Andy's journey to a cleaner planet with his Octopus EV

Andy: I have had a BMW ix50 for about 15 months. I loved it as soon as I saw it. I knew I wanted an electric car because I’ve always been concerned about our household's carbon footprint, and I believe the planet needs people to make small changes. Petrol and diesel prices are skyrocketing, and it's becoming unsustainable. So, when Octopus introduced the salary sacrifice scheme, it seemed like an opportunity to try an electric vehicle without significant financial risk.

I know there are lots of nice smaller electric cars but we have a big family of five and 2 german shepherds, so we needed a larger car with the range and space to accommodate our family.

Andy: Once I decided to get an EV, I visited a few dealerships to test drive and explore my options. As an Octopus Energy customer already, it made sense to go with them as I knew the customer service and communication would be excellent. The salary sacrifice scheme made it affordable, and they even installed the charging point at my home for free.

Andy: I don't track it precisely, but it's significantly cheaper. Charging the car overnight costs me only a few pounds a week, whereas filling a petrol car would cost me around £100 to £150 per week! My mileage is around 15,000, so you can imagine the costs added up. Whereas, charging my car hasn’t really made a difference to my bill.

Andy: We started with the standard Octopus Go tariff, which provided 4 hours of cheaper electricity overnight. When the opportunity arose, I switched to the Intelligent Octopus Go tariff, which offered even more affordable rates, for 6 hours each night. I use my car's charging schedule to take advantage of the lower rates, as it automatically charges when its cheapest. Overall, it's been a smooth and cost-effective transition.

All I do is plug my car in 2 or 3 evenings a week, and the tariff automatically manages everything else. I've also signed up for weather notifications so I know what pockets of the day to take advantage of cheap excess electricity generation.

Andy: Well for starters, it's a quiet and peaceful drive. Although, the costs are the biggest difference as I'm saving so much. Whilst we do plan ahead a little more for longer road trips, to make sure there are chargers along the way, it's mostly an easy and seamless process.

Andy: Yes, quite a few! We've taken some long road trips, like driving from North London to Cardiff for a weekend. You can find public charging stations across the UK and beyond, so it’s very doable. And as the infrastructure expands, that’ll get even easier.

Yes, I have solar panels at my house, and I try to always be environmentally conscious. Sustainability is something I really value at work, and in my day to day life. I’m also considering exploring other green technologies, like heat pumps. I wish we had more green energy initiatives available in the past, but it's never too late to make changes.

Andy: I think it’s a no-brainer. I appreciate the convenience it brings, and it aligns with my efforts to reduce my carbon footprint. I think it is a really worthwhile investment in our environment. I’d do it all over again!