Fees for Fife’s electric vehicle charging points to start this month

Members of the Economy, Tourism, Strategic Planning and Transportation Committee approved the introduction of the fees in January but these were put on hold because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

By charging to use the EV points it means the council can continue to maintain the existing network, making it more accessible and financially sustainable.

The fees will be 15p/kWh, plus a £1.60 connection charge per session. This means an average cost for electric vehicle users of 4.3p per mile. This compares favourably with conventional petrol/diesel vehicles with an average consumption of 50 mpg that have a cost of around 11.7p per mile.

Cllr Altany Craik, Convener of the committee, said: “There’s a growing acceptance, in this era of severe budget pressures on local authorities, for the need to introduce fees for the EV charging network and move towards a self-sustaining service. By investing in the network of charge points we can ensure future growth.

“We also want to give people suitable and convenient access to our charging points so would like to remind users that parking bays with EV charging points are for charging only, not parking and that any non EV or an EV not connected to the charge point will be liable to a Penalty Charge Notice.

“Electric cars continues to offer substantial savings compared to the cost of an equivalent petrol or diesel car. We hope that the continued growth of our EV network will accelerate the use of green vehicles and further advance a green revolution.”

Fife’s EV public network of 40-plus units has been funded by the Scottish Government. These are mainly at Long Stay Car Parks in Town Centres, and at Public Transport Interchanges such as Railway Stations and Park & Rides. By the end of 2020, this will increase to 68 public EV sites across the Kingdom. The Government grants cover the installation and initial five-year maintenance costs; however, the energy and long-term maintenance and replacement costs fall to Fife Council.

For more information visit www.fife.gov.uk/efife.