Tuesday 29 May 2018

Could smart meters charge up EV adoption?

More than a third of UK drivers say they would be more interested in buying an electric vehicle (EV) if they had a smart meter at their home.

That's according to Smart Energy GB, the organisation responsible for the deployment of smart meters across the UK, which found more than eight million people across the UK are considering buying or leasing an EV in the next five years.

A third of drivers said they would be more likely to purchase an electric car if they could programme it to charge automatically at home when energy is cheapest, a feature smart meters enable.

Smart Energy GB says EVs and smart meters being used in conjunction will accelerate the UK’s transition to a more sustainable and greener economy.

Energy and Clean Growth Minister Claire Perry said: "Smart meters give customers control over their energy, lowering bills and unlocking new smarter models for energy supply.

"For example, smart meters will enable our future energy system to better balance supply and demand and create the opportunity of smart charging for EV owners, enabling better value tariffs to reward drivers for charging their EVs at off-peak times."