EV charge point ‘pay for use’ introduction
ESB Energy, Birmingham City Council’ EV infrastructure provider, is installing more than 200 fast and rapid electric vehicle chargers (394 charge points) across the city. The chargers, part funded by the Office of Zero Emission Vehicle (OZEV), supply 100% renewable energy to EV drivers across Birmingham.
Electric vehicle drivers in Birmingham have availed of more than 11,000 free charging sessions while ESB Energy initially rolled out almost 80 charge points (35 chargers) around the city in recent months. This introductory offer is coming to an end on 29 March.
| Type of charge | PAYG (mobile app) | Membership | Taxi |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fast charging (up to 22kw, £/kWh) | £0.40 | £0.38 | £0.38 |
| Rapid charging (50kw, £/kWh) | £0.45 | £0.42 | £0.42 |
| Monthly subscription | None | £4.99 | Free |
ESB Energy is encouraging drivers who have not signed up as an ESB Energy customer, to choose an ESB Energy PAYG, Membership or Taxi plan by visiting the ESB website.
From Tuesday 29 March drivers will no longer be able to use non ESB Energy charger access cards. Drivers will require an ESB Energy charge point access card to access or an account on the EV Plug In app to access all ESB Energy chargers.
Do drivers need to do anything?
If you are already signed up to use ESB Energy’s public charging network, you do not need to do anything – the new rates will be displayed on the EV Plug In app and you can continue to charge as normal.
If you have not signed up to an ESB Energy PAYG, Membership or Taxi plan, we encourage you to do so by visiting the ESB website.
If you are already signed up but wish to change your price plan, contact us via our details below.
From Tuesday 29 March drivers will no longer be able to use non ESB Energy charger access cards. You will require a PAYG, Membership or Taxi account on the EV Plug In App or an ESB Energy charge point access card to access all chargers.
Why have ESB Energy increased its prices recently?
Unfortunately, the wholesale cost of electricity in the UK, as well as in Europe, has dramatically soared to an unprecedented level over the past year. This increase in ESB Energy’s operational costs means they are unable to continue to provide the services without having to increase the price of charging on their network.
ESB Energy really values its customers and while they have done all that they can to absorb the increases and avoid passing these additional costs to customers, this increase was unfortunately unavoidable. ESB Energy will continue to offer drivers the most competitive rates available and will work hard to keep the cost of charging as low as possible.
Contact us
If you have any questions about ESB Energy’s prices, they are here to help 24/7 via phone or you can contact them:
- Email: EVsupport@esbenergy.co.uk
- Phone: 0345 609 0372
