In the past few years there has been an increased consumer appetite for low emission vehicles.

This shift towards greener, more energy efficient cars means there will also be a shift in energy demand – from traditional 
fossil fuels to grid electricity.

This affects everything, from the price of power to the environmental impact of car charging.

Britain’s energy infrastructure will also need to be smarter to ensure that it can meet the challenges of millions of people using electric vehicles.

Britain is already on a mission to revolutionise the consumer’s relationship with energy, with the smart meter rollout.

Smart metering will support the electric vehicle revolution by affecting when energy is used, as well as how much is needed.

Smart meters also pave the way for new energy tariffs which will reward drivers with cheaper power if they charge off-peak.

They could also enable EV owners to be even more environmentally friendly, by matching charging with the greenest electricity on the system.

Purchases of pure electric vehicles (EVs), such as the Nissan Leaf or Tesla Model S, look set to increase as environmentally-aware consumers change their purchasing habits.

Industry analysts think that environmental concerns are behind the fact that diesel registrations dropped by a quarter in May 2018.

Fast chargers

EVs emit no tailpipe emissions, meaning less air pollution in towns and cities. They can be charged at home or at a public charging point and ‘fast chargers’ can now be found in most petrol stations and many public car parks.

Easy to drive, with no gearbox to speak of, EVs offer good power at low speeds. They can also prove to be more economical too, with the cost of running one predicted to add around only a quarter to your residential electricity bill, far lower than the costs of a petrol car.

Some have pointed to charging arrangements as being a factor in whether to ‘go electric’, with reports of different connectors by different carmakers cited.

In November 2018, Bill Wiggin MP proposed introducing the Electric Vehicles (Standardised Recharging) Bill to the House of Commons. This bill aims to standardise the connector types, payment and charging process for EVs.

President of the Automobile Association Edmund King described the proposal as: “a welcome move and a breath of fresh air”.

He pointed out that while payment is an issue, with different cards and apps used by different providers, there is a growing standardisation of connectors across the UK and Europe.

Energy use

The trend towards an electric motoring future seems set to continue, which is why being in total control of your energy use makes sense.

Requesting a smart meter from your energy supplier and using it to review your gas and electricity consumption is an easy way to make the right kind of impact on your wallet, and it could help you reduce your carbon footprint.

The smart meter in-home display will also make it easier to be aware of the real cost of your electric vehicle’s fuel usage – putting you firmly in the driving seat.