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Switching to an Electric Vehicle: Charging an EV
Many prospective EV drivers’ concerns are how to charge an EV and where the nearest charging point is. With the introduction of OLEV Workplace Charge and Home charge schemes, finding suitable charge points is getting much easier.
Installing a charge point at home is very much like having a phone, plug it in when you get home and it is ready for the following day.
The OLEV Home charge scheme provides £350 off the cost of purchasing and installing a home charging point. A supplier must be certified to install through the scheme like Blaby Electrical, so always make sure before you commit. The grant is available for most electric vehicles and hybrids and you can have one charge point per vehicle. So no need to be fighting over who needs the charger.
Will an Electric Vehicle Add to Your Electricity Bill?
In a word: yes.
Any device, appliance or machine that draws electricity will add to your electric bill and an electric vehicle will be no different. The overall cost each year is dependent on the vehicle you own, how much your drive and what rate your on for electricity.
Not all electric vehicles were created equally and like every other electrical item, some will be more efficient than others. The efficiency of an EV is measured by kilowatt-hours per 100 miles (kwh/100 miles) or MPGe (miles per gallon equivalent). To check the efficiency, look at how many kwh it takes to fully charge, divided by the number of miles or how many kwh it takes to get to 100 miles. When choosing an EV, this is something worth keeping in mind.
How do you qualify
To qualify for OLEV’s EVHS grant, you need to have purchased an eligible electric or plug-in hybrid vehicle from 1st October 2016 onwards. OLEV have made it clear that these grants and incentives won’t be around forever, so if you’re considering purchasing or opting for an electric vehicle now might be the best time!
Criteria:
- You must have off-street parking.
- You must install an OLEV-approved ChargePoint, at Blaby Electrical we install Rolec EV ChargePoint’s, one of the market leaders
- The date of installation must not be more than 4 months ahead of the date of delivery or date the customer becomes the registered driver of the electric vehicle.
- You must use an OLEV-approved ChargePoint installer like Blaby Electrical
The criteria for being eligible for this grant are extensive! Having been through this process numerous times, at Blaby Electrical we can do the application on your behalf. After all, being able to charge at home is a lot more convenient and cheaper in some cases. It’s estimated that you could save around £1000 a year in fuel costs with a home charging point.
If you want to find out if you meet the criteria for the Home charge grant- then get in touch and one of our team will be able to assist you.