FAQ

A. If you do not wish to download a membership form from our website and email it in, you can phone us on 01856480008 and we will post you a membership form to fill in and send back.

A. Yes. You can leave with 30 days’ notice, but you will not be able to take part in the services once your membership expires.

A. You would need to provide new proof of address if you move. We will change your registered address, as members can only have one property registered with ReFLEX.

A. One component of the ReFLEX project was to establish the business ReFLEX Orkney Ltd to deliver the services we are offering and that will support itself beyond the grant period. ReFLEX Orkney Ltd is working with established suppliers to provide its services, so when customers sign up for a service that lasts two, three or four years, your contract will be secure for that entire period.

A. Leasing is a cost-effective way of driving a new vehicle. Under a lease agreement you pay a fixed amount per month in return for exclusive, long-term use of an electric vehicle. Leases available through ReFLEX Orkney are either personal contract hire (PCH) for individuals or business contract hire (BCH) for a company.

A. You can decide the annual mileage before entering into the lease agreement, typically 5,000, 10,000, 15,000 or 20,000 miles. The higher the annual mileage the higher the monthly lease rate will be. If you don’t use these miles by the end of the lease you will not get any refund, and if you exceed the mileage there will be a pence-per-mile payment to make. This depends on the individual vehicle and will be included in the lease agreement so you know how much this is from the outset.

A. A 3-pin plug can be used but we do not advise this. It will also take longer to charge your vehicle than an EV charger. EV chargers for your home or business are available through ReFLEX Orkney, and there are also locations around Orkney where public chargers are available.

A. There is no formal option to buy the vehicle at the end of the agreement. However, at the discretion of the finance provider, you may be able to request a “driver price to purchase” at the end of your contract. This price is non-negotiable and set by the finance provider.

A. Individual lease quotes from DriveElectric are valid for 14 days. Our current discounts will be available for a limited time and grant allocation will decrease over time due to how the grant funding for ReFLEX works.

This is because the discounted leases ReFLEX Orkney offers are supported by the Innovate UK grant, which is finite and covers spending on the wider integrated energy system. Therefore, offers will be time limited as shown on the website. We will try our best to extend offers as much as possible to meet demand but this will need to be within the rules of the Innovate UK grant.

A. The range on electric vehicles is improving all the time, with more and more vehicles achieving more than 200 miles per charge. The charging infrastructure in Orkney and the UK is improving all the time too. There are more than 25 public charging points around Orkney with more to be installed soon.

Our team can provide you with a map of charge points and help you set up a mobile app to see where and when chargers are available.

If you lease an electric vehicle suitable for your needs in Orkney but are worried about longer-range journeys to the mainland, you will be able to use one of the alternative vehicles ReFLEX Orkney has available too.

A. The lease rates are exclusive to the ReFLEX Orkney project and they are therefore only available to ReFLEX Orkney members. There are also financial regulations that we need to follow on the advertising of lease rates and financial products.

A. No, the lease offering is fixed and designed to meet the requirements of the Innovate UK grant to develop and demonstrate a smart local energy system.

A. For a standard installation, over and above the grants, the ReFLEX Orkney cost will be £500 - £650.

A. Yes. We would also consider installing a harvi (energy harvesting device), which would help ensure you are maximizing the use of the energy you generate.   

A. The installation will take around half a day. Before that we’ll send someone to carry out a technical assessment, which may take an hour. Some installations we would hope to complete within 8 weeks of the first customer engagement, but some may take in excess of 12 weeks if a grid connection application or planning application is needed.  

A. If you have a flat-rate electricity supply tariff and a smart EV charger, the ReFLEX integrated energy system platform may instruct your EV charger to change the rate of charge in order to reduce constraints on the local electricity network. You can always use the ‘Boost’ setting on the myenergi app to manually override this function.

A. The following guidelines represent what we would expect within a ’standard install’

• An available ‘spare way’ in the consumer unit / no alterations required at consumer unit

• Up to 10m cable run

• No stone walls to penetrate (block is standard)

• Clear access to cable routes (no flooring to lift etc.)

• Charger can be directly fixed to building structure (no additional posts required)

A. Unfortunately, at present, the OZEV and EST grant schemes and the ReFLEX EV charging offer is only available to those who have off street parking. If you do not, details on the location and type of public EV chargers available in Orkney can be found in the map tab of our website. If you do not have an EV or off-street parking we would also encourage you to take a look at our car club offering.  

A. You have to become a member of Co-wheels, but you don’t have be a member of ReFLEX Orkney.

A. Yes, you will just need to ensure you’ve booked it for long enough to get it back to Orkney. There are over 60 Co-wheels car club locations across the UK, so travelling by alternative means and then booking a car at your destination is also an option.

A. Call Co-wheels Member Service Team on 0191 375 1050 or the cars are fitted with a contact button so you can speak to the member service team directly. If this happens out-of-hours then call the 24hr Emergency Helpline: 0191 375 1051. These numbers are found in the Member Manual in the glovebox of each car.   You can also use the Co-wheels mobile app to contact Co-wheels.

A. If you are involved in an accident, prioritise the safety of yourself and others first. Then, as soon as you’re able, give Co-wheels a call so that they can make sure you get home safely if the vehicle is not roadworthy. If you are deemed to have been at fault for the accident, you will have to pay an excess fee of £600 excess. You can pay more monthly to reduce this down to £100 excess.  

A. Check nearby, especially in Stromness, as the last user may not have been able to park it in the designated space. Call Co-wheels’ Member Service Team on 0191 375 1050 and they will help locate the vehicle or sort alternative transport for you.  If this happens out-of-hours, call the 24-hour Emergency Helpline: 0191 375 1051.  You can also use the Co-wheels mobile app to contact Co-wheels.

A. You need to let Co-wheels know and extend your booking if possible. There are a few ways to do this. Either use the unit next to the rear-view mirror to extend the booking, use the Co-wheels mobile app, or call Co-wheels' Member Service Team. If this results in another car club member being inconvenienced, you’ll be charged a £25 fine.

A. An important part of tackling the climate crisis is for all businesses to change the way they work and become part of the solution, that includes the world's biggest energy companies. Shell Energy's 100% renewable tariffs and their involvement in ReFLEX has been part of the company’s transition. ReFLEX intends to create a smart local energy system that can be replicated and in doing so convince more large energy companies to transition to a low carbon future.

As of August 27 2021 Shell Energy are conluding their active role in the project, and only supporting existing customers. Shell Energy’s departure means we are now exploring alternative options and we are currently seeking expressions of interest from other energy suppliers. See further detail in the reply to the next question.

A. As of 27 August 2021 the ReFLEX Orkney Tariff is no longer be open to new customers. Shell Energy, who has been the supplier for the ReFLEX Orkney 100% renewable electricity tariff since it launched, has decided end their active role in the project and stop taking any new customers for this tariff. However, they will continue to support those who have already signed up to the tariff by 27 August.

If you are already signed up to the ReFLEX Orkney tariff: Existing customers will not be affected by this change.

• Your one-year fixed rate tariff will continue as per your energy supply contract with Shell Energy.
• Smart meter installation will still go ahead and is expected to begin next week. If you are an existing customer, you should be contacted soon about your smart meter installation.
• If you decide to leave Shell Energy before the end of your fixed-rate contract, they have agreed to waive the £30 ‘early exit’ fee for ReFLEX Orkney customers.

Impact on heating, battery and solar. As well as supplying the domestic fixed-rate tariff, Shell Energy has also been involved in our work to develop customer offerings for domestic smart heating for people with storage heaters, and for domestic batteries & solar PV bundled with a tech tariff.

These areas are some of the most innovative aspects of the ReFLEX project and therefore also the most challenging to develop. The delays in delivering our advanced approach to grid connections, along with rapidly increasing wholesale energy cost and changes in business priorities, mean Shell Energy decided to conclude their involvement in the project.

Whilst we look at alternative options, we have learned a great deal from the collaboration with Shell Energy that will inform what we do next. For example, the current rate of wholesale energy price increases may make it difficult for suppliers to make available a low flat-rate price tariff to sit alongside a smart heating offer from ReFLEX Orkney.

Shell Energy’s departure means we can explore alternative options for how we can deliver heating, battery and solar services. We are currently seeking expressions of interest from other energy suppliers and will update members as this work progresses.

A. ReFLEX Orkney is developing plans to help Orcadians get battery storage, solar PV and integration to the electricity grid that we aim to launch in 2021. First get in touch with the ReFLEX team to become a member, then our team will provide further detail on how to register your interest in this offering. By registering your interest, there is no commitment to proceed with an installation.

A. Yes, you can apply for some of the grants if you have an older existing heat pump. Get in touch and our staff will be happy to provide further guidance.

A. Heat pumps are more energy efficient, but the cost depends on a few factors. In order to give an estimate, we need to consult your property’s energy performance certificate as the energy efficiency of your home will affect the amount of energy you use. Get in touch and our staff can provide more information on estimating heating costs.

A. While we can’t give you advice on which system or contractor to go with, we can provide helpful information on the available options.

A. Your business underwrites the costs. It is, therefore, on your company balance sheet as a liability. Furthermore, the salary sacrifice scheme is a non-discretionary benefit and must be offered to everyone.  

A. Small businesses can get involved by letting us know their targets and ambitions in terms of low-carbon energy use.  Give ReFLEX Orkney a call, and one of our team will be happy to provide more information specific to your circumstances.

A. No. At present, ReFLEX products and services are limited to Orkney.

The grant funding for ReFLEX Orkney means that to be eligible for our products and services businesses must be existing trading companies, have a premises in Orkney and/or undertake the majority of business activities here.  ReFLEX Orkney will, consider each business on a case by case basis.