Peterborough City Council confirms date electric car owners will face charge to charge vehicles

Electric car owners will have to pay to charge their vehicles in Peterborough from next week.

The Peterborough Telegraph reported how Peterborough City Council was bringing in a cost to charge electric vehicles, after the service had been free.

Now the authority has confirmed drivers will face the new charge from Tuesday, November 1.

Motorists will have to pay 70p per kWh for the 3kW/7kW/22kW public points, while e-taxi rapid chargers will be 90p per kWh. Electric vehicle drivers will also have to pay for parking for the first time as well.

When the announcement was made earlier this month, cllr Nicola Day, leader of the Green Party in the city, called for the council to invest to make sustainable transport a more useable option in Peterborough.

Electric vehicle drivers have benefited from free parking and charging for several years, but the council said this is no longer affordable due to the tough financial picture and the rising cost in electricity prices.

A council spokesperson said: “By introducing the fees now this will help the council mitigate the surging cost of electricity prices and allow for future investment in the city’s charging network, which includes plans for a new substation at the Car Haven Car Park near the Town Hall and residential charging points. This is crucial as the city aims to become carbon net zero to tackle the climate emergency.”

A full list of the council's public charging points can be found by visiting: https://www.peterborough.gov.uk/residents/parking/car-park-locations#electric-charging-points.