You can reduce your carbon footprint by investing in an electric car. But did you know that you can also have a more eco-friendly charging experience?

Continue reading to learn how you can make your EV charging more eco-friendly.

1) Invest in a Solar EV Charger

Investing in EV chargers that can charge standard and solar batteries is one way to reduce carbon emissions. You can use solar energy to charge your electric vehicle for free if you have solar panels at home. Solarize your home to reduce your carbon footprint!

2) Charging scheduling

When the demand for electricity is high, fossil fuels are used. A charging plan should be included with every smart EV charger. This will allow you to be more eco-friendly when charging your vehicle. You can reduce carbon emissions by setting your car to charge at low times of electricity demand, such as early morning or late night. One study shows that smart charging can reduce carbon emissions by up to 20% for car charging.

3) Green Energy Tariff

You can select a tariff that will best suit your needs and help you save money. Octopus Energy's Green Tariff, powered by 100% renewable power, is an example. The most popular of these is the Agile Octopus. This tariff allows you to get pricing every half an hour and gives you lower wholesale prices. Plunge Pricing is not available in agile tariffs. Agile tariffs will get you the lowest prices and reduce your carbon footprint. Wholesale prices are often lower when the energy supply is green, which reduces the need for fossil fuels to be burned during peak hours.

There is only one difference between using a green tariff and a fee arrangement. The tariff will locate the information for your benefit. You will need to conduct the analysis and determine a charging schedule.

4) Select a charger that has greater analysis capabilities

Many EV chargers have features that include charging analysis. However, others also offer environmental analysis. Ohm Home Pro, for example, has a "Green Score" feature that allows you to track your CO2 consumption. This information will help you make smart decisions about sustainability and charging options.

5) Vehicle-to-network charging for electric vehicles

Although vehicle-to-grid (V2G) is still relatively new, it's an excellent way to manage your energy and support the grid. V2G basically means that your electric vehicle acts as a battery pack, allowing you to store extra energy in your car. You can sell excess energy to the grid if you don't need it.

You will need a bidirectional EV charger as well as an EV that is vehicle-to-grid enabled, such as the Nissan Leaf, to make vehicle-to–grid work. Vehicle-to-grid allows you to charge your electric vehicle and store any excess energy. You can also export the energy back to your grid. This stabilizes the grid and encourages renewable energy. For example, electricity from solar energy can be stored in an electric vehicle battery and then returned to the grid. You'll also get paid!

This is a new area of EV charging. Very few EV chargers or EVs have this capability. However, it will snowball in the next few years to make the transition to EVs easier!

Do you want to install an EV charger smart? We can help you with that!

For impartial and helpful advice, if you are considering installing an electric home charger, please get in touch. Get a quick and free quote today for your smart home charger installation!