8.2.2013 Free home charging points offered

EV owners in the East of England can apply for a free, fully installed electric vehicle charge point, using a new government grant.

The service includes a site survey followed by the installation of an intelligent wall-mounted charge point, which would normally cost around £1,000.

Electric cars are set to become more and more mainstream with the introduction of several reasonably priced family car models in 2013 – which will overcome the main barrier to electric vehicle sales which is up-front purchase costs.

Some experts have predicted that the numbers of electric car drivers will double every year. The charging point funding offer can be applied whether or not there is currently an electric car at the property; it can also be applied to charging points installed in workplaces. The devices on offer use the J 1772 Type 1 socket connection, and the grant funding ends on 31st March.

The case for electric motoring becomes ever more persuasive. The vast majority of motorists drive under 30 miles day in their cars – well within the range of an electric car – and 100 miles of motoring costs just over £2 in an electric car (charged off-peak) compared to over –12 in an equivalent petrol or diesel driven car.

The East of England is a priority region for the Department for Transport's Plugged In Places funding, and has a network of public charging points in towns and cities in Essex, Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Norfolk and Suffolk.

People applying for a charging point using the grant funding get a free membership of Source East, which also allows them to charge their cars in London EV charging networks using a roaming agreement that is in place with Source London.

For more information about this offer, visit POD Point.