In a first of its kind solution homeowners can now charge their EV, as well as control their heating, lighting and security from their phone, with the new Hive EV Charging from British Gas and the smart Alfen charger, paving the way for the future home.
Bringing together a smart Alfen charger and Hive, electric vehicle owners will be able to charge their car when prices are at their lowest and when the most renewable energy is available on the grid, providing a cheaper and more sustainable solution for customers.
This offer is part of British Gas’ wider plan to help the UK reach its target of 2.3 million charging points by 2030,[1] allowing customers the freedom to charge at home and manage their energy via an app, providing greater control over using renewable energy.
While public charging facilities are critical for the transition, with Ofgem revealing earlier this year that one in four of us plans to buy an electric vehicle in the next five years and electric and hybrid sales reaching a record 14 per cent of all new car sales in the UK in March, up from 7.3 per cent the year before, the demand for home charging is increasing.
By partnering with Alfen to provide an industry leading charger and bringing together the Hive app, key technology to optimise when drivers charge their vehicles, and British Gas’ expert engineers to provide the installation and ongoing service, customers are provided with the end to end solution and peace of mind of a trusted brand.
As well as being able to manage all their Hive products day-to-day in one easy to use app, customers will be able to receive daily, weekly and monthly summaries of their charging history as a cost and in kWh and will be notified when charging starts outside of the cheapest window for their tariff.
The integrated automated charging feature supports balancing the grid, while giving customers the best deal via a time of use tariffs, meaning the customer plugs in and leaves the rest to Hive. And if they have any problems, they will be able to use the app to diagnose and resolve the problem themselves or chat with a technical expert.
“Hive is one of the largest and most advanced smart home ecosystems and platforms on the market, paving the way for the home of the future, and by integrating energy management devices our customers will have more choice over when and how they provide energy to their home. By bringing together our award-winning Hive technology and trusted British Gas engineers, we are uniquely positioned to offer customers an end-to-end solution for their home energy management needs, whether that be controlling their energy use, charging their electric vehicle or keeping their home safe and warm. With the ban on new petrol and diesel vehicles on the horizon, many people are considering how to make the switch to electric. Smart charging as part of a home energy eco-system is the most cost-effective, simple and sustainable way to make the switch.”
Matthew Bateman, Managing Director, British Gas Services & Solutions
SOURCE: Centrica
