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. 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 usually valid for 14 days. The quote will state on it when it expires.

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 ReFLEX Orkney grant discount finished at the end of June 2022, but you can still lease an electric vehicle through ReFLEX and our leasing supplied DriveElectric. And their special offers and discounts will be available to Orcadian customers.

The discounted leases ReFLEX Orkney offered were supported by the Innovate UK grant to help encourage more Orcadians switch to electric vehicles as part of the ReFLEX Orkney decarbonisation project. It was an introductory offer to help kick off electric vehicle leasing with ReFLEX Orkney, which now establish and will continue to be offered. DriveElectric, our leasing supplier, are one of the UK’s leading electric vehicle leasing companies providing excellent deals on new cars and vans.

A. Find all your service questions answered, plus a behind-the-scenes video at a local garage in our Beginner's Guide to EV servicing.

A. No, you don't need to go to a HEVRA garage - most garages in Orkney will be able to service and MOT your car, but it is always best to check with the garage.

A. The cost of your charger install will depend on whether or not you qualify for any grants, and on the specific requirements for installation at your home or premises. We will help you determine what grants you qualify for and do a survey of your property before we send a quote so you know the exact cost, before you decide to go ahead. Factors that can affect cost are:

• Location of charger: if the charger needs to be installed far away from the distribution board more cabling and installer time is required and this results in greater material and labour costs. This can include post mounted installs at a driveway / parking space not directly next to a wall.
• Cable runs: if cabling needs to run through multiple walls and in particular where walls are of solid construction this can have significant impacts on labour costs due to the time required to make the alternations.
• Spare ways: where spare ways are not available in the distribution board, installers could be required to add an additional distribution board in order to wire in the new charger with implications on material costs and some additional labour time.
• Available power supply for myenergi hub: the hub requires a separate power supply and if it cannot easily be located near an existing supply, the installer may need to run a new supply to the hub, again with implications on labour costs.
• Connectivity: where the hub is installed far away from the home broadband router a wifi booster may also need to be installed to ensure the charger is internet connected, increasing material costs.
• Groundwork: where work is required externally to dig and bury cables.

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. 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. Yes. As of March 2022, B&Bs and self catering business are eligible for grants. See further info here.

A. No. Unfortunately the Car Club locations operated by Co Wheels in Orkney are not longer available. However Co Wheels are still operating in many locations around the UK, so if you are a Co Wheels member you can use your membership in other parts of the country.

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. The 100% renewable tariffs offered by Shell Energy in 2020 and 2021 and their involvement in the ReFLEX Orkney project was part of the company’s transition. ReFLEX aims to convince more large energy companies to transition to a low carbon future.

In August 2021 Shell Energy ended their role in the project.

A. Despite continued efforts to develop a sustainable business model, unfortunately, ReFLEX is unable to offer a funded solution for solar and / or battery install for the private domestic market. For more details on how to privately install, please visit the solar and battery information page.

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. 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.