Kent Police and Essex Police represent two of the oldest police forces in the UK, covering a combined territory of over 2,800 square miles and serving a population of around 3.5 million people. Amongst their various collective assets is a fleet of vehicles numbering more than 1,600. Of that number, 85 are electric vehicles (EV).
Allstar had already been supporting Kent Police and Essex Police for a number of years. Its fuel card solution synchronised well with the forces’ needs and its geographical breadth of coverage meant officers were never far from a fuel station they could use to refuel.
The challenge
With officers covering such vast territory, much of it networked via long country roads, fuel stands as one of the biggest expenses the forces must account for. The Kent Police and Essex Police knew that if the forces could put policies in place that would ensure drivers were filling up at the cheapest forecourts, it would drive down costs and be able to use that saved cash to put towards growing the force. It also needed support in its transition to a zero-emission fleet; by 2035 it aims to have a full EV car fleet.
The objective was clear: lower costs and support in the transition to EV.
To begin with, the forces needed a solution where they could easily know the locations of fuel sites offering discounted prices through Allstar and more importantly, driver education was required to help them easily find them. Ultimately, they needed the process to become normalised practice.
The forces have a tall task in evolving the entire fleet to EV. There are currently no vehicles on the market that meet emergency response needs. But Allstar could help by providing simple and integrated charging capabilities that would support those adopted cars, such as unmarked general purpose vehicles.
For Kent Police and Essex Police to realise their goals, three considerations had to be addressed:
1. Coverage
The very nature of police work means officers could be required at any location within their designated territory, at any time. Some types of fuel cards can only be used at a select number of sites and are therefore limiting to use. Officers therefore need to know when they are close to a policy-compliant site.
2. Convenience
Needing to always be alert, officers don’t always have the time to be pulling over to find selected charging or refuelling stations they can use when the need arises. Ideally, the forces needed a solution with a wide network coverage such as a fuel site within a mile of all police stations in the area.
3. Insights and Data
As important as driving down costs were, the forces needed to ensure they met commitments to reduce carbon emission output. As it stood, they were seeking reassurance around regulating the environmental impact of their activity, a capability that has become increasingly important as forces across the UK strive to become more sustainable.
With these specific challenges, Kent Police and Essex Police needed an all-encompassing payment solution that could reduce costs, provide extensive fleet management information, and be flexible to suit the forces’ evolving needs through their transition to EV.
The Solution
It was already clear that Kent Police and Essex Police and Allstar represented the model partnership. Allstar brought its vast experience in fuel management and payment ecosystems and offered the Allstar Chargepass. This would potentially serve as the best suited solution for the forces’ unique needs and combined fuel and EV charging capabilities, when in-house charging is not an option.
Crucially for Kent Police and Essex Police, Allstar boasts the UK's largest fuel card network, covering 90% of the UK - including all major oil brands and supermarket forecourts - thereby minimising the need for officers to deviate off route to refuel. This also encompasses their Discount Diesel network consisting of over 1,600 sites. This is echoed across Allstar’s EV charging payment network, which is the UK’s largest and fastest electric charging payment network for businesses and encompasses more than 22,000 locations nationwide, alongside more than 59,000 chargers across its growing electric vehicle charging network. 86% of its electric vehicle charging network is fast, rapid and ultra-rapid ensuring vehicles are back on the road as soon as possible.
Result
Allstar helped the Kent Police and Essex Police forces educate their drivers towards cheaper alternatives and within six months, the practice of officers diverting to alternative, cheaper sites, such as the Discount Diesel network was embedded. This wouldn’t have been possible without Allstar’s vast fuel card network. Kent Police and Essex Police now have a fuel site within one mile of all the police stations in the area.
In the five years since Kent Police and Essex Police forged their relationship with Allstar and started using the Discount Diesel network, they have saved more than £60,000 per year which has enabled them to further invest into the workforces.
The forces also gained access to enhanced management information, giving them increased visibility on spending through Allstar Online, enabling deeper reporting on factors such as fleet status and insights on carbon emissions. Furthermore, this reporting can be adjusted to filter through the information that Kent Police and Essex Police need and can be altered at any time as the forces evolve and adjust their requirements.
“From the very beginning, Allstar has delivered exceptional functionality initially through the Allstar One fuel card and now from Allstar Chargepass too, as well as their overall account management. The cost savings we’ve achieved with their help and through using their Discount Diesel network have been transformational for the workforce, but it’s the added benefits that have made such a difference too. We’ve improved control and visibility of spending, have access to powerful fleet data using their Allstar Online account management tool, and receive crucial information on carbon emissions and ways to limit output.”
“We’re also futureproofed with a solution that is already supporting our transition to a zero-emission fleet. Having a dedicated business account manager has been a real plus too. We always get a response within 24 hours and have yet to be told we can’t do something.”
“The needs of a police force covering large areas and the nature of our work is unique, but Allstar has always made the effort to understand them and actively help us overcome challenges when they present themselves. They don't try and impose their requirements, their policies, or their processes, it's all about supporting the forces. It’s refreshing to say the least.”
Tony Petts, Transport Services Fleet Manager, Kent Police and Essex Police Transport Services
Going forwards, the focus for the two police forces will be on growing their zero emissions fleet. With targets for both cars and vans already in place and underway, Kent Police and Essex Police will continue to work with Allstar to help with the electrification of its fleet.
How can Allstar help your business? Call us on 0345 266 5101
* Savings on Diesel can be made at participating Discount Diesel sites on our network when the card is swiped.
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