Category Archives: Eon

Electrifying your fleet – what employers need to know

March 6, 2023Away From Home, Charging, Charging, Electric Cars, Eon, News, Reviews and CommentRepost

E.ON’s head of EV for B2B David Butters gives the answers on questions for business owners looking to transition their company fleet

Electrifying a vehicle fleet can feel like a daunting prospect. It isn’t just a case of buying new cars or vans. Fleet managers need to consider how their latest electric vehicles (EVs) will be charged – and their drivers need to be prepared to shift to a whole new mindset.

Here, E.ON’s head of EV for B2B David Butters answers six important questions around electrification that organisations might have.

Is charging an EV fleet cost-effective?

The initial outlay for an EV is higher than the equivalent petrol or diesel model. But running costs are significantly cheaper and charging at home or at work is more convenient for employers and employees alike, compared with stopping at roadside fuel stations.

The average UK electricity cost at 34p per kilowatt hour (kWh) which would suggest you could charge a Nissan Leaf with a 40kWh battery for as little as £14. That would give a range of 151 miles. Covering that distance in a 40mpg petrol car would cost around £25 at early 2023 prices.

Various reports estimate that EVs are between 50-70 per cent cheaper to maintain over their lifetime than petrol or diesel cars. That makes the current average EV cost around 7p per mile, compared to 20p per mile for their combustion engine equivalent. Over the UK average of driving 7,400 miles a year, that’s an annual saving of almost £962.

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E.On launches renewables-backed EV charging tariff

May 14, 2021Charging, Electric Cars, Eon, News, Reviews and CommentRepost

E.On Next is launching two new tariffs designed to be climate friendly, one focused on electric vehicles (EVs) and one offering the perk of tree planting.

Both new tariffs – Next Drive and Climate+ – offer 100% renewable energy through Renewable Energy Guarantee of Origin (REGO) certificates, a measure that has been often criticised for being a “shortcut”.

It comes as some suppliers increase their use of power purchase agreements (PPA), allowing them to use renewable electricity directly sourced from generators. This includes OVO signing a PPA with Ørsted’s Barrow Offshore Wind Farm and ScottishPower launching new domestic fixed price tariffs using 100% renewable energy sourced from its own wind farms, whilst suppliers such as Good Energy source 100% of their electricity through PPAs.

As well as using renewables, Next Drive also allows EV drivers to charge their cars at a fixed price of 4p/kWh between midnight and 4am, with the supplier claiming this can save customers up to £188 a year. Outside of these off-peak hours, Next Drive charges drivers 17.6p/kWh.

To be eligible for the tariff, drivers will need to use the free Next Drive app – developed in partnership with ev.energy – to automatically schedule charging during off-peak periods. This app can also be used to monitor the energy use, costs and savings of their at-home charging over time.

This follows a number of EV tariffs being launched by other suppliers, also offering free or discounted charging during off-peak hours. This includes Bulb’s rate of 4p/kWh between 2am and 6am, EDF’s 4.5p/KWh between 12am and 5am daily, Good Energy’s tariff that offers weekly free periods during excess renewable generation and OVO’s ‘type of use’ tariff, which offers a flat rate of 6p/kWh at any time of day.

The second new tariff to be launched by E.On Next, Climate+, offers carbon offset gas, which is achieved by investing in carbon neutral initiatives including the funding of clean energy projects around the world and through carbon emission reduction certificates. The tariff is priced at £1,075 for a typical dual fuel customer.

For every customer who signs up to Climate+, E.On Next will fund the planting of five new trees with charity One Tree Planted, supporting a project in the Peru Rainforest.

Michael Lewis, E.On UK CEO, said that through E.On Next, the supplier is offering “people simple ways to make their heating and hot water and their driving more sustainable”.

E.On Next was launched in March 2020, with the supplier forming a strategic partnership with Octopus’ tech arm Kraken Technologies as part of a restructure of the company’s online platform.

It came after E.On announced in January 2020 it would be supplying over 100,000 small business customers with 100% renewables-backed electricity, with this in turn following it switching all of its then 3.3 million residential customers to 100% renewables-backed supply in July 2019.

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Time to get switched on to electric vehicles

May 29, 2017Charging, Electric Cars, EonJo

It is still early days for electric vehicles (EV), but with more motorists reaping the benefits of electric driving, the market is growing.

Total plug-in car registrations for 2016 passed the sector’s 2015 total, while the Government’s pledge to invest £35m in the ultra-low emission vehicle sector will help ensure that development of the UK’s EV charging infrastructure keeps pace.

Improvements in battery technology mean that pure EVs can now travel around 100 miles on a full charge, while plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) and range extenders enable vehicles to travel several hundred miles.

Phil Gilbert, director of energy solutions at E.ON, says:

“We’re seeing huge growth in the number of new electric vehicles on the road, including hybrid technologies and pure electric vehicles from manufacturers such as Tesla, BMW and Mitsubishi.

“As this growth continues, we want to offer our business customers the ability to take full advantage of the financial and environmental benefits of charging their fleets or their employees’ cars at work, or offering a charging service to their customers.”

To do that, the company (which has a well-established network of charging points across Europe), is launching a range of charge-point solutions. It’s part of a wider drive from E.ON to work with clients to help maximise the benefits of investment in EV infrastructure.