Electric car owners are seven times more likely to have solar panels fitted to their homes, compared to the national average.
It means nearly a third of EV drivers can potentially use the sun’s energy to charge their car, avoiding high energy prices.
In addition, more than one in 10 EV drivers have a home battery to store surplus energy.
These are some of the findings from the latest EV Charging Survey, conducted each year by the Zap-Map website.
Keen to go green
Zap-Map’s research suggests that electric vehicles can be a gateway to green technologies, although high initial costs may still be a barrier.
Owning an electric car means drivers are 20 percent more likely to have a smart meter fitted at home. Almost three-quarters (72 percent) of EV owners have a way of tracking their energy usage, compared to a national average of 50 percent.
When it comes to the latest clean energy technology, seven percent of EV owners have a heat pump instead of a gas boiler. For comparison, only one percent of the wider population has a heat pump.
Upfront costs still a barrier
Additional research by renewable power supplier Good Energy finds that upfront costs prevent many people from embracing green tech.
The price of installation was a barrier to 64 percent of people when considering a heat pump, while solar panel prices are a stumbling block for 54 percent.
Melanie Shufflebotham, COO of Zap-Map, said: “‘A gateway to clean energy’ is a great way of thinking about EVs. As soon as you change the energy you use to fuel your vehicle, you start thinking about the energy you use elsewhere in your life. Then you realise you can reduce your running costs with solar panels, too.
“That said, the upfront cost of the tech does highlight, once again, the gap between wealthier homeowners with off-street parking and those without a driveway, or who are just not as well off. Which is why we need more affordable on-street or local charging options.”
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