Energy company E.ON has become the biggest, but not the first, supplier to offer renewable electricity tariffs to electric vehicles drivers

Electric car4

The Automated and Electric Vehicles Act gives the government new powers to install charging points for electric vehicles (Wikipedia Commons/Mariordo)

E.ON customers will be able to benefit from the equivalent of 850 free driving miles annually after the energy supplier launched a 100% renewable electricity tariff specific to electric vehicle owners.

The two-year “Fix and Drive” tariff, announced yesterday (15 August), guarantees a fixed unit price for consumer energy use in addition to a £30 cashback reward every year – which the company claims is the same as the price of driving 850 miles in a Nissan Leaf electric car.

UK drivers who own or lease an electric or hybrid vehicle registered with the DVLA can reap the benefits of the tariff now.

E.ON says the electricity is 100% renewable, as certified by Ofgem’s Renewable Energy Guarantees of Origin (REGO) scheme.

Michael Lewis, chief executive of E.ON UK, said: “Drivers need to be able to charge their cars quickly and conveniently, and for many, that means plugging in at home.

“Our new Fix and Drive tariff has been specifically designed with these customers in mind, who likely have higher electricity bills, to provide competitive pricing, a rebate and clean energy to supply their homes and power their vehicles.”

renewable electricity tariff
Chief executive of E.ON UK Michael Lewis (Credit: E.ON)

 

Additional benefits of E.ON’s renewable electricity tariff

E.ON’s renewable electricity tariff also comes with environmental benefits by offsetting driver CO2 gas use through Carbon Emission Reduction credits provided by the UN.

And for business customers, the energy company is providing design, installation, operation and maintenance of electric vehicle charging points through its E.ON drive tariff.

E.ON will also provide the power supply and manage its sale to a company’s employee or client.

The tariffs are aimed at customers who charge their electric vehicles at home overnight when electricity demand is reduced, therefore lowering the cost.

And they aren’t the first to implement them for this reason, with OVO Energy, Good Energy, Engie and Vattenfall all having previously offered electric vehicles tariffs of a similar nature – though E.ON is the biggest energy company so far to make the move.

It highlights the increasingly frequent co-operation of the private sector with regards to moving closer to the internal combustion engine phase-out – the UK’s commitment to end the sale of all new conventional petrol and diesel cars and vans by 2040.