The Highland Council has decided to introduce a tariff at EV charge points, starting on 1 June 2021.
The new tariff is intended to recover costs associated with the operation and upkeep of the network, transitioning Highland Council to a more sustainable operating model.
The number of EVs on the roads has doubled in the last year, therefore the risk in electricity supply will be upwards of those numbers without a tariff in place. The approach taken is fully endorsed by the Electric Vehicle Association Scotland and is designed to enable the Council to support and maintain the service offered, but also encourage best practice amongst users at charge points, facilitating all journeys.
The tariff will be 30p per kWh for journey chargers (43kW+) and 20p per kWh for destination chargers (22kw or less).
A minimum charge of £1 will apply to all charging sessions as will a 30 minute no return period. In the case of journey chargers, an overstay charge of £1 per minute would be applied after 45 minutes (plus a 15 minute grace period). The usual Traffic Regulation Orders will also apply with the misuse of EV bays being enforced.
The tariff structure follows precedent set by other local authorities in Scotland to allow consistency to grow within the Scottish public charging network and local authority networks.
Chair of the Economy and Infrastructure Committee, Cllr Trish Robertson said: “The introduction of a charging tariff will alleviate the pressure on revenue and bring Highland Council into line with the charging policy of other Scottish Local Authorities. It will also promote equality and allow us to explore sustainable transport solutions on the way to complete decarbonisation of transport by 2045”.
Regular reviews will be undertaken to assess usage profiles, operating costs and electricity consumption to ensure the model in place remains fair, simple and sustainable.
