Frequently Asked Questions
What is CarShare
CarShare is National Grid’s employee car sharing scheme. Car sharing is when
two or more people share a car and travel to work together.
What’s in it for me?
The benefits of sharing your journey to work with a colleague are many. It will
make you eligible for a permit to park on site (subject to terms and conditions)
and could save you money on fuel costs, wear and tear on your car and reduce
your carbon footprint.
Do I need a car in order to sign up to CarShare?
No, many people are happy to offer lifts in exchange for sharing the fuel costs.
You can register your journey as ‘seeking a lift’ if you do not have a car.
What are the costs of car sharing?
We suggest that drivers and passengers share the cost of petrol. Please note
that drivers should not make a profit from sharing a car as in most countries this
can invalidate their insurance and tax.
What are the insurance implications of car-sharing?
In most countries insurers state that car sharing will not affect an individual's
car insurance. e.g. The Association of British Insurers clearly states that carsharing won't affect the insurance of their members, so long as a profit isn't
made. Drivers with any concerns should check with their insurance company as
terms and conditions may vary between insurance providers over time.
How can I find a car-share partner?
Simply sign up to CarShare and search for a match – a step by step guide is
provided overleaf.
What are the chances of finding a suitable match to my
requirements?
A step-by-step guide
Quite good! The scheme has been designed to help identify all possible ways of
getting you from A to B. The system will search for matches from your home
post code and anywhere along the route to your final destination. Suitable
matches are displayed on a map.
Is it possible to find a travelling companion of the same sex?
Yes, through our advanced search you can select ‘only male’ or ‘only female’
matches.
www.nationalgrid.liftshare.com
How do I register for CarShare?
Step 1
How do I create or join a BUDi group?
Step 1
Search for someone to share your journey with by clicking on the ‘search’
button next to your journey on the home page.
Step 2
Sign up - visit www.nationalgrid.liftshare.com. You can access the site from the
Property Infonet pages or directly by typing the address into your web browser.
Please note: You will need to use your work email address (ending in
@uk.ngrid.com, @nationalgrid.com or @compass-group.co.uk) if you do not
have one of these email addresses or would prefer to sign up with a personal
email then you will need to request the password from the Travel Plan Coordinator (contact details at the end of the leaflet)
Activate - Once you have added your journey details, you will be sent an email.
You need to follow the link in the email to activate your account.
Step 2
Send a ‘request to share’ message to a person that you would like to share
with. Click on the ‘find out more’ button, then ‘contact’ to ‘send a request to
share’ message or ‘phone member’ to view the telephone number.
Step 3
If you already have a CarShare partner you will still need to register your
journey through the system.
To do this, follow the same process as outlined above (step 1 and 2) and find
the person you are sharing with from the list of matches. If you can’t find the
person you are sharing with; at the end of your potential matches there is an
option to ‘find member’; selecting this will allow you to enter your friend’s
email address.
Step 4
Search - Simply click on find a match and the system will find other members of
National Grid’s CarShare scheme that travel the same way.
Contact a match - Use the secure system to make contact with someone making
a similar journey to you.
Step 3
Share – Once you have entered into a BUDi group you will be eligible for a
permit to park on site, save money and reduce your carbon footprint!
Having found a match, you need to update your sharing status. Go to
‘contacts’, confirm who you are sharing with and set up a BUDi group when
prompted.
If a BUDi group already exists for that member, you will be given the option to
be added to that team.
NB: If you have already updated your status to ‘Sharing’ but have not created
/ joined a BUDi group (you will need to do this in order to get a permit to
park on site) , you will need to click on ‘Sharing’ and then on ‘No’ and repeat
step 4.
Need more help?
Contact the Travel Plan Co-ordinator by email:
Laura.kelly@nationalgrid.com
or call on 07775 540320