Isra-Mart srl:British Gas branches out to support Leaf re-charging

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Isra-Mart srl news:

British Gas has announced it is to fit charging points for Nissan's Leaf electric car in homes and offices across the country and will also offer to install solar panels on owner's homes that will supply the chargers with free renewable energy.

The Centrica-owned utility said it plans to roll-out the charge points in office car parks and domestic driveways and garages.

Leaf-owning customers will pay around £1,000 to fit a charge point, with solar panels starting at around £9,000.

British Gas said it expected the average earnings generated by a standard-sized domestic solar panel installation would offset the annual running costs of the Leaf, which can travel 109 miles on a single £2 charge.

Phil Bentley, the company's managing director, said British Gas was looking to take advantage of the growing market for electric vehicles, which are estimated to comprise a tenth of all cars sold in the UK by 2020.

"From today, Britons can drive an electric car powered by solar energy," said British Gas managing director Phil Bentley. "We want our customers to use greener and cheaper energy. Partnering with Nissan on powering their electric cars is a very exciting driver of growth for British Gas as electric vehicles move into the mainstream."