With the growing popularity of electric vehicles, how is the UK preparing for an increase in demand for electricity?
Electric vehicles (EV) continue to grow in popularity in the UK, with estimates suggesting there are currently around 1.4m zero-emission Battery Electric Vehicles on UK roads.¹ This is also reflected in the second-hand car market, with EVs more in demand than ever. 188,382 second-hand EV were bought last year - 57% more than the year before.²
With the government committing to phase out the sale of new petrol and diesel cars by 2030, EVs will only become more commonplace. But this does beg the question - with all the electricity needed to charge up these vehicles, can the UK cope with the increasing demand in electricity?
Does the UK’s electricity grid have the capacity for charging more EVs?
Simply put, yes. According to the National Grid, the highest peak electricity demand in the UK in recent years was 62GW back in 2002. Since then, improvements in energy efficiency have meant that our national peak electricity demand has actually fallen by around 16%.³
Even if we all decided to go out and buy an EV tomorrow, electricity demand is estimated to only increase by 10%.³ That means we’d still be using less power as a country than we did in 2002, a level of demand that the National Grid can comfortably handle.
So, as a country, we’re prepared for the sheer number of EVs that could be plugged in at any one time. But there is still work to do to make sure we invest and innovate in the EV technology of the future. One exciting development, for example, is vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology. This technology allows EVs to not only draw power from the grid, but also act as an energy storage system so that EV drivers can sell any excess energy stored in their EV’s battery back to the grid.
How can we make the most of off-peak charging times?
There are other steps we can take to reduce demand on the National Grid, while helping EV drivers save some extra money. For example, energy companies can offer time-of-use (ToU) tariffs to EV drivers, encouraging them to power up their vehicles during off-peak hours, such as overnight. These ToU tariffs give customers cheaper prices for electricity used when demand is low and there is more electricity available.
Our Next Drive tariff, for example, gives EV drivers lower-priced electricity at 6.7p per kWh when you charge between 12am and 7am. In fact, this is the longest overnight off-peak period in the market today.⁴
This form of ‘smart charging’ is encouraged by the UK Government, through their electric vehicle smart charge point regulations. These regulations make sure that every EV driver who has a home charger installed will be able to benefit and, by doing so, they’ll be helping to balance out the electricity system by using electricity when there is less demand.
How is the government helping to prepare the country?
Of course, it will be necessary to keep improving EV charging infrastructure in order to keep up with the increasing number of EVs on the road. Significant government funding has already been allocated to expand the UK's charging infrastructure, including a £1.6 billion Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Strategy aiming for 300,000 public charge points by 2030 - almost five times the number of fossil fuel pumps today.
As part of the strategy, the government’s rapid charging fund (RCF) aims to roll out charging points at motorway service stations across England to prepare for more zero-carbon vehicles. Plus, the Local EV Infrastructure (LEVI) Fund is supporting local authorities in England to plan and deliver on-street charging and hubs, which particularly help residents without driveways who can’t install their own charger.
With the right planning and investment, the UK will continue to be well-prepared to meet the growing electricity demand from EVs, as well as enjoying all the benefits of cleaner transport.
4 Tariff saving calculations assume an electric vehicle driving 8,000 miles a year at 3.33 miles per kilowatt, charging 6.7p per kWh during off-peak Next Drive Fixed v7 tariff hours (12am -7am); compared to charging at 27.03p/kWh (national average and will vary by region) standard variable tariff rate from 1 April 2025 which is equivalent to £489 saved. T&Cs apply.