Free electricity for cars and vans is possible under a new scheme from Octopus Energy.
The global energy and technology company has launched the UK’s first mass market vehicle-to-grid (V2G) tariff – Octopus Power Pack – which guarantees free charging for drivers, helping speed up the country’s shift towards green transport.
An average electric car driver will be able to save more than £850 a year in charging costs on Octopus Power Pack compared to charging on a standard variable tariff.
The tariff, which is still in beta, uses V2G technology and Octopus Energy’s tech platform, Kraken, to balance charging and discharging when it’s best for the grid – charging up the car with cheap, green electricity during off peak times and exporting back to the grid when it needs it most.
All drivers need to do is plug in their car for roughly 6 hours a day. The rest of the process is automated, leaving drivers with guaranteed free charging.
Octopus Power Pack is available to drivers with V2G compatible electric cars and chargers available in the UK. There is currently only a limited number of models that have this capability, however, car manufacturers such as Volvo have made commitments to releasing V2G-ready models soon.
The tariff cements Octopus’ position as the UK’s leading energy supplier for EV drivers. Octopus recently passed 200,000 customers signed up to its EV optimised tariffs – Intelligent Octopus Go and Octopus Go – making up roughly a fifth of electric car drivers on UK roads.