Aberdeenshire Council has confirmed changes to the electric vehicle charging tariffs on its public charger network from April.
Earlier this year, the council’s Infrastructure Services Committee agreed the changes which will see an increase in the standard rate tariff from the current 24p per kW Hour to 47p per kW hour and a new overstay charge of £30 to levied on rapid chargers.
A reduced rate of 27p per kW Hour will be available for overnight charging between 8pm and 8am on 7kW and 22kW fast chargers.
Despite rising energy costs, Aberdeenshire had maintained the price of EV charging throughout most of 2022-23.
However the current charge only covers the cost of the energy used and with the energy cost rising and a reduction in government
subsidies, the council has agreed to increase the tariffs in order to future-proof the charging network.
The increase in charges levied will also move the public network closer in line with the cost of commercial charging which should
encourage more investors into the local market thereby increasing the number of charging points throughout the region.
Ewan Wallace, head of the council’s Environment and Sustainability Services, explained: “The council must ensure it gets good value
for money, however the cost of providing EV charging continues to rise. We have maintained the tariff below market rate despite the increased energy costs, but we need to move the network into a more sustainable long-term footing.
“That requires us to look at covering the ‘whole cost’ of delivering the network - not just the cost of the energy used. We believe that our charging network still offersvery good value for EV users.
“Lack of charging points across Aberdeenshire is often raised as a concern by electric vehicle drivers, and through the increase
in the tariff levied we will be in a better position to extend the charger network by reinvesting those funds.
“By introducing an overstay charge on our rapid chargers we also hope to discourage ‘charger hogging’ which is another common complaint of electric vehicle users across the country. These chargers are designed for rapid turnover so we hope by introducing an overstay penalty this will encourage good behaviour and improve access for all EV users.”
EVA Scotland recognises the need for Local Authorities to recover both the cost of energy supplied and ongoing maintenance, but also the critical need to encourage further private investment in EV infrastructure across all Authority areas. In this change, we particularly welcome the addition of an off-peak tariff on 7 and 22kW charge points, as well as the addition of an overstay fee on Journey Chargers. We are disappointed not to see a differential tariff put in place between Journey Chargers and Destination chargers outside off-peak hours, and support targeted development of on-street charging solutions with smart charging to support those unable to charge off-street at home.
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