Home Charging is Switched On for Electric Vehicles
Electric car owners in the East of England can now charge their car easily and safely from home as well as benefit from a 75% reduced start-up cost, as two new forms of home charging solutions are launched from Source East.
Introduction
EValu8, the company behind the Source East Electric Vehicle Recharging Network, has partnered with both POD Point and British Gas to provide two of the fastest and safest home charging solutions for electric car users in the region. Electric vehicle owners will be able to choose for themselves which of these two home charge options is right for them. Each has the added benefit of the Government’s Plugged in Places Grant which takes 75% off the total capital cost and one year’s Source East membership.
Safe charging
Keith Bevis, managing director of EValu8 Transport Innovations, said: “As well as building the public infrastructure for electric vehicles in the East of England, we also recognise that the electric car driver will mostly want to charge at home, if possible. It is vitally important that this is done safely. Each solution we recommend puts safety first. We will continue to work with the vehicle manufacturers themselves to provide the optimum solutions for drivers.”
Each customer will have an electrical survey to check suitability and to provide bespoke advice ensuring that their charging point is safely fitted and meets their needs.
Dan Taylor, Director of New Ventures at British Gas said: “It is exciting to see the British Gas Plugged in Places initiative has grown to include the East of England and to be part of Source East’s scheme. The scheme is making driving an electric vehicle more accessible and an enjoyable experience for many more electric vehicle owners.”
Erik Fairbairn, Chief Executive of POD Point commented: “The grant offers great value for money and we are delighted to work with Source East to deliver advanced electric vehicle charging systems that enable users to minimise the cost of charging their car at home.”
The British Gas charge point option includes a Navetas Home Energy Monitoring System (HEMS) which allows customers to monitor the energy consumption of their electric vehicle and home in pounds and pence, as well as three years of Home Electrical Care.
The POD Point home charge unit includes the facility to schedule vehicle charging to make the most of cheaper overnight electricity. People with solar panels and domestic wind turbines can also use this feature to keep their charging costs to a minimum.
Alongside home charging, the Source East network will continue to grow to around 800 points by March 2013. There are currently points in, Cambridge, Colchester, Chelmsford, Harwich, Hemel Hempstead, Leighton Buzzard, Luton, Norwich and Peterborough which can all be used with Source East membership.
Membership of Source East will now allow EV drivers to access the public Plugged-in Midlands charging points run by CENEX in the East and West Midlands as well. This is the beginning of “Roaming” for EV drivers.
More information
To find out more information about the home charging options available and see if you are eligible for grant support, visit the Source East website, or email info@evalu8-ti.org.uk.