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Motorists have been given an “important” reminder to register their vehicles, even if they are exempt from tax. A vehicle’s tax bill may be £0, but the information is still required for administrative purposes, as stated by a leading energy provider.
“If you’re an Octopus EV salary sacrifice or Intelligent EV customer you don’t need to pay road tax (aka VED) – we take care of everything for you,” said Octopus. “If you’re not with Octopus EV: If you don’t have an EV with us, you will need to register your car at the Post Office or via the Government website.
“You’ll need your car registration number, and the 15-digit reference number from your vehicle log book (V5C), a new keeper slip, or a recent reminder letter from DVLA (V11). The process is simple and only takes a few minutes. You can then either pay your annual road tax as one lump sum, or set up a monthly direct debit.”
The company added: “Important to note: you need to register your vehicle even if you are tax-exempt for any reason (such as disability). Your tax bill might be £0, but the info is needed for administrative purposes.”
The energy firm, which competes with Ovo, EDF, EON Next and British Gas, also clarified a common term: “You’ve probably seen the term ‘VED’ pop up whenever road tax is mentioned. VED (Vehicle Excise Duty) is just the official name for road tax. There’s no difference between the two – it’s the same tax, just with a fancier title.”, reports Birmingham Live.
“The amount of road tax you pay is broadly based on your vehicle’s tailpipe CO2 emissions, with the age and list price also contributing. From 1st April 2025, new EVs with a list price of under £40,000 will fall under the standard rate of tax BUT with a special first-year rate.
“For the first year you own your EV, you’ll pay just £10 for the entire year. For years following, you’ll pay £195 – that’s £16.25 per month.”
