New tariff levels for EV chargepoints
The cost for re-fuelling from many of East Lothian Council’s chargers will change on 1st July.
Destination chargers, often located in town centres and long stay car parks, will increase from 16p to 25p per kWh, while the conveniently located town centre 50kW Journey chargers will go up from 30p to 40p per kWh. Our higher powered chargers located just off the A1 at Wallyford Park and Ride will increase from 30p to 50p per kWh*.
Look out for new On-street chargers coming to a street near you. These will make it more convenient for drivers who park overnight on-street (rather than in a driveway) to refuel close to where they would usually park. Soon these On-street chargers will outnumber our other chargers thanks to funding secured from the UK’s Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV) On-Street Residential Chargepoint Fund and Transport Scotland.
East Lothian already has one of the highest number of chargers per head of population in the UK (top in mainland Scotland) and many of our chargers have innovative features which can be accessed via mobile phone apps. These include being alerted when a parking bay is free and being able to choose to charge when power is cheapest or greenest. Visit the websites of Connected Kerb and Fuuse for details of charger locations and tariffs.
East Lothian Council's tariff has been welcomed by EVA Scotland who described the rates as “fair, proportionate, and reflective of the current high energy costs faced in the UK, while continuing to provide flexible, affordable charging across the range of charge points offered”.
Across the country, town centre and edge-of-town Journey chargers are increasingly being provided by commercial operators rather than councils, bringing welcome competition and capacity into the ecosystem. Currently, the only commercial operator in East Lothian is Osprey charging 49p per kWh for their journey chargers at Haddington Retail Park and at Marston’s Inn, Dunbar. A 50kW Journey charger on the Pod Point network will soon be available in Prestonpans where Lidl customers will be able to charge their vehicle for 26p per kWh. Other operators are actively looking to invest in East Lothian and have planning permission for much higher power Journey charging sites in Musselburgh, Gladsmuir and Dunbar.
Cllr John McMillan, Cabinet Member for Environment, Economic Development and Tourism said: “East Lothian Council is also working with commercial and residential developers (including social housing providers) to ensure that appropriate charging infrastructure is provided from the outset and residents can charge from their own homes wherever possible.
“The Council does not make a profit on operating chargers, but we must recoup enough to cover our energy bills and support ongoing work to ensure that everyone has access to a charger when they need one. We are currently transitioning from being solely reliant on grant-funding and exploring more sustainable alternative business models, including working with commercial partners to fund, operate and maintain our growing network of chargers.
“We welcome suggestions for new locations for new On-Street charging sites, particularly from potential EV owners without off-street parking (and therefore without the ability to charge at home). Email evcharging@eastlothian.gov.uk.
“For those households that for various reasons are unlikely to ever have a public charger within easy reach, the council recently published this guidance on how to safely run a cable from your home to your car. We recognise that this is only suitable for a small number of locations, and continue to explore opportunities to trial emerging technologies such as on-street cable gullies or retractable cable arms.”
* A minimum fee (not a connection fee) of £1 applies to Destination chargers. A £2 minimum fee applies to Journey chargers as well as a £30 Overstay Fee after 45 minutes. Time limits & no-return periods for all charger types remain unchanged.