by Jaime | Dec 7, 2021 | Electric Vehicles, Transport
November increase is first in four months year on year but sales are still down on pre-Covid levels
The number of new cars sold in the UK rose in November for the first time in four months, fuelled by a doubling of sales of electric vehicles as consumers increasingly look to more environmentally friendly forms of transport.
Almost 22,000 pure electric vehicles were registered in November, more than double the 10,345 registered in the same month last year, as the share of total sales accounted for by battery-powered electric vehicles climbed to 19%.
The Tesla Model 3 was the third bestselling car, with 3,077 sold, and is the bestselling pure electric vehicle in the UK, according to the figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).
The boom in electric car sales helped overall sales of new cars to reach 115,706 in November, a 1.7% rise on the same month last year. While the increase is a welcome boost for the car industry, sales are still close to a third down on pre-pandemic levels.
“After four miserable months that the motor industry would rather forget, the tide is finally turning for new car sales,” said James Fairclough, the chief executive of AA Cars. “But the patch supply of new vehicles continues to peg back the number of sales dealers can make. Stock levels of some vehicles are so low that some dealers are even struggling to offer test drives.”
The SMMT said the global shortage of semiconductors, the chips that are the “brain” in all electronic devices and new cars, continues to stymie production of new vehicles.
“What looks like a positive performance belies the underlying weakness of the market,” said Mike Hawes, the chief executive of the SMMT. “Demand is there, with a slew of new, increasingly electrified, models launched, but the global shortage of semiconductors continues to bedevil production and, therefore, new car registrations.” He expected disruption in the production chain to carry into 2022.
Sales of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles also rose 40% year on year, to 10,796, meaning in total 28% of cars sold in November were capable of zero-emission driving. Meanwhile, sales of diesel vehicles continued to plummet, down 63% compared with a year ago, while new petrol vehicle sales fell 10%.
Hawes said: “The continued acceleration of electrified vehicle registrations is good for the industry, the consumer and the environment. But with the pace of public charging infrastructure struggling to keep up, we need swift action and binding public charger targets so that everyone can be part of the electric vehicle revolution, irrespective of where they live.”
The SMMT said the ratio of electric vehicles to each public charger had reached 16 to one, and only one new charger was installed for every 52 plug-in cars registered so far this year.
Last month the competition watchdog secured a commitment from the charge-point operator Electric Highway to end exclusivity rights contracts with three of the UK’s largest motorway services from 2026 – Moto, Extra and Roadchef – which will give electric car drivers more choice.
So far this year, 1.53m new cars have been registered, a 2.7% rise on the same period last year, but 31% below the pre-pandemic five-year average. Sales to the public, as opposed to businesses or fleet purchases, grew 42% year on year to 62,600 in November.
Sue Robinson, chief executive of the National Franchised Dealers Association said: “The November new car market is below pre-pandemic levels. However, the strong increase in sales to private buyers shows consumers are confident.”
by Jaime | Dec 7, 2021 | Projects, Transport
Hidden power and data cables gives a tidy finish to the stylish Zappi dual pedestal
Fitted for a busy laser cutting company in Corby, these two Zappis are 3 times faster than the regular domestic versions thanks to a three-phase supply, meaning they can charge compatible EVs up to 22kW.
They are mounted on Myenergi’s own heavy duty pedestal and the supply was buried underground to give a neat and tidy finish with no visible cables. We also added rubber bumpers in both parking bays for extra safety and to avoid any accidental damage to the units.
It’s worth noting too that the units can be programmed with a PIN to prevent unauthorised use, and if they decided to add solar to their installation they can benefit from the Zappi’s built-in compatibility and green credentials.
Another happy Zappi customer!
by Jaime | Oct 12, 2021 | Energy, Projects, Solar, Storage
Who wouldn’t want free hot water, especially with soaring gas prices. Well if you have solar panels and an immersion heater you can harness your excess solar energy with the help of a solar diverter and store it as hot water.
Solar iBoost+ kit and recently installed example in a typical airing cupboard
How do they work?
The solar iBoost detects when you produce more solar energy than you need and diverts it to your hot water tank, so depending on your set up you could be getting free hot water for most of the year and save hundreds of pounds on your energy bills.
How much do they cost?
If you have solar and an immersion heater the cost is minimal and the repayment time could be as little as 12 months so it’s a no-brainer in our opinion, especially if gas prices continue going through the roof (pun intended).
Call us for a free quote and you could be enjoying hot showers powered by the sun!
by Jaime | Sep 27, 2021 | Projects, Solar, Storage
East and West facing arrays ensure even power generation throughout the day
Another successful solar, battery and EV charger install completed for an eco-minded customer in Peterborough, and we’re sure they’ll be more than happy with the result.
With a 6.1kW array, a 5.8kWh battery and a Zappi car charger they will see significantly reduced electricity bills from day one, as well as free fuel for their EV for much of the year, so they’ll be saving the environment and saving money for years to come.
Their property is East/West facing so we installed a split array with seven 385W panels on the East-facing aspect and nine on the West, in order to give steady production throughout the day with a bias on evening output to maximise the use of the battery.
Inverter and battery in the garage
The system comes with a free smartphone app to monitor output from anywhere in the world, so they can see exactly how much energy they have to play with at any time during the day and night.
We also installed a Zappi charger that will work seamlessly with their solar array to divert any excess power into their EV, so for much of the year they’ll be able to fill up on solar power!
by Jaime | Aug 11, 2021 | Energy
The warning signs were there, and as predicted energy prices will rise for millions of people across the UK in October, right at the start of the cold weather, but not just by 9.2% as per Ofgem’s previous price cap.
Regulator Ofgem said the price cap (previously 9.2%) for default domestic energy deals would be raised to cover suppliers’ extra costs.
The typical gas and electricity customer is likely to see their bill go up by £139 to £1,277 a year, and charities warned the timing would hit struggling families hard, who already face losing an extra £20 a week from Universal Credit in October.
Prepayment customers will see an increase of £153, from £1,156 to £1309, the regulator said.
Ofgem chief executive Jonathan Brearley told the BBC: “The reason the price cap is going up is there has been a record increase in energy prices across the board, not just in gas and electricity but in petrol and diesel.”
He urged customers to shop around for the best tariffs, saying there were big savings to be made by switching.
“You don’t have to live with this tariff. The price cap is a backstop. We’d encourage any customer, particularly those struggling to pay their bills, to contact their supplier, and get access to a wide-range of help and support,” he said
“This is a devastating increase,” said Peter Smith, director of policy and advocacy at fuel poverty charity National Energy Action.
“Millions of household budgets are already stretched to the limit and this massive increase could not be coming at a worse time.”
Ofgem said rising wholesale costs were behind the increase, adding that the existence of the price cap meant households would save between £75-£100 a year. The watchdog also pointed out energy users could switch to a better deal to save up to £200. However, the Resolution Foundation says policymakers need to do more to help families who are close to the poverty line.
Jonathan Marshall, senior economist, said the government must focus on widening the current warm homes discount scheme, as well as reversing the planned removal of the £20 Universal Credit uplift. There should also be more targeted support for families at risk of falling into fuel poverty.
“A rise in energy prices will disproportionately impact those who are already struggling,” said Mr Marshall.
Who is affected?
The price cap, set twice a year by the regulator, affects 11 million households in England, Wales and Scotland who have never switched suppliers or whose discounted deals have expired. Northern Ireland sets its own cap. That accounts for about half of all UK households. The remainder are on so-called fixed deals, which will not be affected. Around four million prepayment meter customers will also be affected. The cap sets the prices that suppliers can charge for each unit of energy, but that does not mean there is a limit to how much people can pay. The more gas and electricity you use, the higher the bill.
A stark choice
“Finding an extra £20 a month for energy bills will leave me with a stark choice of paying for either food or fuel,” says Anthony Lyman of Northampton.
The 35-year-old autistic single father of two adds: “We may have to have a cold house to have a full belly.” Anthony lost his job at a special needs school through ill-health at the start of the pandemic and has since been relying on Universal Credit and help with managing his finances from debt charity Christians Against Poverty, as well as being forced to turn to food banks.
“We’ve been relying on the Universal Credit uplift money to get by but the prospect of losing that £20 a week in October and having to pay more for gas and electricity will leave me on a financial knife-edge.”
The energy industry has said there’s plenty of help for vulnerable people like Anthony but he says in practice it’s almost impossible to get it.
“We haven’t been able to get in touch with anybody from our suppliers during the pandemic. You can only seem to talk to a computer and it’s very difficult to tell a computer I’m struggling.”
Why are prices rising?
Domestic energy bills are linked to wholesale prices, the price at which energy businesses have to pay for gas and electricity. Wholesale prices have risen after gas prices soared to a record high as many economies recovered strongly from the Covid-19 crisis, prompting a surge in demand for energy. When wholesale prices fell last summer following the first lockdown, Ofgem reduced the level of the cap by £84 for last winter. But in February it increased the cap by £96 as wholesale costs rose. Since then the wholesale cost of energy – which account for 40% of domestic bills – has climbed by more than 50%, which has led to the latest increase.
EDF, one of the UK’s biggest energy providers, said the “unprecedented rate” at which wholesale prices were rising meant that customers would “at some point see the impact of this global trend”.
A spokesman said: “We know this will be worrying news for customers of all suppliers – we will be directing financial assistance to those most in need through a £1.9m support fund, helping customers reduce their bills, manage their debt and even helping with costs for things like more energy efficient white goods.”
The industry’s trade body, Energy UK, said people worried about their bills should “pick up the phone and talk to your supplier”. Chief executive Emma Pinchbeck told the BBC’s Today radio programme: “There’s help and assistance available, particularly for those that are vulnerable and fuel poor.” She also urged people to consider switching supplier, calling it a “straightforward” process.
The government also advised people to shop around for the cheapest tariffs, adding that it had simplified the process.
A spokesperson for the Business Department said: “To help consumers further, we plan to trial automatic switching for customers on expensive default tariffs to cheaper deals, and are extending the Warm Home Discount so an extra 750,000 households get £150 knocked off their bill each year.”
When the energy price cap was introduced three years ago, it was hailed as a shield for customers against unscrupulous energy companies charging sky-high prices.
But this October, the cap will rise to its highest ever level, so is it working?
The cap applies to a company’s default tariff, impacting people who never or rarely change their deal, and also those on pre-payment meters who often have less choice.
While it restricted expensive prices at some companies, there have been accusations that the cap gave other firms an excuse to raise their prices up to same level as the cap.
When fixing the cap point, the regulator says it must consider the wholesale price of gas and electricity so that companies can still make a profit. That’s what they describe as setting a fair price.
The result is that we’ve seen more standardised pricing across energy companies at those top rates, but not necessarily a market that’s cheaper for most customers. With many people continuing to work from home through the autumn and winter months, and other budgets already being stretched with reductions to Universal Credit, this big jump in utility bills will be an unwelcome extra pressure.
Is switching the answer?
Energy users on variable tariffs could move to a different cheaper deal with their existing supplier or switch to another one to save up to hundreds of pounds. Switching online is relatively simple: just use an energy comparison site and all you’ll need is your postcode, the name of your current supplier, and the name of your current tariff.
But some vulnerable people may not be able to switch, warns National Energy Action. “For some customers, switching is impossible due to levels of debt, or because pre-pay customers have far fewer options to switch supplier or tariff,” added Mr Smith.
The charity has called on Ofgem to provide deeper protection for the most vulnerable customers.
“The UK government can also directly help reduce energy arrears as well as maintaining investment to reduce needless energy waste in our homes,” he said.
Citizens Advice has a useful guide to choosing the right tariff. Ofgem also sets out the steps you should take to switch energy supplier and shop for a better deal.
Story credit: BBC News
What’s our conclusion?
Energy prices will only increase as our dependence on oil and fossil fuels decreases, so this trend is only going to accelerate. If you’re looking to reduce your bills in the short term you can start by switching suppliers, however all energy suppliers are subject to the same wholesale energy price increases, so switching suppliers can only help so much. In our opinion the best way to reduce energy costs in the long term is to invest in microgeneration and produce your own energy wherever possible, and in this way you will mitigate any future price hikes by reducing your reliance on the Big Six.
