In line with the Isle of Man government’s commitment to mitigating climate change, we at Manx Utilities encourage and support the use of electric vehicles in order to curb fossil fuels use and reduce air pollution and our carbon footprint. With the drive to shift to a much cleaner and greener grid, electric vehicles are fated to become increasingly greener still. The reason electric vehicles look like an appealing climate solution is that if we can make our grids zero-carbon, vehicle emissions will drop way, way down. It is heartening to see that technology is evolving at a pace reminiscent of the early days of personal computers, mobile phones or even cars consequently reducing the upfront cost of EVs which so far has hindered their wider adoption.
Analysts and consultants estimate that electric vehicles will make up 18% of new car sales by 2030. And that is a conservative estimate. Some analysts expect electric vehicle sales to grow much faster. In the UK this year, during March which is traditionally the strongest month for car dealers, electric and hybrid car sales hit record numbers despite Covid-19 lockdown. Sales of battery electric cars and plug-in hybrids accounted for a combined 14% of the market, up from 7% a year earlier. General Motors’ announcement in February 2021 that it would go all electric by 2035 was widely considered a landmark moment by policymakers and environmentalists. China and the European Union are injecting government funds into battery technology. Earlier this year, the European Union announced a 2.9-billion-euro fund to support battery manufacturing and research. That was on top of the more than €60 billion that European governments and car manufacturers had already committed to electric vehicles and batteries.
As well as cutting your emissions, EVs are cheaper to fuel and can also save you on maintenance as they do not need oil changes, spark plugs or routine check-ups. They offer a better driving experience due to generating instant torque and noiseless journeys. EVs are convenient because you can charge them at home at a cheaper and much more predictable cost; plugging in the charger at home only takes a few moments and if you do it overnight, you wake up to a ‘full tank’. As an added benefit, bidirectional charging will allow green electricity from renewable energy systems to be stored in the vehicle and fed back into the home network if needed.
We at Manx Utilities offer an electric vehicle charging tariff which is available to domestic customers charging their own vehicles for personal use.
The electric vehicle charging tariff will be effective from the date we install the metering equipment. Your quarterly bill will consist of 2 types of units: consumption by standard electric appliances at a standard domestic rate and off-peak electric vehicle charging at the EV tariff rate.
If you would like to apply for our electric vehicle tariff, please submit an electricity network enquiry.
For more information, view our current rates or contact us on (01624) 687687 during office hours.
If you would like more information on where our electric vehicle charging points in the Isle of Man are located, they can be found along with other UK charging points at https://charge.pod-point.com/nt.com/
Please also read our pod-point user guide
Read this article from Smart Energy GB for more information about the role of electric vehicles in helping to enable a smarter future.
The Energy Saving Trust is a UK 3rd sector independent organisation and a respected and trusted voice on clean energy and energy-saving solutions. Please check their comprehensive guides to electric vehicles and charging electric vehicles.
The Construction Isle of Man Accredited Scheme (CIOM) is organising the Home and Lifestyle Expo 2021 to be held on a date to be confirmed, with a strong focus on new technologies and sustainability.
EVIOM - Electric Vehicles Isle of Man is a Facebook group dedicated to electric vehicles and clean energy on the island; please also check their blog site.
Isle of Man Sustainable Living is a Facebook group where island residents can find and share tips and advice. It focuses on sustainable goods, services and activities available locally rather than in the UK or globally. There are already a lot of sustainable choices we can make, and the range is growing, but it is not always easy to find out about such options. The aim of the page is to share relevant information that will help us along on our journey to a more sustainable lifestyle.
Peppa Pig loves Roger, The Electric Car: see if your kids will love him too.