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Londra Gazete, 16 June 2022 LondraGazete.com/English 7

Worried households cut Scrapping of electric car grants

back on energy and food sparks backlash

Inflation reached a 40-year high of
9% in April. MOTORING and car industry The scheme has been used to olas Lyes, said: “We’re disap-
In a survey covering 25 May to 5 groups have criticised the gov- buy nearly 500,000 cars over the pointed the government has cho-
June, the ONS said 52% of respond- ernment’s decision to end grants past decade. sen to end the grant at this point.
ents said they were using less energy worth £1,500 towards buying The Department for Transport If costs remain too high, the am-
around the house. electric cars. said funding would now be “refo-
The survey also found that 41% The Department for Transport cussed” towards the main barri- bition of getting most people into
were spending less on food and “es- said the plug-in subsidy scheme ers to the electric vehicle transi- electric cars will be stifled.”
sentials”. was being closed with immediate tion, such as public charging, and AA president Edmund King said
Around 9 in 10 adults said their effect. supporting the purchase of elec- the plug-in grant had been essen-
cost of living had risen over the past It said funding would now be tric vans, taxis and motorcycles. tial for many drivers making the
month, with food shopping, gas and “refocussed” towards improving The RAC’s head of policy, Nich- switch from petrol and diesel.
electricity bills and the price of fuel electric vehicle charging.
the most common reasons given. But the Society of Motor Man-
MORE than half of UK homes have
reduced the amount of gas and elec- Higher manufacturing and supply ufacturers and Traders (SMMT)
tricity they use as worries about the costs are lifting food prices. The war said the move “sends the wrong
cost of living grow, new data shows. in Ukraine, which is a major provider message”.
The Office for National Statistics of grains and fertilizer globally, has The RAC motoring group also
(ONS) also found that high numbers had a major impact. warned the decision could “stifle”
of people are spending less on food. Russia, which launched an assault the ambition to shift most people
The rate of inflation is rising at its on Ukraine in February, is one of the into electric cars.
fastest rate in decades due to factors world’s largest oil suppliers and is The grant scheme, which first
such as high energy prices. facing widespread sanctions follow- started in 2011, was designed to
The ONS said around three-quar- ing its attack. make buying new electric vehicles
ters of households were “somewhat The ONS said 40% of those ques- more affordable by providing a
worried” or “very worried” about tioned said that they were cutting discount.
growing costs. back on non-essential journeys in The amount that drivers could
Wage growth is failing to keep up their vehicles. This week, petrol pric- claim was reduced from £2,500
with inflation - the rate at which es in the UK reached a new high, to £1,500 in December. Electric
prices rise - leaving many households meaning it now costs £100 to fill a cars priced under £32,000 were
struggling. 55-litre car. eligible.