Earlier this year the UK Government announced funding for new charging technology, which mean families could use their electric vehicle batteries to power their homes and save on bills.

Under the plans, families could save hundreds of pounds each year on their energy bills by using electricity stored in their electric vehicles to power their home appliances, from their fridges to their TVs. This could happen through new two-way charging technologies being developed.

Households could power their home appliances thanks to the development of bidirectional charging, which enables electricity stored in a vehicle's battery to flow back into the grid or back into the home and workplaces, which can then be used to power other devices.

The new two-way charging system has been developed using existing smart charging technology. The electric vehicles can be charged at night when electricity prices are lowest, the power is then stored in the vehicle's battery until it is needed. Families could then use this vehicle-to-everything (V2X) technology to save money on their bills and possibly make money by selling the unused electricity back to the grid at a higher price.

The government claims that businesses could also benefit from the V2X technologies by storing electricity in their fleets of EVs and using it to power their operations at a later date.

Experts claim that this system will also help make it easier to rely on renewable sources such as solar panels, as we move away from fossil fuels in the hope of reducing carbon emissions and meeting net zero goals.

The UK government previously announced four projects received a share of £4.8 million in funding to support work testing and implement these innovative technologies.

At the time, Minister for Affordability and Skills Amanda Solloway said:

The prospect of families being able to store energy on their doorstep in electric vehicles and use it to power their homes is incredibly exciting. This is exactly the sort of ingenuity and creativity that makes the UK one of the world's most innovative nations. By backing this technology, we could save families hundreds of pounds a year, while also supporting jobs, investment and growth.

Transport Minister for Technology and Decarbonisation Anthony Browne also said:

We're continuing to support drivers, and this innovative new development is the next step in levelling up our charging technology, which will benefit many households across the country. This government has already spent over £2 billion in the transition to electric vehicles and our charging network is growing at pace, with 44% more public charge points than this time last year, meaning drivers can charge more easily than before.