Energy Assets is a utility company which provides gas, water and electricity services and meter installations to newbuild properties.
With large numbers of its 600-strong workforce working on-site, the business has around 300 vehicles, including 85 cars, which are provided on a company-paid basis. It recently made the decision to switch to only offering electric and plug-in hybrid (PHEV) options for the car scheme, and is currently halfway through this programme, replacing vehicles as leases come to an end.
Reducing the company’s carbon footprint was a key driver, says Ben Holleyhead, fleet manager, and already – factoring in vehicles that are on order – it has been able to reduce its CO2 emissions resulting from company cars by almost 40%.
“People are entitled to a car if they do 10,000 business miles or more a year,” he says. “We’re finding more people are coming onboard now rather than taking an allowance, and they’re benefiting from the benefit-in-kind tax as well.”
Many employees are choosing to go for PHEVs rather than electric vehicles, says Holleyhead, as some have concerns over the range of pure electric options, while the cost of fuel is also helping to encourage take-up of company cars rather than use of the so-called “grey fleet”, where employees use their own vehicles. “It means they get a nice car, and also we can control the vehicles they’re doing the miles in,” he says.
While the company car scheme is predominantly designed to help people get around for business purposes, Holleyhead believes it is also a valued employee benefit. “The biggest problem we have is actually getting hold of the vehicles at the moment,” he says. “It can take up to 12 months so we’re having to ask people to be patient and explain that they will get their chosen vehicle eventually.”