"The infrastructure just isn't really there"

[sidehaas]

Re the discussion on price per kwh and comparison with other countries its important to remember the UK has I believe the highest electricity prices in Europe. Until that changes (I can hope/dream) its always going to be relatively expensive here I think.

Our overnight charging prices are cheaper than available in most places though.

[Sherlock]

Re the discussion on price per kwh and comparison with other countries its important to remember the UK has I believe the highest electricity prices in Europe. Until that changes (I can hope/dream) its always going to be relatively expensive here I think.

Our overnight charging prices are cheaper than available in most places though.

I didn't know that - it surprises me. Why do you think that is? I would have thought they would have been more expensive as well.

[Rab3L]

One reason for our electricity prices being so high is that the cost of electricity tracks the cost of gas because gas generation sets the marginal wholesale price. The wholesale price of electricity is set by the cost of producing the last unit of electricity needed to meet demand. This is nearly always a gas power plant with high marginal costs. So even in summer, when very little gas is used, the price of electricity is still high, at least during the day.

Prices can be cheaper at night simply because there is less demand and it's presumably preferable to sell at a lower price than shut down generation.

How some providers can justify charging three to four times the retail cost of electricity to charge your car away from home, I cannot explain!

[Midgex]

Re the discussion on price per kwh and comparison with other countries its important to remember the UK has I believe the highest electricity prices in Europe. Until that changes (I can hope/dream) its always going to be relatively expensive here I think.

Make more electricity. Burn less gas.

[Batterdry500]

Re the discussion on price per kwh and comparison with other countries its important to remember the UK has I believe the highest electricity prices in Europe. Until that changes (I can hope/dream) its always going to be relatively expensive here I think.

Make more electricity. Burn less gas.

Given that 45% of UK electricity comes from burning gas, forgive me but I'm struggling to understand your comment

[EdinburghID3]

Interesting article here around the successful adoption of EV's in Norway - https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cg52543v6rmo

[sidehaas]

Interesting article here around the successful adoption of EV's in Norway - https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cg52543v6rmo

Yer, the bit I didn't know was that the original aim of the incentives was to encourage a couple of local EV manufacturers that went bust anyway! They've had a much longer term positive effect anyway.

[Midgex]

Re the discussion on price per kwh and comparison with other countries its important to remember the UK has I believe the highest electricity prices in Europe. Until that changes (I can hope/dream) its always going to be relatively expensive here I think.

Make more electricity. Burn less gas.

Given that 45% of UK electricity comes from burning gas, forgive me but I'm struggling to understand your comment

Ah well, I don't think it is difficult to understand, but starting from the wrong givens will always make problems more difficult. Would flailing be a better word do you think?

So let us examine it a little:

45% you say. No source given so I can't look up how old it is or who has been lying - to you - but if you'd care to identify the source you were relying on...

Google: UK electricity from gas
"
What percentage of UK electricity comes from gas?
What percentage of UK energy is from fossil fuels? In the 12 months to January 2025, 25.3% of the UK energy mix was from fossil fuels. Gas 24.8% and coal 0.5%
"

You may care to consider whether, between whenever it might have been 45% and last year, we have been making more electricity, and as a result, burning less gas?
Perhaps I'm taking an optimistic view that people driving electric cars are in favour of making that electricity by means other than adding CO2 to the common atmosphere. I hope not.




If you want accurate* figures at a point try
https://grid.iamkate.com/
which uses Grid figures and displays them nicely. Buy her a coffee, people.



So, our infrastructure is coming along nicely, despite the stories people tell, but the infrastructure for the fossil fossil-fuel-burners is far more doubtful. Anyone seen a new gas station recently? For heating houses, yes, the gas energy grid still gets methane in it. We have almost a week's-worth in the UK at the moment. Making more electricity seems a useful idea on that, as well.





* accurate in what they show. A noticeable amount of solar power from roofs doesn't go to the Grid, being used on site and reducing the draw from the Grid. And if it is at home generates a rather satisfied feeling.

[Batterdry500]

I'm beginning to think I'm conversing with ChatGPT (or a lesser known variant)....so with respect I'll leave it there.

[Fry]

I'm beginning to think I'm conversing with ChatGPT (or a lesser known variant)....so with respect I'll leave it there.

Users tend to find this discussion topic engaging and insightful however at 3 pages and some significant details the points may have skewed slightly.

This summary was provided by an AI Assistant.

[Midgex]

Our overnight charging prices are cheaper than available in most places though.
...
I didn't know that - it surprises me. Why do you think that is? I would have thought they would have been more expensive as well.

Because only a small proportion of our electricity comes from gas (oil and coal) which are saved if one doesn't burn them, but a high proportion comes from fission, where the fuel cost is so trivially small by comparison with the construction costs, that a nuclear generator will sell into any market, and also cannot conveniently be turned down overnight; and a lot comes from wind, which is free itself, and there is little reason to turn it off.

Of the interconnectors, the French one is largely fission at slack times, and likewise sells into any market.

As batteries become larger, more widely spread and better integrated, there may be some accentuation of this.