s EV benefit landscape. A scheme that serves only half your employees isn’t a sustainability solution. It’s an exclusion policy in disguise.

Public charging fills that gap - and makes your benefit genuinely universal.

2. Fairness as the new frontier of sustainability

Sustainability has evolved. The conversation is no longer just about carbon. It’s about equity.

• Environmental: how are we cutting emissions?

• Social: who benefits from the transition?

• Governance: can we prove it’s fair and compliant?

Leaving public charging out of your salary sacrifice scheme creates an unintentional divide between the “home-charger haves” and “have-nots.”

Adding Paua Solo ensures every employee - whether they live in a flat, terrace or rural home - has affordable, tax-efficient access to energy for their EV.

That’s fairness made operational.

3. Why public charging drives participation

In Paua’s business case analysis, enabling public charging within salary sacrifice schemes increases potential participation by up to 44%.
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Why? Because employees who previously opted out for practical reasons suddenly can opt in.

Imagine the difference:

• A warehouse employee without a driveway now sees the scheme as relevant.

• A city-based sales executive who depends on public charging stops worrying about expense claims.

• HR teams can promote the benefit confidently to everyone, not just management.

More inclusion means higher uptake - and more electric miles driven under your company’s carbon targets.

4. From sustainability promise to measurable impact

Fleet electrification targets look great in a CSR report, but they only matter when employees actually drive electric.

Adding Paua Solo gives your sustainability metrics something tangible to measure:

• Total kWh of renewable energy used.

• Carbon savings from public charging.

• Driver participation rate (including non-homeowners).

Every transaction on Paua’s network - spanning 69,000+ connectors and 50+ networks feeds real, auditable data into your ESG reporting.

It turns ambition into evidence.

5. The compliance comfort that leadership teams need

When CFOs and HR Directors hear “salary sacrifice,” they think of tax rules and audit trails. That’s fair - compliance is non-negotiable.

The beauty of Paua Solo is that it keeps everything pre-tax, contractual and auditable.

• Each driver’s charging allowance is fixed and agreed in advance (£25, £50, £75 or £100)

• The deduction happens from gross salary, not post-tax pay.

• The benefit value matches exactly what’s provided.

This clarity means HMRC compliance and ESG governance align perfectly - a rare harmony between finance, HR and sustainability.

6. Simplicity: the silent sustainability enabler

Complex systems don’t scale. If your EV benefit involves receipts, reimbursements and variable deductions, participation will plateau long before you hit your targets.

That’s why simplicity is sustainability’s best friend.
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Paua Solo streamlines everything into:

• One card for all charging.

• One monthly invoice for payroll.

• One live dashboard for reporting and audit.

HR teams save time. Finance teams see clarity. Sustainability teams get data.

When admin friction disappears, adoption accelerates.

7. The business case for public charging

Adding public charging isn’t just good ethics - it’s good economics.

In other words: fairness pays.

8. Making public charging part of your employee brand

EV benefits are now part of employer branding. Job seekers increasingly ask whether a company supports sustainability and offers electric vehicle incentives.

A salary sacrifice scheme that includes public charging sends a powerful message:

“We believe everyone should be able to go electric - not just those with driveways.”

That positions your business as forward-thinking, equitable and authentically green - the trifecta of modern employer reputation.

9. Building trust through transparency

Sustainability is no longer a marketing claim; it’s a data discipline. Investors, employees and regulators all want proof.

Paua Solo’s dashboard and reporting tools give you exactly that:

• Usage by driver and site.

• Cost and VAT breakdown.

• Estimated CO₂ savings.

• Monthly audit logs for payroll.

This transparency makes your benefit credible - not just compliant.

10. The ESG trifecta in one solution

Paua Solo helps employers hit all three ESG pillars simultaneously:

Few HR benefits tick all three boxes so cleanly.

11. Overcoming the “too complicated” myth

Some organisations hesitate to add public charging because they assume it will create extra admin or confusion. In reality, Paua Solo removes both.

Integration takes weeks, not months.
Payroll deductions are fixed and predictable.
Paua handles card issuance, charging data and support.

Employers get all the benefit of fairness and sustainability - with none of the operational pain.

12. The cultural impact: inclusion as innovation

Adding public charging may sound operational, but the cultural ripple is real. It tells employees:

• “We’ve thought about your situation.”

• “We’re investing in sustainable benefits for everyone.”

• “We want you in the journey, not watching from the sidelines.”

That builds trust, loyalty and pride - the cornerstones of a strong culture.

It’s hard to overstate how far small signals of fairness travel inside a business.

13. The bigger picture

The UK’s transition to electric transport isn’t just a government target - it’s a workplace transformation. Employers are becoming the gateway to EV adoption through salary sacrifice schemes.

But for that transition to be truly just, it must include everyone.

Public charging is the bridge between policy and participation.

14. Conclusion: completing the circle

If salary sacrifice made EVs affordable, public charging makes them accessible.

By integrating Paua Solo into your EV benefit strategy, you:

• Ensure inclusivity and fairness.

• Simplify operations and compliance.

• Strengthen ESG outcomes with measurable data.

It’s not an add-on. It’s the missing piece.

Because in a world striving for cleaner air and fairer work, public charging isn’t optional - it’s essential.

‍Paua Solo: completing the circle of fair, sustainable electrification.

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Paua Solo is the EV charge card solution for public charging in your salary sacrifice scheme. Contact Paua to learn how EV drivers can save up to 62% on public EV charging through salary sacrifice. Get cheaper, tax-efficient EV charging with Paua.

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*This content is for general information only and does not constitute tax advice.

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