4 minutes ago, lol-lol said:

Prices in USD rather than GBP but perhaps also valid.....

Looks like AUD to me.

DS formerly known as Citroen

Edited 17 March17 Mar by Stonekeeper

20,000 changes in 10 months

As mentioned in my Cost of Living thread the cost to charge EVs is dropping by about 20% (home charging) or so despite the 2026 oil crisis in 2 weeks time ie Q2 2026.

Think my running cost for energy will be dropping perceptively to significantly below 2p per mile.

Edited 17 March17 Mar by lol-lol

@lol-lol Are we to take because your tariff is dropping by that then every other EV drivers home charging tariff is dropping the same with who ever their provider is? I think not so you are posting a falsehood. Maybe stick to The Truth about electric cars and not just your electric cars.

43 minutes ago, Evolution13 said:

@lol-lol Are we to take because your tariff is dropping by that then every other EV drivers home charging tariff is dropping the same with who ever their provider is? I think not so you are posting a falsehood. Maybe stick to The Truth about electric cars and not just your electric cars.

Seems to be lots of different numbers being totted about from 3.99 to 6.99 per kwh for Eon and Octopus dual tariffs fixed amounts. Whether some are BS or real i don't know.

Should get my email from Octopus soon but the signs are looking good for a drop in the Night tine rate as well as the Day time rate.

Its id lijd waiting for Xmas but not knowing when present time Is anywhere between Xmas Eve and 12th day ie when the 3 Kings visit. The excitement is huge but tempered it might be for just the 91 days of Q2 and then the hike back up in Q3 of the year !

Edited 18 March18 Mar by lol-lol

1 hour ago, Evolution13 said:

@lol-lol Are we to take because your tariff is dropping by that then every other EV drivers home charging tariff is dropping the same with who ever their provider is? I think not so you are posting a falsehood. Maybe stick to The Truth about electric cars and not just your electric cars.

I stick my postcode in to the Octopus website, West Midlands, and this is what I get, try yours .....

If link does not work try google "Octopus GO rates". Seems to show 6.99 p per KWh for GO and 5.99p for IOG.

Octopus largest supplier in the UK plus figures should be same for everyone but some are saying EON quoting even cheaper..... (The 3.51 p per KWh reduction is the removal of the Government ECO levy everyone should get)

---

Night rate (00:30 - 05:30) 10.5p / kWh Now just 6.99p/ kWh from April 1

Day rate (05:30 - 00:30)35.52p / kWh Now just 32.01p/ kWh from April 1

Standing charge 54.82p / day

Octopus Energy

Octopus Go | Find your Octopus Go rates | Octopus Energy

The UK's most awarded energy supplier. We're doing energy better - for you and the environment.

Edited 18 March18 Mar by lol-lol

@lol-lol As i posted, that is you and that is Octopus. I understand that. But you posted Home EV charging coming down 20%.. Well maybe, could be, might be, for some.

1 hour ago, lol-lol said:

I stick my postcode in to the Octopus website, West Midlands, and this is what I get, try yours .....

If link does not work try google "Octopus GO rates". Seems to show 6.99 p per KWh for GO and 5.99p for IOG.

Octopus largest supplier in the UK plus figures should be same for everyone but some are saying EON quoting even cheaper..... (The 3.51 p per KWh reduction is the removal of the Government ECO levy everyone should get)

---

Night rate (00:30 - 05:30) 10.5p / kWh Now just 6.99p/ kWh from April 1

Day rate (05:30 - 00:30)35.52p / kWh Now just 32.01p/ kWh from April 1

Standing charge 54.82p / day

Octopus Energy

Octopus Go | Find your Octopus Go rates | Octopus Energy

The UK's most awarded energy supplier. We're doing energy better - for you and the environment.

Well I just entered my postcode for the dual fuel option, high energy user which I am, and guess what? It came out at £198 per month, the same as I'm currently paying with OVO, so where is this cheap energy then?

Just now, Evolution13 said:

@lol-lol As i posted, that is you and that is Octopus. I understand that. But you posted Home EV charging coming down 20%.. Well maybe, could be, might be, for some.

I think that tge 3.51 p per kwh coming off even the Night time rate is great news for EVs becoming even more popular especially in the light of the 2026 oil crisis. Not surprising the energy suppliers jacked up their prices by couple of pence per kwh so the 3.51 p per KWh eco levy removal only had half the effect but that is understandable in tgd current energy crisis.

Thd 3.51 p per KWh should come off every electric energy supply ie public charging as well as home electricity.

This is on top off the halfpenny off gas prices of course.

So much going on including TESLA entering the home supply market with the European HQ'd companies will have to react to. Wow, so mych going on.

1 minute ago, Graham Butcher said:

Well I just entered my postcode for the dual fuel option, high energy user which I am, and guess what? It came out at £198 per month, the same as I'm currently paying with OVO, so where is this cheap energy then?

I can only figure it out based on Unit costs. These models that work out a new monthly amount seem to over egg the amount by about a third from what I can see so I would not take thise figures as Gospel. Compare you current unit costs to the ones they are using to calculate. As I said it is looking like a minimum 20% drop in Night time rate lecky which is where I use about 80% of my electricity and the day rate staying about the same after a rise in the base Day rate but minus the 3.51 p per KWh brings it vack to about 30p per KWh but I will be using less and less of that by hook or by crook.

Plus gas prices dropping by half pence per KWh !

I expect public charging pries will be going up if the war continues. Commercial prices are not capped

I will see pretty soon just how much the new fixed tariff for 6 hours offpeak @ 9.5 pence a kWh & the standard tariff drops in April.

Edited 18 March18 Mar by Evolution13

7 minutes ago, lol-lol said:

I can only figure it out based on Unit costs. These models that work out a new monthly amount seem to over egg the amount by about a third from what I can see so I would not take thise figures as Gospel. Compare you current unit costs to the ones they are using to calculate. As I said it is looking like a minimum 20% drop in Night time rate lecky which is where I use about 80% of my electricity and the day rate staying about the same after a rise in the base Day rate but minus the 3.51 p per KWh brings it vack to about 30p per KWh but I will be using less and less of that by hook or by crook.

Plus gas prices dropping by half pence per KWh !

Then what is the point of entering your postcode if the quote that they give you is not the final figure? It is a complete waste of time doing so, and that quote is asking me to sign up at that price.

TBH, I can't be arsed to faff about looking at the various scenarios of price for KWh as usage will vary day by day etc and I really cannot see just how those prices are not going to be affected by the rising cost of oil.

Not only that, but I don't have solar panels that I'm in control of; yes, I have solar, but I don't own them or the power they generate, and also, seeing as I don't own my house, being an HA tenant, I seriously doubt that they would even allow me to install battery packs. Not too mention the sheer cost of purchasing them and the installation of them.

Edited 18 March18 Mar by Graham Butcher

Those of us who own and drive EVs wonder what inflection point there is, or more than one key inflection points, to convince ICE drivers to acquire EVs.

It is looking like EVs will soon, in a couple of weeks time, the running cost for energy will drop from 2p a mile to 1p a mile whist ICE cars could be going from about 10p per mile energy cost and closing in on 20p per mile as the year progresses.

When, if ever, might ICE drivers / owners accept what is increasingly looking like the inevitable future ?

Edited 18 March18 Mar by lol-lol

A big inflection point for many people will be the situation at the time they choose to change their car alongside what the economics and cost to change are.

Very few owners will change just because EVs suddenly become cheaper to run at a point in time due to changes in fuel or electricity costs. Vehicles are a big outlay usually involving a large one off cost, be that a deposit or outright purchase.

They may, however consider changing over when they change their car which for many people is when it's worn out or, say 10 years or more old.

Edited 18 March18 Mar by skomaz

1 hour ago, lol-lol said:

Those of us who own and drive EVs wonder what inflection point there is, or more than one key inflection points, to convince ICE drivers to acquire EVs.

It is looking like EVs will soon, in a couple of weeks time, the running cost for energy will drop from 2p a mile to 1p a mile whist ICE cars could be going from about 10p per mile energy cost and closing in on 20p per mile as the year progresses.

When, if ever, might ICE drivers / owners accept what is increasingly looking like the inevitable future ?

It is not just the actual running costs per mile (even if it does go down to 1p a mile, it will not be that low for long, mark my words) it is the cost of replacing their existing car, the cost purchasing a charger and then its installation. Also, maybe the cost of upgrading their existing power supply and possibly their whole installation as a result. Then there the factoring in of depreciation and will the EV even be truely suitable for their needs.

You also it seems keep assuming that anyone who currently has an ICE vehicle, also has the means of home charging, by that I mean off-road parking with access to suitable power, or the means of getting power across pavements etc, safely and legally.
I mean, it was only last year that I sank £15k into the purchase of my Kodiaq TDI and there is no way that I would consider, or indeed could afford to purchase another car that was not fully financed by the sale of my current car at such short notice, my pension pot could not stand it.

I think it is both financially better to retain the one I have for as long as I possibly can, and I feel that is also kinder to the planet as the only pollution it will now generate is when it is being driven and the amount will diminish even more if I don't drive it as much. It has had its biggest impact on the planet when it first produced and shipped to the UK.

Also, considering that only 20% of the world's oil supply is shipped via the Strait of Hormuz, there is no real reason for the steep rise in oil prices (pure profiteering) and also the UAE is building not one but 2 pipelines to the port of Fujairah so their oil will not be passing through that pinch point, and will reduce that amount of oil to around 10% so decreasing the pressure on the price of oil. The first of those pipelines is due to open this month.

Edited 19 March19 Mar by Graham Butcher

Latest news is that both Rolls Royce and Bentley are backing away from going to be all-electric only by 2030 and both had a number of BEV's scheduled, and now they have all been cancelled, leaving only one new BEV model in the upcoming range; the rest will be pure ICE and hybrids.

The reason given is that demand is not there and existing BEV models are not in demand by their customers.

I would have thought if any car was most suited to being an ev it would be one that is virtually guaranteed to have it's own garage and destination charging it would be a Rolls Royce

32 minutes ago, Stonekeeper said:

I would have thought if any car was most suited to being an ev it would be one that is virtually guaranteed to have it's own garage and destination charging it would be a Rolls Royce

Maybe it's not about ability to charge and/or range anxiety, but more about not being willing to accept being told what you are allowed to buy?

I see the typical R-R owner as someone who makes decisions and doesn't take kindly to others telling them what they can or cannot buy...

8 hours ago, Graham Butcher said:

It is not just the actual running costs per mile (even if it does go down to 1p a mile, it will not be that low for long, mark my words) it is the cost of replacing their existing car, the cost purchasing a charger and then its installation. Also, maybe the cost of upgrading their existing power supply and possibly their whole installation as a result. Then there the factoring in of depreciation and will the EV even be truely suitable for their needs.

You also it seems keep assuming that anyone who currently has an ICE vehicle, also has the means of home charging, by that I mean off-road parking with access to suitable power, or the means of getting power across pavements etc, safely and legally.
I mean, it was only last year that I sank £15k into the purchase of my Kodiaq TDI and there is no way that I would consider, or indeed could afford to purchase another car that was not fully financed by the sale of my current car at such short notice, my pension pot could not stand it.

I think it is both financially better to retain the one I have for as long as I possibly can, and I feel that is also kinder to the planet as the only pollution it will now generate is when it is being driven and the amount will diminish even more if I don't drive it as much. It has had its biggest impact on the planet when it first produced and shipped to the UK.

Also, considering that only 20% of the world's oil supply is shipped via the Strait of Hormuz, there is no real reason for the steep rise in oil prices (pure profiteering) and also the UAE is building not one but 2 pipelines to the port of Fujairah so their oil will not be passing through that pinch point, and will reduce that amount of oil to around 10% so decreasing the pressure on the price of oil. The first of those pipelines is due to open this month.

Indeed, depreciation is usually the biggest factor in running a car.

I have not tried the revised 100 hp Dacia Spring but one of its main competitors is the Vauxhall Frontera. Price being touted is from about £130 a month, so less than £2k a year, base model and only 5k miles but not a huge about more to jack to longer range model and more miles, still only about £2k a year ie less than £200 a month. New, much improved, Dacia Spring much cheaper I gather and now with lowish APR.

My Renault 5 is on 0% APR and only £85 a month, the Scenic is the one I need to sort out as it is £5k a year on the PCP payments and I need to sort that out in the new tax year ie next month.

So hard to work out a true overall monthly cost, Scenic is quite expensive even if charging is almost free of charge, pun intended, Renault 5 pretty cheap but no room in the back seats. Servicing on the 5 is covered by a £9 a month payment so all up cost well beneath the 45p per mile HM Treasury rates which many benchmark running costs against. I do miss the 63 p per mile I use to get with the rate there was back then for cars over 2 litre engine size, ah, happy but just plain wrong days in retrospect.

I'm not convinced about these PCPs, etc., TBH. My son has this Audi A5 TDI on a PCP, which is also supposed to cover maintenance, tyres, etc. He has a fixed annual mileage allowance, and anything over that and the charge per mile goes ballistic, and there are so many things he has discovered that need correcting on the car that they just keep claiming are not part of the contract. He cannot actually afford to go out and enjoy the car, which was his dream car, because his daily commute uses almost all of his annual miles allowance, leaving him just enough to make 2 or 3 trips to Old Trafford for important home matches.

He now wishes that he had followed my lead and stuck within his comfort zone and purchased a car that he could have paid for with cash, which he did with his previous car, a Ford Focus ST, and he could go out at weekends, enjoying the car without risking massive penalties at the end of the year.

My dream car would be the VW Phaeton V6 TDI, which is essentially a Bentley Flying Spur with a different body shell and engine, and both were made in the all-glass showroom factory in Dresden.

Decisions on whether to go for an EV aren't wholly a financial one.

For oneself I will be holding on to my Superb until something of sufficient size that can do a 350 mile trip with no more than a 10 minute stop comes along. New Mercedes VLE looks interesting but probably still be slightly short of this and a lot of cash too.

I would also like something with a spare wheel too.

Having 1 EV and 1 ICE is working very nicely for us by deriving the benefits of both.

25 minutes ago, Graham Butcher said:

I'm not convinced about these PCPs, etc.,

They have a purpose and that is to enable people to drive and claim they own a New car that they cannot afford to buy.

They also enable people who want a new car every few months to do so without losing a fortune in Depreciation so it is cheaper than buying them themselves.

So both arguments are valid

On 19/03/2026 at 11:55, Stonekeeper said:

They have a purpose and that is to enable people to drive and claim they own a New car that they cannot afford to buy.

They also enable people who want a new car every few months to do so without losing a fortune in Depreciation so it is cheaper than buying them themselves.

So both arguments are valid

The above us why PCP is so good. If car worth more than balloon payment then pay the balloon and have the extra value. If worth less than then just hand it back.

If one is happy with the monthly payment, and I found them quire good as they gave been based on 0% APR of low APR rates. One drawback can be the set annual mileage which could ba a big problem but we tend to have 2 or 3 cars o. PCP in the family car pool so can balance mileage between them. Not gone over the mileage amount but it looked like the hit was only 6 ir 8 p per mile so not too bad. I suspect premium brands the mileage penalty is much higher but a tend to stay away from Audi, BMW and Mercedes and I think of them as poor value in many respects.

Edited 20 March20 Mar by lol-lol