Charging ahead: L&M Plumbing and Heating takes first step into fleet electrification

For many contractors across the country, transitioning to electric vehicles can raise concerns about charging times, mileage, and overall cost. For Fife-based L&M Plumbing and Heating, the best way to overcome these concerns was simple – just jump in and try it.

L&M leased its first electric vehicle in April of this year, a Ford Explorer, which travels to customers’ homes for surveys and service visits. In addition to its existing fleet of four vans and one petrol car, the new vehicle covers Fife and the surrounding areas, with occasional visits further afield.

To counter any concerns about mid-day recharging and expensive public charging, the business has also bought an Ohme vehicle charger for its premises, which its in-house electrician installed. With this investment, L&M’s diesel costs have decreased significantly in the last six months, and charging the car overnight at off-peak rates helps keep running costs down. A 260-mile trip with a stop to recharge costs the business around £27 with the electric car, versus an estimated £100 for the same journey with a diesel vehicle.

Travelling to customers’ homes and ensuring the car has enough power for the day needs some additional planning from L&M’s team, but they now see it as just another part of the day instead of an inconvenience. With the onsite charger, the car can be fully charged before the start of a busy day, and it has taken co-owner Brian Low as far as Inverkip and back, with only one 20-minute stop to charge. Brian explained that having an app, like Zapmap, to show where public chargers are located has been a big help.

L&M’s team has responded very positively to having an electric vehicle option in the fleet. Some have taken the car home for the weekend, and in one case, on a trip to Liverpool. The ease of use, smooth driving, and overall look have been a big plus, with the company car being something that they are happy to drive, rather than an obligation.

While the initial cost of leasing the car and buying the charger was high, L&M sees it as an investment for the future. The company hopes that its plans to retrofit the office building with solar panels and an air source heat pump will help to further save on charging costs.

One barrier to full fleet electrification is the availability of electric vans with good range, although this may change in the future, as new vehicles enter the market. L&M would also consider leasing a hybrid car or van as the next step in upgrading its fleet and Brian has commented that having appointments local to the area would allay any concerns of a van battery running out mid-day.

L&M’s positive attitude towards fleet electrification is inspiring to see. Brian and office manager Raymond said that the best advice they could give to other businesses in the same situation is to go into fleet upgrades with an open mind, and that having the option of installing a charger was a big help to them in taking this first step to fleet electrification.