Electric vehicle owners issued new £1 rule warning – from next year

Résumé détaillé

Electric vehicle owners could face higher charging bills next year, with a new report warning that prices at some public rapid chargers could rise above £1 per kWh. The increase…

The report found that the average fixed network charge for a standard rapid charger has jumped from £61.47 per week in 2021 to £440 per week in 2026, an increase of more than 600%. That figure is expected to rise by more than another £100 per charger per week next year.

The issue dates back to changes introduced by energy regulator Ofgem in 2022, which altered how businesses pay certain charges for using the electricity network. Under the changes, operators face fixed fees based on the size of their electricity connection, rather than simply how much power they use.

Rapid chargers need powerful connections to charge vehicles quickly, meaning companies can face large bills even when relatively few motorists use them. The report warns that some operators may need to charge more than £1 per kWh to make a profit, while others could struggle to stay in business.

Tom Riley, editor of The Fast Charge and author of the report, described the charges as a "feudal tax". He argued that the system was passing costs from drivers to electricity networks and could make switching to an electric car more expensive than keeping an older petrol or diesel vehicle.

Mr Riley warned that the problem was particularly serious for motorists without driveways, who depend on public charging.

Robin Heap, founder and chief executive of Zest, also criticised the charges, saying the changes were never intended to "put the brakes on EV adoption".

He said the financial burden was pushing up prices for drivers and delaying or abandoning charging projects that might otherwise attract investment.

The report's authors are calling for urgent changes to the rules, including moving towards charging operators more closely on how much electricity they use.

An independent Government review into the cost of public charging has also raised concerns, warning that Ofgem's changes had a "severe impact" on operators.

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