Energy company launches scheme to help drivers cut charging costs before they buy an EV
As more motorists consider making the switch to electric vehicles, the energy company OVO has launched a new scheme that could help to cut home charging costs.
The energy company OVO has announced propositions to launch a new energy scheme that can help to reduce the costs involved in charging an electric vehicle.
Despite the UK roads being home to more than one million electric vehicles, a number of motorists are still concerned about making the switch.
Mat Moakes, Chief Commercial Officer for OVO, stated that the new proposition will help motorists make running an electric vehicle cheaper, even before making the switch from a petrol or diesel model.
He explained: "We just launched our Energy Savings Account proposition, which is aimed at petrol and diesel drivers who want to switch in three or four years time. Even if you're a petrol or a diesel driver right now, if you're a smart meter and direct debit customer with OVO, you can take the Energy Savings Account and bank your miles every month.
"We think that some of these things will really help to deal with the negative views towards EVs, because there are lots of reasons to be cheerful about owning an electric car."
OVO's Energy Savings Account aims to help motorists by giving them the ability to bank money they have saved, which is measured in miles that can be covered in an electric car.
By giving drivers insights that can help them cut their energy bills, the energy brand noted that up to £1,500 can be saved each year.
To get an Energy Savings Account, motorists must have the OVO app installed on their smartphone, own a smart meter and pay via Direct Debit.
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Mat highlighted that the proposal aims to help reduce a lack of confidence towards electric vehicles held by some motorists and debunk commonplace myths.
He advised: "There's a general slight undermining of confidence towards the EV rollout. At OVO, we're trying to demistify some of those myths because it is so much cheaper to drive an electric car, and we all want to help reduce the impact of climate change.
"I've had people ask me if they can take them to car washes, or even if they could charge them at home! Drivers know how petrol stations work, but it's difficult to translate that into kilowatt hours, even if you understand electricity."
Mark Maslin, Climate Professor for UCL, also suggested that the Government needs to take action to help motorists feel more comfortable behind the wheel of an electric car, reducing the cost of using public chargers in particular.
He added: "I think one of the key things here is that the public is very sensitive to whether they trust policy, and pushing back the ban on new petrol and diesel cars to 2035 blew a hole in that. People were starting to ask 'am I going to buy an electric car, or am I going to be shafted by this Government?'.
"Whichever Government wins the general election will need to have a holistic approach to energy. People using public chargers are currently being charged 10 times the amount that they would if they charged up at home. You need to regulate the infrastructure to make it accessible and fair for all drivers."
