Emily Seymour, Which? Energy and Sustainability Editor, said:
"A big part of the electric vehicle appeal has always been lower
running costs, but these price rises could jeopardise more people
making the switch to electric cars.
"Many non-hybrid petrol drivers will still save money by
switching to electric, but for many diesel drivers that now won’t
be the case. In a recent survey, we found that the upfront cost
of buying an EV is the biggest barrier preventing drivers from
considering an electric vehicle - and this latest energy price
rise could further prevent people from making the switch."
PA article:
Electric vehicle owners to be hit by spike in energy
price cap
By Neil Lancefield, PA Transport
Correspondent
Electric vehicle (EV) owners will be badly hit by the energy
price cap rise, new analysis shows.
The RAC said the cost of a full charge at home for an EV with a
64-kilowatt hour battery – such as a Kia e-Niro – will be £33.80
under the new cap which comes into force on October 1.
That is compared with £18.37 under the current cap, and £13.69
for last winter’s price limit.
The figures represent the cost when using a seven-kilowatt
charger.
EVs have soared in popularity in recent months, ahead of the ban
on sales of new petrol and diesel cars and vans in the UK from
2030.
Figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders show
there was a 50% increase in registrations of pure electric cars
during the first seven months of the year compared with the same
period in 2021.
RAC spokesman Rod Dennis said: “The impact of the energy price
cap increase will certainly be felt by drivers who charge their
electric cars at home, with a full charge of a typical
family-sized electric SUV costing 84% more from 1 October than it
does under the current cap.
“Despite recent falls in the price of petrol and diesel, the cost
of charging at home is still good value compared to paying for
either fuel, but again underlines just how the rising cost of
electricity is affecting so many areas of people’s lives.
“We’re also aware that public chargepoint operators are having no
choice but to increase their prices to reflect the rising
wholesale costs they’re faced with, which will heavily impact
drivers who have no choice other than to charge up away from
home.
“The RAC continues to support the FairCharge’s campaign for the
Government to cut the VAT rate levied on electricity from public
charge points to 5%, to mirror the rate charged on domestic
electricity.”
