'We're being made to pay for grid access that we aren't using': Public EV charging provider warns of price hikes

Date:
Wed, 01 Apr 2026 19:00:00 +0000

Description:
Major EV Charging companies warn of price increases for EV owners on the public charging network, as energy prices continue to soar.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Tech Radar Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Become a Member in Seconds Unlock instant access to exclusive member
features. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting
your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. You are now subscribed Your newsletter sign-up was successful Join the club Get full access to premium articles, exclusive features and a growing list of member rewards. Explore An account already exists for this email address, please log in. Subscribe to our newsletter An increase in energy prices could be felt on the public EV charging network Charging companies are warning of price rises Network charges have dramatically increased over the past three years A number of public EV charging network providers have warned that soaring energy costs could be passed on to EV owners, as the price per kilowatt hour to charge on the
public network could spike, as companies look to stem losses.

According to a report by Sky News , there are warnings that charging
companies may have no choice but to pass on costs to drivers, with ChargeUK noting that companies are being faced with massive network charges that have increased by an average of 462% over the past three years. Speaking to the news outlet, one Osprey Charging site in Wolverhampton said it had reported a 38,570% increase in its annual fixed charges since 2021, from 87 to 33,651 this year. Article continues below You may like As gas prices rise, heres how much buying an EV could save you EV charging just got a massive boost for millions in the UK Megawatt charging is go BYD's new 1,500kW EV network has gas station speeds

"Our ultra-rapid charging hubs require very large grid connections to build for the peak demand we will see in the future, but we're having to pay in
full for those large grid connections today," Ian Johnston, chief executive
of Osprey Charging told Sky News.

According to ChargeUKs 2025 white paper , the public charging network has
seen a sharp 38% average increase in prices since 2021.

The surge in costs is primarily attributed to energy expenses, which now account for two-thirds of chargepoint operator (CPO) costs, according to EV Infrastructure News .

In addition to this, the public network is made even more expensive by the UK governments policy levies, which add around 6 pence per kWh in a bid to balance the declining income from fuel duty. Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

Public charging also currently attracts 20% VAT, while home charging is taxed at 5%. Analysis: A Catch-22 situation (Image credit: InstaVolt) Many of the major public charging network operators have invested millions of pounds into infrastructure "at scale years ahead of demand, according to Ospreys Ian Johnston.

This means that most are reliant on the fact that the number of electric vehicles on the road will continue to increase at pace over the next decade, when a return on investment can start to happen. What to read next I've owned an EV for four years and this could end my range anxiety woes These 3 affordable EVs could be the perfect way to beat the fuel crisis UK government urges everyone to buy an EV while ignoring 5 big roadblocks

But it appears many are already getting nervous, as the UK government continues to move the goalposts on EV sales quotas, pushing its 100% zero emission goal back to 2035. Just 5% of all cars currently on the road are
EVs.

This, coupled with the fact that standing charges and energy prices are increasing, means costs are now, predictably, being passed on to the
consumer.

Tom Hurst, UK country director of Fastned, which owns a site in Palace
Grounds retail park in South Lanarkshire, said that the company now faces standing charges of 41,000 a year nearly four times the rent of the site, according to Sky News .

"Even though the station is powered by 100% renewable energy, these fixed costs, combined with higher VAT on public charging and rising wholesale
energy prices, ultimately feed through to drivers.

"We absorb as much of these costs as possible to keep prices down for
drivers, but policy action is needed, he explained to Sky News.

The entire situation is a painful Catch-22, with more EV owners required to allow these large companies to turn a profit and promote competition and hopefully bring the cost of public charging down yet potential buyers are
put off by a lack of fast and affordable charging infrastructure.

After all, the eye-watering price of rapid public charging disproportionately affects the one-third of UK households without off-street parking.

Despite the domestic and local-level EV charging initiatives that the UK government has announced for April of this year, it has to get a handle on
the public charging network, reducing VAT, addressing the policy levies and reducing standing charges, if it stands a chance of convincing more buyers to go electric . Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred
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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/vehicle-tech/hybrid-electric-vehicles/were-being-mad e-to-pay-for-grid-access-that-we-arent-using-public-ev-charging-provider-warns -of-price-hikes


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