FortisBC electric vehicle charging station (CNW Group/FortisBC Inc.)
A change is coming to drivers in British Columbia who charge their electric vehicles at FortisBC’s stations.
In a news release, the company said the change will be to how the total amount they pay is calculated. Instead of paying a per minute cost for charging their vehicle, drivers will instead pay based on the actual amount of electricity they use.
“Using energy-based rates ensures that all drivers pay the same rate for the electricity they use regardless of charging speed,” said George Thompson, EV Infrastructure and Investment Manager at FortisBC, in a statement.
He added that supporting drivers who choose low- and zero-carbon options for transportation is one of the ways FortisBC is helping to lower overall greenhouse gas emissions in the province.
What does this mean for B.C. drivers using the company’s charging stations? Based on the new energy-based rates drivers will pay $0.39 per kilowatt hour (kWh) at all 22 FortisBC stations starting on August 1.
The company said the change implements the British Columbia Utilities Commission’s (BCUC) approval of its application to shift from time- to energy-based rates. They said it is also in-line with other public charging services in the province.
“The BCUC decision also gives FortisBC the option to implement in the future an idling charge of $0.40 per minute for vehicles that remain at charging stations more than five minutes after the EV has finished charging. This could help reduce the time other customers have to wait to use a charging station during busy periods,” the company said.
