Going Green: Grants for green cars to help save the planet
We need a new car so are there any grants for buying an electric car? You will be delighted to know that there is a recently-launched grant available from the Government for brand new electric cars priced at £37,000 or less.
Eligible passenger cars can receive a non-refundable grant of up to £3,750 on battery electric vehicles (BEVs) that are powered using electricity alone, so hybrids and more expensive EV models will not qualify.
The Electric Car Plug-In Grant (ECG) has £650m allocated and runs until the 2028/29 financial year. There are 35 models that qualify for the grant either at the full amount of £3.75k (band 1) or a lower level of support (band 2), which is £1.5k.
To find out which cars qualify visit Low-emission vehicles eligible for a plug-in grant: visit Cars – GOV.UK website. The eligible cars offer zero tail pipe emissions and a wide range before needing to charge from well-known brands including Peugeot, Toyota, Skoda, Citroen, and Vauxhall.
The car seller includes the grant as a discount on the purchase price, so no paperwork is required to access the grant. Many car garages have also discounted electric cars that don’t qualify for the grant to stay competitive so there are many deals to be found for motorists.
There are also grants available for a wide range of vehicle types including electric cars that are wheelchair accessible, motorbikes, vans, trucks and taxis. The criteria and level of financial support varies between transport modes so look online to see further details.
Visit https://www.gov.uk/plug-in-vehicle-grants website.
Of course, you don’t need to buy a brand-new car as it’s usually cheaper and better for the environment to buy a good-quality, second hand vehicle instead. Many second hand EVs are cost comparable to their petrol or diesel equivalent and even better news, they are far cheaper to run and maintain offering up to £1,600 a year in savings in owning and running costs.
EVs also offer other advantages such as a quitter journey and health benefits to you and your loved ones from breathing in cleaner air in the cars’ cabin. And as a quarter of cars sold in August were electric vehicles, according to the Society for Motor Manufacturers and Traders, you’ll be joining over a million other motorists who are driving green.
More than a quarter of cars sold in August were electric vehicles according to SMMT figures, Money News and Sky News. If you are like 60 per cent of households that have off street parking, then with an all-electric car you can conveniently plug it in at home rather than visit the pumps at expensive and often stinky petrol stations.
If you live in a rented home or flat there’s a grant available towards fitting a charger to the house so it’s worth contacting your landlord or property management company to explore this option.
The electric vehicle charge point grant is £350 or 75 per cent of the total installation cost and the installer will apply for the grant on your behalf.
This grant is also available to car parks belonging to small businesses – less than 249 employees. An approved installer is essential – authorised firms can be found via this Government website – visit https://www.gov.uk/electric-vehicle-chargepoint-installers website.
If you drive a company or lease car there are many financial benefits for you and the business for ensuring it’s an all-electric vehicle. Finally, the biggest source of carbon pollution in the UK, which is responsible for global warming, is from the transport sector, so whether you opt for a brand new or preloved car, swapping to an electric vehicle also help tackle climate change.
Celebrity spot
Dame Helen Mirren, star of Thursday Murder Club narrated the documentary Escape from Extinction. “You love the animals because they’re wild, that’s why they’re called wild animals. But on other hand, we will lose so many species if a concerted effort is not made by the people with the resources and the inclination and the science to do that work. Please, wherever you are, take cigarette butts and all plastic home with you.”
Green swap
Swap expensive window cleaning products for homemade spray using just white vinegar and water solution in 1:1 ratio but this can vary depending on preference. Not only is this swap cheaper but it’s greener and non-toxic.
Flooding and droughts experienced together this winter
Britian is bizarrely facing the prospects of a winter both floods and droughts together, the Environment Agency has warned.
The Government’s Flood Resilience Taskforce has met for talks on flood preparation, emergency planning and temporary defences. This is
after the Met Office warned of a wetter-than-usual autumn particularly in western and northern England.
Global warming, caused by carbon pollution, means we are experiencing far heavier rainfall in the UK as extreme weather increases. For every one degree warmer, the atmosphere can hold seven per cent more water so when it does rain, the risk of flooding is increasing.
Currently one in six homes are at risk of flooding but unfortunately, this is set to increase to one in four homes as more pollution is pumped into the air. Therefore these flood events, including flash floods that can happen very quickly anywhere in the UK, are increasing, particularly over winter, often referred to as ‘flooding
season.’
Ironically, this is while many parts of the UK are still experiencing drought conditions. Britain had exceptionally dry weather this year, which has left many reservoirs, aquifers and rivers at incredibly low levels particularly, as the record-breaking hot spring and summer also increased demand for water. The lack of rainfall has meant that many farmers have dry, hard soil to manage making harvesting crops like potatoes, particularly difficult.
The solid fields also mean that when heavy rain does occur, the water drops
‘bounce off’ the land rather than be absorbed underground, which leads to further flooding rather than replenishing aquifers. The recent national emergency alert that was tested on September 7 was partly driven by the need to alert residents if floods are expected so people can safely evacuate before the storm. Flooding is not only devastating for those impacted but it is also extremely disruptive and costly for homes and businesses. Therefore, one way to get winter ready is to check if your home and work are at risk from flooding. Simply add your postcode on the Government website.
Visit https://www.gov.uk/check-long-term-flood-risk website.
If you or a loved ones’ home is at risk, then sign up to flood alerts, check your insurance and make a plan just in case the worst should happen. Plans can include where to move your car and pets too, what precious belongings you can move out of harms way and time to fit property flood resilience (PFR) equipment such as flood gates, if you have them.
These barriers avoid heavy sandbags, work better and are very cost effective.
Visit https://www.floodre.co.uk/be-flood-smart/ website.
Whilst it seems bizarre to have both drought and flood at the same time, weird weather is the new norm everywhere so being as prepared as possible is a very good idea.
Fact or fiction
We are experiencing a false Autumn.
FACT.
Trees and plants are stressed due to the record-breaking temperatures and drought experienced this year so, to conserve water and other nutrients, they are shedding their leaves and fruit early. An increasing phenomenon known as a ‘false’ autumn.