Homeowner Blog

With solar installations on the rise, many homeowners ask the same question: should I use my solar panels to charge my EV? At first glance, the answer seems obvious. Solar provides free electricity, so why not use it to power your car and enjoy zero-emission miles?

For the past few years, electric car owners have benefited from government support to buy their new chargepoints. But all this is set to change early next year.

The Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV) grant, or the Electric Vehicle Homecharge Scheme (EVHS) as it’s officially known, is closing to most homeowners.

It’s done its job, as the UK now has at least 300,000 private residential chargers (as well as over 26,000 public charging stations). Additionally, the government plans to make EV chargepoints compulsory in new build properties with parking spaces.

With petrol prices at an eight-year high and new fossil fuel powered vehicles due to be banned by 2030, the age of electric cars will soon be upon us. For those of us lucky enough to have a driveway, we can charge up our electric cars at home, making the most of time of use tariffs to slash costs further. But what’s even better than cheap charging? Free charging from the sun!

Solar panels make a great companion to an EV, allowing you to use the car’s substantial battery to absorb excess solar power so you can drive on sunshine. But what are the best solar car chargers to make for an easy peasy EV-PV experience?

We went to speak to Mark Sanders, one of our most enthusiastic customers, about his experience with solar PV and Tesla Powerwall.

Watch our chat in the video below:

If you’ve spent much time trying to find the best energy deal, you may have come across the term ‘time of use tariffs’. It’s more exciting than it sounds - if you’re interested in Britain’s evolving energy system.

Energy suppliers are falling over themselves to launch more innovative tariffs to tempt savvy customers. Just last week, Good Energy announced its ‘Zap Flash’ tariff, with free EV charging when there’s excess power on the grid. So how do these tariffs work, and why do they have the potential to change the grid forever?

We talk a lot about time of use tariffs, but now there’s a new kid on the block - type of use tariffs. The first of these has been announced by energy supplier OVO and is designed to reward EV owners with lower cost car charging.

We’re entering a period of dramatic change for the energy sector. From smaller independents breaking the hold of the Big 6 and consumers generating their own solar power to dynamic pricing plans and smart homes.

The latest innovation is one that combines all of these: Octopus’s Tesla Energy Plan. Previously this was only available to Tesla vehicle owners, but now it’s open to everyone with solar PV and Powerwall battery storage.

The electric revolution is here.

Most manufacturers are now releasing battery-powered versions of their popular vehicles. The UK’s first electric forecourt is opening in November. And the government plans to announce that the ban on sales of new petrol and diesel vehicles will be brought forward to 2030, leading many more people to look into purchasing their first EV.

But with a plethora of makes, models and different types of EVs being advertised, where do you start? Let’s break down the jargon.

We’re often asked by our customers which is the best electricity tariff, especially when they’re investing in their own renewable energy systems. There are lots of energy suppliers, with prices varying by location and various contract commitments. But there are particular types of tariffs that we’d recommend looking at, depending on your circumstances:

Recently the Solar Trade Association (STA) published a report modelling the impact of solar PV, battery storage and smart home controls on the UK’s electricity supply and demand. In particular it examines how these technologies can help balance the grid as it becomes ever more complex and under pressure.

We’re going to dig into how solar PV can integrate with smart homes to reduce or even eliminate peak demand.