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Graham Johnston
Case study

Graham’s electric car

Graham decided to do his bit to help the environment and save money on fuel costs by switching to an electric car.

Meet Graham 

After 37 years working for the NHS, Graham became a part-time postal worker for the Royal Mail. He lives on the Moray Firth coast and recently bought a used electric car using the interest-free used electric vehicle loan

Making the switch 

Graham first became aware of the loan when he contacted Home Energy Scotland to apply for funding to install solar panels and battery storage.  

He decided to take advantage of the loan as he wanted to reduce his carbon footprint and lower his running costs. Plus, any extra power generated by his new solar panels could be used to charge the car. 

After chatting with the Home Energy Scotland advisor, Graham started to explore the different models of used cars available. He soon came across a BMW i3 that fitted his needs perfectly. 

He did face a bit of a challenge buying the car as the garage was in Yorkshire. The staff were unfamiliar with funding as it’s only offered to Scottish residents. However, this was quickly resolved, and Graham is sure he would not have encountered this problem if he had gone through a garage based in Scotland.  

Reaping the rewards 

Graham couldn’t be happier with his new car, describing it as “fabulous, green, energy saving and non-polluting”.  

He recently took advantage of the domestic charge point funding that is offered to recipients of the loan to install a home charge point. This has enabled him to switch his energy tariff and gain savings from a cheaper rate for overnight charging.  

Graham’s advice for anyone considering applying: 

“The savings are incredible. It’s a no-brainer – just do it!” 

Are you eligible for funding?  

Our interest-free used electric vehicle loan provides funding to cover the cost of purchasing a used electric car, van, electric motorcycle or moped. The loan is funded by Transport Scotland and is only available for Scottish residents.  

To find out more about the loan, visit the funding webpage

Last updated: 23 April 2024