Electric Vehicle (EV) charging just got a little bit easier thanks to a new roaming agreement between EV charging firm Mer and green energy provider Octopus Energy.

The agreement between Octopus Energy and Mer should mean easier recharging for electric vehicle drivers in the UK

The agreement means EV users signed up to Octopus Energy’s Electric Juice Network (EJN) can now charge at any of Mer’s 200+ nationwide rapid, ultra-rapid and fast chargers.

With both Mer and Octopus Energy focused on using renewable energy in their next generation charging units, it also means EV drivers have more green options than ever when it comes to powering-up.

It also simplifies payments for EV charging. EJN customers can easily charge up at Mer charging points using their EJN app or RFID card, without having to carry numerous charging cards for different providers. The cost of the charge then goes on their monthly home energy bill, keeping all charging costs in one place.

For Mer, the deal is another sign of its commitment to promoting roaming as part of the overall charging infrastructure in the UK. Roaming will become even more necessary in the run up to the 2030 ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel powered vans and cars.

Mer has been an active proponent of roaming since the company launched. Backed by Norwegian renewable energy giant Statkraft, the company believes that only through a network of open and accessible charging infrastructure can the UK install the quantity of charging points needed to meet growing demand.

In particular Mer is focused on installing EV charging points into high-usage, high-footfall locations like workplaces, public places, car parks and residential areas where people don’t have access to their own garages or driveways. Both Mer and Octopus are committed to only using 100% renewable energy sources with their electricity generated solely by wind, solar and hydro sources.

Commenting, Mer’s UK managing director, Anthony Hinde, said: “Roaming agreements like this are absolutely critical to supporting widespread adoption of electric vehicles across the UK. The easier and simpler we can make it for people to charge their EVs – and that involves both access to a wide variety of networks and having charging infrastructure in a wider variety of locations – the more confidence people will have in this technology.”