UK Power Networks EV salary sacrifice scheme a hit with employees

A salary sacrifice scheme for electric vehicles (EVs) at UK Power Networks is proving popular with employees, with 45% of workers expressing an interest in signing up for a plug-in car.

The salary sacrifice scheme, operated by Tusker, has now delivered 300 vehicles to the homes of employees, and a further 66 are awaiting their new car.

Employees have leased many different vehicles with some of the most popular being the BMW iX3, Nissan Leaf, Kia EV6 and the Mercedes-Benz EQB.

Robert Greenoak who works in UK Power Networks’ low carbon readiness team took the opportunity to lease a Nissan Leaf. He said: “It’s a win-win-win, it saves time, money and is good for the environment.

“What I really love is the insurance is all built in as well, which is amazing. You don't have to go off to another insurance company and get all the all the quotes and get all of that side of things sorted so that saves a whole bunch of admin as well.”

Steve Remnant, head of reward and HR services, explained that the company actively seeks new and creative staff benefits that align with evolving employee needs.

“While a generous pension scheme may have sufficed in the past, we now complement it with benefits that support employees in leading sustainable, environmentally-friendly lifestyles,” he said.

“This approach helps us attract and retain top talent. Notably, in recent years, we have observed an increased interest from younger generations who want to work for us, recognising our role as a leading company in helping to drive the UK towards achieving net zero.”

In addition to the EV reward scheme, employees are able to access tenancy loans, cycle to work grants, mental health services and payroll deductions for tech.

Tusker has been offsetting carbon from all its vehicles since 2010 to provide carbon neutral driving, with a commitment to have a zero-emission fleet by 2030.

Tusker’s managing director, Kit Wisdom, said: “We’re committed to driving down emissions by getting people into newer and more environmentally friendly cars.

“We genuinely care about the world we live in and know that our customers do too. This is why we work with each and every organisation to offset the carbon emitted by each car put on the road through our salary sacrifice schemes.

“With hundreds of cars to choose from all leading manufacturers, we’re aiming to get more people into affordable electric vehicles than ever before.”