Owners of electric vehicles could save up to £1,000 a year under a new UK Government scheme aimed at encouraging people to use smart charging. New plans revealed by the government and Ofgem this month aim to “seize on the significant potential of smart charging and make it the preferred method of long-duration charging by 2025”.
To encourage more electric vehicle (EV) drivers to use eco-friendly smart charging the plans state that the scheme will let motorists charge their vehicles when electricity is cheaper or cleaner. Drivers can also use the electricity stored in their EVs to power their own homes which the government says will allow them to benefit significantly from lower energy bills at a time of rising costs.
The scheme will also allow consumers to sell the electricity from their vehicles back to the National Grid for profit. The report states that the average EV driver could save £200 a year while drivers doing higher mileage could save £1,000 a year. By helping to efficiently balance when energy is generated and used on the electricity grid it is hoped the technology could contribute to reducing electricity prices for consumers across the network.
