Own it or use charging-as-a-service? Depot procurement models compared
Buy the chargers outright, lease them, or use charging-as-a-service? Each has a vendor pushing it. Here's a neutral look at the trade-offs, and how to tender without getting locked in.
Last updated 15 August 2026
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Once you know what you need, a commercial question decides the shape of the whole project: how do you pay for it? Buy the infrastructure outright, lease it, or hand the whole thing to a charging-as-a-service provider? Every option has a supplier who prefers it, which is exactly why an independent view is worth having. This guide lays out the trade-offs so you can choose on your own terms.
The three broad models
Ownership (capex) means you buy and own the chargers and civils outright — the lowest long-run cost and full control, at the price of the biggest upfront outlay and responsibility for maintenance. Charging-as-a-service (CaaS) means a provider funds, installs and maintains the infrastructure and you pay over time, often per unit of energy or a regular fee — less upfront cost and less risk, but more paid overall and a dependence on that provider. Leasing sits between the two, spreading the capital cost while you keep operational control.
What each does to your balance sheet and risk
Ownership puts a capital asset on your books and the running savings straight into your bottom line, but ties up cash and hands you the technical risk. CaaS keeps cash free and shifts risk to the provider, but converts a one-off cost into an ongoing operating expense — and locks you into a relationship you’ll want to be able to exit. The right answer depends on your appetite for upfront investment versus ongoing cost, and how much in-house capability you want to carry.
How grants change the maths
Funding tilts the field toward ownership. Because the Depot Charging Scheme covers a share of chargepoint and civil costs, it directly shrinks the upfront figure that makes CaaS attractive in the first place. Before defaulting to a service model to avoid the capital cost, run the numbers with the grant applied — it can turn a marginal ownership case into a clear one. The Grant Eligibility Checker is the quickest way to see what you might get.
Writing a tender that protects you
However you buy, the specification is where you keep control. Insist on OCPP-compliant hardware so you can change software or add other brands later. Be clear about who owns the chargers, the data and the maintenance obligations. Ask for guaranteed uptime and defined response times, not vague promises. A tender built around open standards and clean exit terms is your best defence against being trapped.
Who does what
A depot install involves several parties, and confusion between them causes delay. Specialist installers supply and fit the chargers and do the civil works; your DNO (and sometimes an independent connection provider) handles the power supply; a charge point operator or software provider runs the back office. For a first or complex project, an independent adviser can specify the system, run a fair procurement and coordinate these players.
The bottom line
There’s no universally right model — ownership tends to win on long-run cost and control, CaaS on upfront simplicity, and grants pull the decision toward owning. Choose on your own cash-flow and risk position, not a supplier’s preference, and write the contract so you can always change your mind. Independence in the buying process is worth as much as independence in the advice.
Go deeper — articles in this guide
- Own your chargers or use charging-as-a-service? A neutral comparison Buying outright is cheapest long-term and gives control; charging-as-a-service cuts upfront cost and risk. Here's the honest trade-off.
- How grants change the buy-vs-service decision Charging-as-a-service is attractive partly because it avoids the upfront cost — but a grant shrinks that cost, tilting the maths toward owning.
- Writing a depot charging tender that protects you A good tender is where you keep control: open standards, clear ownership, guaranteed uptime and clean exit terms. Here's what to specify.
- The contract clauses that prevent supplier lock-in Open standards get you halfway; the contract does the rest. Watch data ownership, exit terms, hardware ownership and software portability.
- Who's who in a depot install: installer, DNO, ICP, CPO A depot project involves several parties, and confusing them causes delay. Here's who does what — and who to call for which problem.