To promote healthier journeys to work and to reduce environmental pollution, the 1999 Finance Act introduced an annual tax exemption, which allows employers to loan cycles and cyclists' safety equipment to employees as a tax-free benefit. The exemption was one of a series of measures introduced under the Government's Green Transport Plan.
If you cycle to work, you can save up to 42% on a new bike and safety equipment thanks to a government backed scheme that makes buying a new commuter bike much more affordable. A cycle to work scheme is a salary sacrifice. This means the cost of a new bike and equipment is deducted from your salary as a non-cash benefit, so you save on tax and national insurance. Your employer effectively buys the bike and equipment on your behalf, then leases it back to you through an interest-free salary sacrifice scheme.
Most cycle to work providers are limited to £1000 for your purchase, but we can give you
a quotation for any value you choose.
eBike-Centre accept Green Commute Initiative cycle to work vouchers in our stores (please call or email us, if wishihg to purchase remotely). Green Commute Initiative (also known as GCI) is one of the newest cycle to work schemes. It was partly setup to allow more people to buy electric bikes on cycle to work. Many of the older schemes had a £1000 limit and most quality electric bikes don’t start until £1500. Green Commute Initiative closed that gap by allowing cycle to work purchases above the £1000 limit.
Although partly intended to allow electric bike purchases a lot of Green Commute Initiative vouchers we accept are for conventional bikes. At eBike-Centre you can use your Green Commute Initiative voucher on bikes from the world’s best brands including Trek, Giant, Specialized, Gazelle, Focus, Kalkhoff, Raleigh and many more. You can also select safety equipment including helmets, lights and locks to go with your bike.
With most cycle to work schemes your company has to sign up to the scheme and that’s what you use. Green Commute Initiative allow companies to sign up but they can also do one-off invoices for specific purchases. So if your company cycle to work scheme has a lower limit you may still be able to use Green Commute Initiative to buy an electric bike.
There are no hidden charges or extra fees when you use a Green Commute Initiative
voucher at eBike-Centre.
With Green Commute Initiative you have to apply for a specific bike and say up front what
shop you will be getting it from. So normally you will start by visiting our store and
getting a quote from us for the bike you want. If you want to buy a bike for home delivery
then just take a look on our website or email us at sales@ebike-centre.co.uk
Once you have
decided on the bike you want you will apply through your company. When they have approved
the bike you want you will be sent a voucher from Green Commute Initiative. Just bring that
into store with your ID.
As an extra security step Green Commute Initiative will give you
a security code and separately tell us what it is. You will need to tell us what the code is
before we can release the bike to you.
As the Green Commute Initiative process involves
getting a quote first we will normally check the stock and reserve a bike for you fairly
early on in the process so you can collect it as soon as you have your voucher.
If you have any questions about using the Green Commute Initiative cycle to work scheme just give us a call on 01243 697547 or emailsales@ebike-centre.co.uk
eBike-Centre also accept vouchers from various scheme providers including Cycle-Scheme, Cycle2Work, Halfords, Vivup, Cycle Solutions. Depending on the scheme provider and the fees they charge, there may be a sucharge for purchaseing a bike via this means. Please call or email for further information.
Sale Items - Cycle-to-Work vouchers cannot be redeemed against bicycles and other products that are discounted or on-sale.
