Electric vehicle drivers can charge for free thanks to new tariff

A new tariff from Good Energy, in partnership with Zap-Map, will allow electric vehicle (EV) drivers to charge their plug-in car for free.

Launching this week, the tariff will offer the free electricity when Britain is generating an abundance of solar and wind power.

When this happens, customers will be alerted to a four-hour ‘flash’ window when charging their vehicle will come at no extra cost.

Good Energy’s CEO and founder, Juliet Davenport, said: “Britain generates so much renewable electricity it only makes sense for us all to take advantage of this free resource.

“The new ‘flash’ tariff will offer people the chance to benefit from free, green power when the wind and sun are strongest.

“Electric vehicle drivers are already doing their bit for the climate - here’s a chance for them to go one step further and support a truly clean energy grid.”

The so-called ‘Zap Flash’ tariff aims to provide people with a cheaper and greener way to use electricity. Shifting energy consumption will also help National Grid balance supply and demand during high levels of renewables on the system, it says.

The product was designed with EV mapping service Zap-Map, while the tariff will be enabled by smart metering.

Zap-Map’s co-founder and chief operating officer, Melanie Shufflebotham, said: “The electric vehicle market is changing rapidly, and we need to keep up.

“There will be over 70 pure electric models available to buy in 2021 and the UK now has close to 500,000 plug-in vehicles on the road.

“This innovative tariff is supporting these seismic shifts by offering drivers a cheaper and greener way of charging their vehicle.

“Zap Flash goes above and beyond what’s currently on the market by listening to what people want and helping them go electric.”

Good Energy will be rolling out smart EV chargers and an updated app to work alongside the new product.

It will be initially launched in beta phase, allowing for more sophisticated versions as the company learns from customers.

The ‘flash period’ will vary in day each week, but the times will remain the same in the summer and winter months.

The Summer Flash Period will run from April to September between 11am and 3pm. The Winter Flash Period will run from October to March between 11pm and 3am.

Customers will be given at least 24 hours’ notice in advance of the flash period.

Good Energy recently invested a further £1 million into Zap-Map to support the company’s continued growth in the electric vehicle market.

The flash tariff is an example of the progress Zap-Map has made since Good Energy took an initial stake in the business two years ago, it says.