Where does the energy come from?

From charging our phones to powering transport, electricity is an essential part of modern life. But how much do you know about where it comes from?

Let's start at the beginning. Electricity can be generated from a range of sources. Some renewable, some not. The electricity that’s generated, regardless of the source, enters the grid - a high-voltage electricity transmission network. 

Here, energy suppliers such as Octopus Energy buy it from the wholesale market. These energy suppliers then deliver the electricity via local distribution networks to their customers. This can be individuals like you, or businesses like Osprey. 

The energy we buy powers our charging network. Before it reaches your car, we convert the high-voltage energy direct from the grid into low-voltage energy.

The price you pay “at pump” includes the cost of electricity to Osprey, VAT and a contribution to building and maintaining the public charging infrastructure you are using.

The cost of electricity covers: the wholesale cost, plus energy system costs. These include; transmission via the distribution network, government tariffs and levies as well as suppliers operating costs and overheads. 

So, how do we ensure renewable energy at the charger? The energy in the grid and public charge points comes from a range of sources. However, our energy supplier guarantees that for every unit of electricity delivered to your car, a unit of renewable energy is generated for the grid, giving you the power to do right by the planet.