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.
Read more: Mysterious 'recording device' appears on street lamppost
In order to roll out the scheme more easily accessible charging points will be installed by 2025 including smart charging points on lampposts. The government says £16m will be invested "into these innovative technologies which will harness the potential of the new way of charging”. Alongside smart lampposts projects to enable domestic appliances to be able to merge into a whole smart energy system like heat pumps, charge points, and batteries will also be funded.
Energy and climate minister Graham Stuart said: “We want to make smart charging an easier choice for drivers of electric vehicles whether that is charging on the driveway, at the workplace, or parked on the street. To do that we need to build new network infrastructure at pace using the latest available technologies. Today’s plan sets out how we will work with Ofgem and industry to kickstart the market for smart charging, which we are backing up with £16m in innovation funding. This will let people take control of their energy usage in the most convenient and low-cost way.”
Ofgem director for strategy and decarbonisation Neil Kenward added: “As energy regulator we’re helping create the infrastructure to deliver Britain’s net zero future at the lowest cost to customers. This latest innovative plan will help to maximise the benefits of smart charging, offer vital savings to consumers, and reduce the overall cost of energy by seizing the opportunities to use batteries to both power homes and fuel the wider grid.”
READ NEXT:
