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• PRO

  Richard Gadsby September 28, 2014 at 12:37am

  For work tools I don't think I'd even bother to claim it back more paperwork and hassle than it's worth. How do you prove how much you are using? People may think that's stupid but we are not talking huge sums here unless you run several teams/ vans and therefore have lots of batteries to charge. But even then if you do will you not have a business yard with lock up and therefore electric supply that the business pays anyway?
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  James Brett September 28, 2014 at 10:45am

  easy way is to have a separate meter fitted with supply running through it for business use only! quite simple and easy for a good accountant or someone who knows what they are doing!!
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  Paul McNulty September 28, 2014 at 10:57am

  Should be starightforward to work out how many KWH it takes to charge the battery, multiply it by the number of charges over a year, and claim it back. You could probably claim a percentage of the bill if you show how you've worked it out.

  I've always found the IR to be very happy with "estimates", providing you can show a bit of effort in calculating it. Worth asking your accountant, as it must be very common with other trades such as chippies.
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  James Brett September 28, 2014 at 11:08am

  Or have an inverter in the van and charge them between jobs?
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  Thermo September 28, 2014 at 11:12am

  you're probably claiming a percentage of your household bill towards electric for your home office etc. if you do the admin at home anyway. its going to be peanuts on the bill
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  mark harris September 28, 2014 at 12:37pm

  forget that daft idea,not even worth the paper work to claim it back
• PRO

  Stuart @ Eco Garden Maintenance September 28, 2014 at 9:21pm

  Contact the tool manufacturer or distributor (in my case Etesia Uk) and find out how many units of electricity are required to charge the battery. Next find out the price of electricity that is supplied to you and do the sums. Multiply this daily charging cost by the number of times you think you will have to charge it in your accounting period.  
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  David Benson September 29, 2014 at 12:07am

  interesting comments so far as technology is moving forward fast and EEC regulations are coming in for garden tools emissions and bound to get harder in the future battery tools will have to be used more
  using a inverter regularly will not do the vehicles battery much good
  I have found the IR&C require receipts
  sometimes I put the battery on charge when I get home and forget about it till the next morning so the transformer is using electric all night
  in the future you might be charging 10-20 per day?
  is any one calming for battery charging
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  Austin Campbell September 29, 2014 at 10:46am

  I was thinking of posting the same question myself this morning. As a Pellenc user I'll be following Stuart's advice and contacting Etesia for some figures on charging. No harm in trying when I put in my first returns - the sums shouldn't be too much bother, it just depends on how easy/difficult the IR make it.
• PRO

  Seth Burgess September 29, 2014 at 6:33pm

  
  
  James Brett said:

  easy way is to have a separate meter fitted with supply running through it for business use only! quite simple and easy for a good accountant or someone who knows what they are doing!!

  
  I think this is pretty much the most sensible way of doing it. You can also then use it to charge your phone and any other business electrical things I suppose, may as well get the most out of it!