Sainsbury's to introduce new parking scheme for customers
Drivers of electric vehicles will benefit from a new parking scheme at a supermarket giant. Sainsbury's is offering EV drivers the chance to earn extra Nectar points while they do their grocery shopping.
The supermarket giant is introducing a new parking scheme to tackle "ghost charging", which occurs when electric vehicle owners park in charging spots but don't actually plug in.
Sainsbury's own surveys revealed that 70 per cent of EV drivers agreed they need to improve their 'charging etiquette'. Larger cities such as Cardiff, Birmingham and Belfast were identified as the worst offenders for this issue, according to Metro.
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To address the problem, those who use the charging points can now earn extra Nectar points. Sainsbury's is the first supermarket to introduce such a scheme, after their research found 90 per cent of customers were annoyed by those ignoring parking rules.
Trish Devin, customer director at Sainsbury's Smart Charge, said: "Customers can now also reap the benefit of collecting Nectar points whilst charging. Not to forget the added advantage of popping into a Sainsbury's store to pick up some groceries while waiting for their vehicle to charge."
Customers who park their EVs also expressed frustrations with long waiting times and what's known as 'cable spaghetti', where drivers plug the wrong charging cable into their car causing tangles. In response to the feedback, Sainsbury's has teamed up with renowned etiquette coach William Hanson.
The expert advises that electric vehicle users should avoid plugging in for more than half an hour, as this duration should suffice to add an extra 200 miles to their range.
Additionally, it's important not to park over the lines or occupy charging point bays if you're not intending to recharge your vehicle.
Under the Nectar card scheme, customers earn points when they purchase certain items, both in-store and online.
For every £1 spent, one loyalty point is awarded.
Furthermore, for every £1 spent on fuel at Sainsbury's petrol stations, you also earn a point. Points can also be collected from hundreds of partner companies, including Esso and eBay.
Each point has a value of 0.5p, so you'll need to accumulate 500 points to receive a £2.50 discount.