New technology that allows fleets to cover the costs of an employee’s home charging by making payments directly to the employee’s energy account, regardless of their supplier, has been launched by Rightcharge. 

The payment service marks the first stage of its electric fuelcard launch, which will soon offer a public charge card to access more than 30 networks plus workplace charging integrations.

The new electric vehicle (EV) home charging payment solution allows drivers to digitally link their home energy account to the app.

As a result, electricity rates are read automatically at any time of day, regardless of whether the employee has a smart meter. The Rightcharge system detects any changes to a driver’s tariff without the need for manual intervention.

Charlie Cook, CEO of Rightcharge, said: "We’re delighted to launch our home charging payments solution, delivering a seamless and automated way for businesses to manage home EV charging costs.

“No more confusing expenses or reimbursement hassles. And no out-of-pocket costs for drivers. Just simple, unified payments that shortcut the complexities of fleet electrification.”

For those EV drivers whose home charge point or vehicle is not yet compatible, Rightcharge offers a manual upload option, similar to submitting a meter reading, so that they can still benefit from direct-to-energy-supplier payments.

Fraud protection and multiple EV features are also being rolled out soon and Rightcharge is developing a split-savings feature later in the year, which will allow fleets to incentivise their employees in return for switching to a low-rate EV tariff.

Rightcharge claims this could potentially save fleets more than £1,000 per year.

Cook continued: “This is the future of EV fleet management and with our public charge card and workplace integrations still to come, we're just getting started.

“We look forward to supporting businesses and drivers towards a more emission-free future."

The Rightcharge Electric Fuel Card is available to new customers today. Fleet administrators can register on the Rightcharge app and invite their drivers to join.

Once registered, both administrators and drivers will have access to detailed data on charging activity, costs, and carbon emissions through separate portals.

The home charging plan is available for £9.99 per driver per month.