Time to make the switch to battery power

Last year saw some of the highest recorded petrol prices since the turn of the millennium – and it is not just motorists who are struggling to cope. Emma Gayler, Ambassador for Challenge 2025, discusses why it is time for professional gardeners to leave petrol in the past and make the switch to battery-powered outdoor equipment.

With energy price cap rises and extortionate bills across almost every consumable product; record high petrol prices are the last thing that anyone needs – especially those who rely on fuel to run their business. Clearly, petrol users are experiencing an incredibly raw deal at a time when the cost-of-living crisis is being felt so strongly.

Professional turf managers using two-stroke engines are already starting to see these extra fuel costs eating away at their bottom lines, and with a multitude of batterypowered alternatives available on the market, there is no better time for trade users to begin exploring the advantages that making the switch could have on their businesses.

Recently, EGO conducted a cost comparison test between three of its products (Hedge Trimmer HTX7500, Line Trimmer STX3800 and leaf blower LBX6000) and three petrol-powered alternatives.

The tools had an average annual power cost of £142.80 while the petrol tools had an average annual power cost of £1,295.40.

When the total cost of ownership over five years was calculated, including purchasing the tools and the running costs, this resulted in a considerable price difference overall.

Over five years, the cost of owning three tools, two 10Ah batteries, a backpack harness and a rapid charger came to £2,893.00 which is an average annual cost of £578.60.

Whereas, owning three petrol tools, including the purchase, and running costs, came to £8,134.00 over five years – an average annual cost of £1,626.80.

Overall, across a period of five years, on average it is £1,048.20 cheaper per year to own and run battery-operated tools. This is because, after the initial purchase, the tools do not require any further investment other than general wear and tear. As a result, products can deliver in excess of a 40% cost saving over petrol power: leading to long-term savings for any gardening business.

One of the most stand-out statistics uncovered by Challenge 2025, is that the most widely used outdoor power tool, the leaf blower, uses more than half of the petrol required to run a Ford Fiesta for the same amount of time. This means that users of petrolpowered tools will be hit even harder than the average motorist.

Petrol has reigned supreme for decades, not because it was the right choice, but because it was the only choice. Now, with the current cost of living crisis, the Government’s plans for a Net Zero future, and a growing public concern for the environment, battery power provides a progressive solution to ensuring that businesses do not get left in the past. Instead, they will be at the forefront of securing a safer, cleaner, and more profitable future. n https://egopowerplus.co.uk/ about-ego/technology/cost

Challenge 2025 is a campaign which aims to educate and empower outdoor power equipment users to understand why petrol power belongs in the past. Its mission is that by 2025, battery power will become the principal power source for outdoor power equipment, leading to huge reductions in emissions, noise disturbance, and health risks, whilst increasing safety and user comfort.

Knowing how damaging petrolpowered tools are for both the environment and the health of professional gardeners, it is worrying that they are still used to maintain outdoor spaces. Challenge 2025 wants to make trade users aware of the dangers of petrol-powered tools, not just for the environment but also for the health of themselves and the communities that they work in.

Shout is the UK’s first and only free, 24/7, confidential text message support service for anyone who is struggling to cope.

If you’re feeling worried, stressed or like you have nobody to talk to, you are not alone. Shout is always only a text message away. Shout’s trained volunteers are there to support you, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, with whatever you are going through.

Every day, Shout takes around 2,100 conversations with children, young people and adults across the UK who need in-the-moment support with issues such as anxiety, stress, depression, loneliness, relationships, racism, self-harm, suicide, grief and so much more.

As a digital service, Shout provides a private and silent way to communicate, alleviating some of the pressure many people feel around talking about their worries out loud. The service is also confidential, anonymous and won’t show up on your phone bill. n For more information, advice and support, visit: giveusashout.org

Shout is available around the clock. Most people text Shout for support at night and into the early hours of the morning, when the majority of other support services are closed and when many people are feeling alone and struggling with their mental health.

Anyone in the UK can text ‘SHOUT’ to 85258 to start a conversation any time of the day or night. Shout Volunteers work to take you from a moment of distress to a calm, safe place and help you come up with a plan to move forwards.

If your life is at imminent risk, please call 999.