Nearly bought an Electric car

[daveenty]

I'm currently on cutbacks as I've now practically retired, so looking for little ways to scrimp and save bits and pieces here and there. This started with the household bills, most of which are now sorted, and has now filtered down to the cars.

The Mercedes is staying, that's special and is one of my few indulgences but I was looking round at economising on the daily which is a Lexus RX450h. Consideration was being given to a pure electrically powered car, mainly due to running costs and my lack of long driving trips which is becoming more apparent nowadays, so I looked at a couple, mainly Nissan Leaf and Kia Soul EVs.

Nope, sorry. Not for me. After briefly looking round them I've decided to keep the Lexus for at least another 12 months. A far nicer place to be really. It's just had the big 6 yearly service so, theoretically, should now be good to go for a while. I've also just checked and it last had fuel put in it back in February. It's still got well over half a tank. It passed it's MOT a couple of weeks ago, not having covered 1,000 miles since the previous one. I did shop around for insurance this time and managed to get it for a good price at just over £300 which, combined with an annual tax bill of £155, makes for relatively cheap motoring.

I just need to get out and use the thing a bit more.

 

[Blobcat]

You’re an awfully long time dead... driving a boring car just makes that time longer...

 

[Craiglxviii]

Dave, have you tried lookaftermybills.com? I just used them to cut down on gas & leccy bills by 25%.

 

[V6Matty]

Same here, mine went from almost £200 per month to £108 for combined gas and electric

 

[John Laidlaw]

I just used USwitch to move to Avro energy which will save me close to £60 a month combined gas and leccy, no early termination if I decide to move on either before the 12 months is up.

Back to Electric cars Dave, I think you're doing the right thing keeping the Lexus given what you've said, review it after a year and there will be some other more interesting prospects available too I'm sure!

 

[daveenty]

Dave, have you tried lookaftermybills.com? I just used them to cut down on gas & leccy bills by 25%.

Hi Craig

No, not tried them but I do use Uswitch.com and have done for many years now, usually changing annually. I'm due for change again (Gas & Electric) next month, currently with EDF Energy, some other suppliers are currently quoting up to £300 p/a less, so will be looking as soon as I'm out of the current providers penalty clause territory.

 

[keefysher]

Use utility warehouse. By bundling things it works out cheaper. If you go gas and electric, you get telephone line and broadband thrown in, so no fees for those from other providers. There is an upgrade for £12/month for super fast broadband if you need it. It comes from BT Infinity anyway.

If you also take a mobile phone you get rebates off your gas and electric.

We have solar so get the FIT too. By using solar to heat water we save there too. We generate 3x the leccy we use. You change the way you do things i.e. Don't put the dishwasher on after filling with dinner plates, do it in the morning sunlight, then the washing machine on, not together. The missing link is batterY storage but it will arrive soon, then you don't need to buy leccy!!!

You can also use a pre loaded debit card that depending where you shop for all sorts you get up to 11% back against your gas and electric.

Worth looking into. Over the years when other suppliers try to give a better deal and are told we are on UW they know they can't beat it.

You have to get out of the mindset of you buy gas from the gas board, leccy from the leccy board, phone and broadband from busbie.

Bit like I bought my electric bicycle from a marine chandler not a bike shop.

 

[John Laidlaw]

Hi Craig

No, not tried them but I do use Uswitch.com and have done for many years now, usually changing annually. I'm due for change again (Gas & Electric) next month, currently with EDF Energy, some other suppliers are currently quoting up to £300 p/a less, so will be looking as soon as I'm out of the current providers penalty clause territory.

I'm with EDF currently also Dave, my penalty clause is £45 each for gas and electricity but even then the savings are worth paying that now, as after a month and a bit I've paid that back anyway....

 

[Craiglxviii]

Hi Craig

No, not tried them but I do use Uswitch.com and have done for many years now, usually changing annually. I'm due for change again (Gas & Electric) next month, currently with EDF Energy, some other suppliers are currently quoting up to £300 p/a less, so will be looking as soon as I'm out of the current providers penalty clause territory.

I’m now with Avro Energy on their Vulcan plan (honestly!)

 

[daveenty]

I’m now with Avro Energy on their Vulcan plan (honestly!)

I'll wait for a company called Hawker with a Hunter plan then.

 

[Craiglxviii]

I'll wait for a company called Hawker with a Hunter plan then.

Oh I dunno, I suspect every single one would be different to the rest!

 

[AMGeed]

Glad to hear you dumped the idea of an electric car pretty quickly Dave. How could you hold your head up at MSL ever again
With the work done on the Lexus, it makes no sense to change for at least another year.

 

[Uncle Benz]

I was held up by someone in a 2018 nissan leaf on my way home tonight. He was tiptoeing in the corners, but then appeared to be giving it the beans every time the road was straight. Annoyingly there was traffic the other way for ages. I passed as soon as there was an appropriate gap in the oncoming. He disappeared from my mirror pretty quick. Maybe he ran out of volts? Not for me, all the time there is a V8 under my bonnet and petrol in my veins

 

[John Laidlaw]

I’m now with Avro Energy on their Vulcan plan (honestly!)

I’m going to simple and usaver plus, sounds very dull in comparison- why couldn’t I have had B52 or Stealth??

 

[Rappey69]

How could you hold your head up at MSL ever again

by turning up in one of these... or even just a model s..

 

[AMGeed]

^ No thanks.

 

[LostKiwi]

by turning up in one of these... or even just a model s..

Now that I like...

 

[Rappey69]

No thanks.

Too powerfull for you maybe? lol. 250mph in less than 20 secs !

 

[AMGeed]

Too powerfull for you maybe? lol. 250mph in less than 20 secs !

Nope. And what is point of 250mph in 20secs in the UK?
I just find they are soulless with poor build quality in the couple I have been in. Can't speak for a Tesla but those are way overpriced anyway IMO.
Fortunately, a noisy V8 or more sedate Golf or something petrol will last me until I pack in driving before these hideous things are forced on us.
When are you getting yours?

 

[Rappey69]

And what is point of 250mph

Whats the point of a large petrol engine when a tiny one will still get you there?
You could also apply that to whats the point of a gas guzzler when a electric family saloon leaves you in its dust and costs not a lot to run.
Im just jesting.. ive owned a v8. The note is appealing. It just does not put that huge smile on your face when accelerating like a 2.4 sec car does..