ChargeUK warns energy cost surge could push up EV charging prices

Electric vehicle charging firms say rising energy costs will be passed on to drivers, after a sharp increase in network charges over the past three years.

ChargeUK reports average increases of 462%, with some sites seeing far more extreme jumps. One charging hub has seen fixed annual costs rise from £87 to more than £33,000 since 2021.

The change links back to reforms introduced by Ofgem in 2023. Business energy bills are now weighted more heavily towards fixed standing charges rather than usage.

For charging operators, that creates a mismatch. Rapid charging sites need large grid connections to handle future demand, but with EVs still making up only around 5% of cars on UK roads, much of that capacity isn’t yet being used.

Operators are paying for it anyway.

Those costs are already feeding into pricing at public chargers, particularly on rapid networks used for top-ups and long-distance driving. That’s where many company car drivers rely on infrastructure most.

At the same time, the government is targeting 300,000 public chargers by 2030, which depends on continued private investment. Several operators say rising fixed costs are making that harder to justify.

Ministers are now reviewing both EV sales targets and charging costs, with pressure building to revisit standing charges and wider electricity pricing.

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