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Scottish Government ebike interest free loans

(10 posts)
  • Started 5 years ago by chrispaton
  • Latest reply from crowriver

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  1. chrispaton
    Member

    Hi folks,

    I don't think this has been shared previously but apologies if I missed it…

    I recently heard about the new Low Carbon Transport Loan Fund. This gives both individuals and businesses the opportunity to get a Scottish Government funded interest free loan of up to £3000 to purchase an ebike. The scheme is delivered via Energy Saving Trust similar to interest free loans for home energy efficiency improvements, and the amount available is increased to £6000 for those buying a family e-cargo bike or an assistive bike. EST also offer ebikes trials up to 3 weeks which was news to me, as well as grant funding to public sector bodies, colleges, and unis for buying ebikes.

    Definitely something to consider if you're considering an ebike but the cost puts you off, and one to promote especially if you know of businesses who could benefit from an ebike.

    More details are in the press release at
    https://www.transport.gov.scot/news/13m-for-electric-bike-revolution-in-scotland/. Here's direct links to Energy Savings Trust if you want to apply:

    * http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/scotland/grants-loans/ebike-loan
    * http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/scotland/grants-loans/ebike-business-loan

    Cheers,
    Chris

    Posted 5 years ago #

  2. LaidBack
    Member

    Thanks for flagging this up @chrispaton

    I've been telling potential e-cargo buyers about it. Cargo bike sales are quite a tricky market.
    Family bikes a bit easier.

    Posted 5 years ago #

  3. toomanybikes
    Member

    Can't find the details for what the term of the loan can go up to. Not sure if anyone else has seen?

    Posted 5 years ago #

  4. Stickman
    Member

    From the second link above:

    "The eBike loan is for up to £6,000 with a repayment period of 4 years and covers the following (per household)"

    Posted 5 years ago #

  5. toomanybikes
    Member

    Not quite sure how I missed that, thanks!

    Posted 5 years ago #

  6. amir
    Member

    Also on this page, it says
    "If you would like to experience an ebike first-hand, Home Energy Scotland deliver short-term ebike trials lasting from 3 days to 3 weeks"
    Anyone tried this or know anything more about it?

    Posted 5 years ago #

  7. ARobComp
    Member

    I am now into month 3 of my e-bike loan application. The bike is ordered and paid for, but I have still not received my loan.

    Thankfully (and I am very lucky) I could manage without the loan (I wanted to support the programme and as my B2W is coming to an end I'll put that money straight towards paying off the interest free loan) but it's been an interesting experience.

    The issue comes from the way the process has been structured, presumably in the same way that they structured the process for a electric vehicle loan, however bike shops are not quite set up the same as a car dealership.

    Some of the highlights
    * Application form quite confusing overall

    * Given one week to accept loan offer after it taking them multiple weeks to get back to me leading to a mad rush

    * Language on the documentation confusing making it seem like you need to send everything back including proof of invoice before you'd even had a loan approved

    * Phoned to get advice and every single person who could help me was on a training course. Left a number - never got a phone back

    * Needed to send invoice for the bike to receive payment however could only get an invoice by buying the actual bike (this would likley be true for most online retailers or overseas companies)

    * Phoned once 3 weeks ago and was told I'd be paid in next pay run

    * Phoned back today to be told they emailed a generic email address at the company asking for confirmation of the price of the bike and hadn't had a reply

    * Now chasing the company to get back to them.

    So the positive news is that this probably works reasonably well so long as the bike shop will give you an invoice without payment (you can have a 10% deposit paid but not more), or you've sufficient line of credit to pay for the bike in the first place until you get the loan. Also your retailer need to be willing to click on links in unsolicited emails.

    Also this potentially works fine if you're going through a LBS (however in this instance the bike would have cost me 1000 euros more to do that - early bird deal - and noone in the UKI stocks this bike).

    Overall though it's a lot of effort and uncertainty, with needless confusion and friction in the process. I will update when I know what on earth is happening.

    Posted 5 years ago #

  8. gkgk
    Member

    I recognise this description, similar to my energy saving trust boiler loan experience. But although the paperwork was very prescriptive, I found them quite human after some persuasion, for example letting me use screen shots and weblinks etc as proof of price rather than showing "quotes" (I bought my boiler from a new fangled fixed-price website, just a buy-it-now price, no quotes). Their offices are down at Ocean Terminal. They don't expect walk-in visitors but you can chop a day or two out of the process by hand delivering and it's nice to have a quick word with the person you've dealt with by email.

    I remember there were constraints on the payment - I was meant to get the loan before making payment as the loan was intended for people who couldn't get the energy saving item otherwise. Hard for them to justify their programme to govt otherwise. But the EST could cope with me buying up-front, if I put it on a credit card rather than pre-paying. Bit of a palavar, true enough. Worth it in end, as only 75% of the loan is actually repayable, the rest is a grant, for boilers anyway.

    Posted 5 years ago #

  9. le_soigneur
    Member

    Try a
    VOLTTM PULSE, Medium 19” Frame with 28”/700C Wheels (Size 5’ 6” to 6’) but front sus

    Loan info

    Posted 5 years ago #

  10. crowriver
    Member

    "every single person who could help me was on a training course"

    Ah yes, that sounds familiar. Nearly every time I try to get my employer to do anything (which is thankfully rare) it's a similar story. Either that or they're on annual leave, sabbatical, off sick, etc.

    Posted 5 years ago #

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