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. No, this will not affect the rate of your tariff as this is a contract between you and Shell Energy. You can stop your membership, though we don't recommend it as you won't have access to any of the other ReFLEX services.  

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 28 days. The discounted prices promoted at launch will be available until 31 March 2021 or for the first 200 EVs leased, whichever comes first. At this point the discounts going forward will be reviewed.

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 - and volume - 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 £300 - £400. You can also bundle costs into the EV lease if you are benefitting from the ReFLEX EV Package.  

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 6 weeks of the first customer engagement, but some may take up to 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 OLEV 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 is 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.

A. A fixed price tariff means you guarantee your tariff rates, which is the price you pay in standing charge and per kWh for your energy. They are set for the full length of your tariff.

A. The ReFLEX tariffs are delivered by Shell Energy and their electricity is certified by Renewable Energy Guarantees of Origin (REGOs) as 100% renewable electricity generation. This means that all of the electricity you buy from us is matched with the equivalent amount of units from 100% renewable sources in the UK like wind, solar and biomass.

A. Once you have become a ReFLEX member, contact the ReFLEX customer service team directly and they can provide you with further details and help start the switching process with Shell Energy.

A. Yes. We understand that switching away from restrictive meter set ups has proven very difficult for some customers in the past. For this reason we have made an extra effort with Shell Energy Retail to ensure that they will be able to accommodate people with these meter configurations on the ReFlex Orkney tariffs.

A. The new Battery and Tech Tariff offering is coming soon. 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. ReFLEX can help if you already generate your own electricity or if you plan to do so in the future. We can retrofit batteries to existing microgen or offer a battery and solar install, both alongside a Tech Tariff and at no upfront cost.

A. ReFLEX would progress a grid connection application to SSE Networks on your behalf.

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. Installing a new heating system can cause a lot of upheaval, but the contractors we work with will work around your individual needs. For example, we can do the fitting at times where you are not at the property. We can also arrange to rent properties for the duration of the work if medical needs require this. Please contact our staff and we can provide guidance specific to your situation.

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.

A. If you have microgeneration, a battery helps you make the most of the power you generate.  With heavy energy users you are charged more at peak times, and a battery could charge up at night when rates are cheaper. This cheap energy can then be discharged at times of peak use, which should reduce the costs of your energy consumption.