Electric vehicle batteries could save on household energy bills by selling electricity at peak times

Drivers and households could soon save hundreds of pounds on energy bills by using electricity stored in their electric vehicles (EVs) to power home appliances such as fridges and washing machines – thanks to new 2-way charging technologies being supported with government funding.

Households could power their home appliances as a result of the development of bidirectional charging, which enables electricity stored in a vehicle’s battery to flow back into the grid or back into the home and workplaces, which can then be used to power other devices.

This builds on existing smart charging technologies, where EVs can be charged when electricity prices are lower overnight. Families could then use these Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) technologies to save money on their bills by selling the electricity back to the grid when prices are higher.

Businesses could also benefit from the V2Xtechnologies by storing electricity in their fleets of EVs and using it to power their operations at a later date. These technologies will also help make it even easier to rely on renewable technologies such as solar panels, with less need for fossil fuels to provide for surges in demand by allowing stored renewable energy to be sold into the grid instead.

Four projects are today receiving a share of £4.8 million of government funding to support their work testing and implementing these innovative technologies.

Minister for Affordability and Skills Amanda Solloway said:   

"The prospect of families being able to store energy on their doorstep in electric vehicles and use it to power their homes is incredibly exciting. This is exactly the sort of ingenuity and creativity that makes the UK one of the world’s most innovative nations. By backing this technology, we could save families hundreds of pounds a year, while also supporting jobs, investment and growth."  

Transport Minister for Technology and Decarbonisation Anthony Browne said:

"We’re continuing to support drivers, and this innovative new development is the next step in levelling-up our charging technology, which will benefit many households across the country. This government has already spent over £2 billion in the transition to electric vehicles and our charging network is growing at pace, with 44% more public chargepoints than this time last year, meaning drivers can charge more easily than before."