A complete guide covering all the ways you can reduce or even eliminate emissions when you charge your electric car.
02 Jan 2026
4 min read
Simply owning an electric vehicle is a great way to lower your personal carbon footprint. But there are a number of ways you can charge it without producing any emissions, making your EV even greener, including:
Electric vehicles are already inherently better for the environment than petrol/diesel equivalents as they don’t need to burn fossil fuels to function. But this is doubly the case when they’re charged with renewable energy.
The UK’s energy grid has been going through an exceptional transformation over the last few decades as the country works towards net zero by 2050. According to a report from the RSM, renewable energy accounted for just 2% of the total energy mix in 2000; in 2025, it’s expected to reach almost 50%.
Thanks to these significant decarbonisation efforts, the UK’s grid has been steadily getting greener, with fewer emissions being generated as the energy is created. In turn, this makes the energy we use in our daily lives a lot better for the planet. So you’re likely already getting some of the energy from renewable energy sources.
If you have solar panels at home and a solar compatible charger, you can go one step further and make your EV charging even greener by using the ultimate renewable energy source. With a solar compatible charger, you can divert excess energy generated by your solar panels to charge your electric car with cheap and green energy.
Tip: our award-winning Solo 3S home charging system is solar compatible, and will work automatically with your solar panels – whether you already have them, or when you get them installed in the future!
Unlike other charging devices, like for your phone or laptop, EV chargers are smart devices that often come packed with extra features designed to optimise and enhance your electric car charging experience.
Smart EV chargers typically work alongside a mobile app, coming with an array of features including automatic software updates, remote locking, and charge activity monitoring. Whilst these don’t necessarily directly contribute to lowering emissions whilst charging, some features can have a significant impact on it.
One such feature is the ability to remotely schedule charges during periods of low demand – usually overnight. When demand for energy is high, the energy grid often needs to turn on extra fossil fuel-burning generators to cope. But in the evening, energy demand is naturally at its lowest because we’re all asleep, making it a green time to charge.
Another benefit to charging overnight is that it usually coincides with cheaper energy prices, as the lower demand (in general) results in lower unit prices. So if you’re on a dual-rate energy tariff, charging overnight when its cheapest and greenest will help save you pennies and the planet!
Tip: For even more cost-effective charging, there’s Smart Charging, our new rewards programme that aims to simplify the EV charging experience by making small changes to your charging patterns, which in turn helps the electricity grid balance demand. In exchange, you could earn up to £25 in rewards vouchers. Find out more about Smart Charging.
When it comes to the absolute greenest way to charge your EV, there’s no better way than to charge at home. Whilst you’re likely to be using at least some renewable energy to charge when out and about – be it at work or in public - it’s far better to charge at home when possible.
At home, you have the most control over how and when you charge, including where your energy is sourced from. It also means you don’t need to spend energy driving somewhere else to charge your EV, saving you both time and energy. Plus, you’ll get the most out of your smart charger by plugging in overnight and letting its built-in features do all the work for you to minimise the environmental impact (and the cost!) of your charging.
Tip: Getting a reliable EV charger doesn’t have to break the bank. With our Plug & Power Bundle, you’ll get our award-winning Solo 3S from just £499 upfront, with the rest spread across an exclusive 2-year fixed low-cost energy tariff supplied by EDF.
Overall, if you want to reduce the emissions generated by charging your EV, you’ll want to consider the following:
