Charging ahead: RAC and British Gas team up on home EV charger installation and specialist electricity tariff

The RAC and British Gas have joined forces to make it easier and more affordable for drivers to make the switch to an electric car.

Following just weeks on from the RAC launching its market-leading electric vehicle (EV) leasing website, the new partnership means customers can have a smart 7kW home charge point installed by an expert British Gas engineer and take advantage of a bespoke electricity tariff with cheaper off-peak overnight charging.

Having a home charge point on a competitively priced electricity tariff makes running an electric car much easier, cheaper and greener, by making use of excess renewable energy when demand is low overnight.

Customers who want to have a home charge point installed via the RAC have the choice of two models – with either fixed or removable cables – made by one of Europe’s most established manufacturers of electric car chargers, Alfen. Both come with a three-year warranty and are installed by a British Gas trained EV installer. The Alfen Eve S-Line Untethered can be installed from £659* and Alfen Eve S-Line Tethered from £745.*

Both chargers can be controlled via a smartphone using the award-winning Hive app. This makes charging more convenient as it not only allows drivers to see if the car is plugged in and charging, it also helps them save money as they can choose to schedule charges to take place overnight when the electricity rate is cheaper. They can also easily look back at their daily, weekly and yearly charging, to see the cost and their electricity usage.

The RAC and British Gas partnership also gives customers access to a highly competitive home electricity tariff specially designed to make overnight electric car charging cheaper than with a conventional tariff. The RAC-e Recharge Electric Car Tariff** saves customers money, with charging between 12-5am GMT costing just 6p per kWh. As charging can be scheduled easily via the Hive app, this could save up to £300 on a home electric bill***. What’s more, British Gas will match 100% of the electricity used for this tariff to electricity from renewable sources. Prices can even be fixed until 30 June 2023.

In order to take advantage of the RAC-e Tariff, which has no exit fee, customers will need to have a British Gas electric smart meter installed so their off-peak charging can be tracked. If a property doesn’t have an existing British Gas smart meter, one will be fitted free of charge.

RAC director of EVs Sarah Winward-Kotecha said:

“We’re very excited to have teamed up with British Gas to offer home charge points and a bespoke EV electricity tariff as they’re as synonymous with taking care of people’s energy needs as we are with fixing and rescuing cars.

“Working with trusted names like British Gas and Hitachi Capital Vehicle Solutions means customers can now – through the RAC – lease some of the most popular electric cars at market-leading prices and get a smart home charge point installed with a specialist energy tariff that offers cheaper off-peak EV charging.

“Combine all this with RAC EV breakdown cover, which is unrivalled in the roadside assistance market, and drivers now have everything they need to affordably switch to a zero-emission car with complete peace of mind.”

Americo Lenza, portfolio director at British Gas, said:

“Working in partnership with the RAC allows us to provide a unique proposition for those looking for hassle free motoring. For the first time, drivers can now combine the vehicle, the charger, the green energy, the servicing and the breakdown cover in one place. Supporting customers with cost effective ways to make the change to electric is vital as we transition away from petrol and diesel cars. Once you’ve switched, you’ll never go back.”

RAC EV Leasing

The RAC recently announced it has teamed up with leasing specialist Hitachi Capital Vehicle Solutions to give drivers the chance to lease a variety of popular EVs at very affordable rates. Models include the UK’s most popular electric car, the Nissan Leaf, Vauxhall Corsa-e, Peugeot e-2008, MG ZS Electric and the Mercedes-Benz EQC AMG Line.

Each new EV leased via the RAC includes breakdown cover and road tax, and customers can also choose to add extras such as servicing and maintenance. All customers need to do is organise insurance. When the lease finishes, customers can choose to swap their electric car for a new one, return it, or even buy it. The latest RAC EV leasing offers can be found at rac.co.uk/electric-cars.

The RAC is the number-one for EV breakdown**** as it is the only UK breakdown provider to offer van-mounted, lightweight emergency mobile charging system for electric cars. The RAC’s expert local patrols can use EV Boost to quickly get a flat or severely depleted EV on the move again. And if a car needs to go to a garage, the RAC’s All Wheels Up recovery system can be used to safely tow an EV with all four wheels off the ground.

Topics

Categories

Electric vehicles

Notes to Editors

* Prices are inclusive of VAT and include the OZEV grant of £350; charger make and model subject to change. Excludes any additional work required by the DNO.

** The RAC Electricity Tariff isn’t available for Economy 7 energy customers, or for customers in Northern Ireland.

*** Charging a car running 11,000 miles a year using public rapid charging would cost in the region of £1,500 a year, this reduces to around £450 when charging at home during peak hours, and around £150 if charging at night using a variable tariff.

**** Comparison to AA and Green Flag based on number of RAC recue vans equipped with 3.5kw+ Electric car charging capability as at March 2021

The press office email address is press.enquiries@rac.co.uk. Please note: the press office is unable to help with individual customer enquiries - please visit the RAC contacts page to find the right contact.

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About the RAC

The RAC provides complete peace of mind to 12m UK private and business drivers, whatever their motoring needs. Its services include:

Breakdown assistance. Its highly-skilled, 1,600-strong branded patrol workforce attends more than two million breakdowns every year, fixing on average four out of five vehicles at the roadside. The RAC’s patrol fleet is one of the most advanced in the UK, and was the first to roll out both an All-Wheels-Up recovery system, allowing the vast majority of vehicles to be recovered from a single patrol van, and EV Boost mobile electric vehicle charging units
Insurance. The RAC is a top-five car insurance broker having surpassed the 500,000 policies-in-force milestone in 2018. It also offers ‘black box’ telematics policies, as well as home and travel insurance
Other motoring services. The RAC leads in the development of new solutions for business, fleets, electric vehicles and future car technology. Its additional products and services include a personal loans offering, a used car buying website, vehicle inspections and checks, legal services or up-to-the-minute traffic and travel information. It also has a network of Approved Dealers and Approved Garages which combine the trust of RAC brand with local service and convenience

The RAC also works to support the interests of its members and UK drivers on the most important motoring issues which it identifies via the annual RAC Report on Motoring and the RAC Opinion Panel. The Report on Motoring is the longest running analysis of driver opinion in the UK having been published every year since 1989.

For more information about the RAC, visit the RAC website.