An electric car driver from Forfar has vowed to charge his vehicle only in Dundee after Angus Council introduced uncompetitive EV tariffs.
Retired lawyer Mike Devine, 69, criticised Angus Council for introducing a charge of 23p per kWh when the equivalent rate in neighbouring Dundee remains 15p per kWh.
He said: “They will not get a penny of my money.
“I am regularly in Dundee. That’s where I’ll be charging my car, where there is a reasonable tariff associated with charging.”
Why has council introduced a ‘two tier’ electric car charging system?
Mike previously spoke out about the emergence of a “two-tier” charging system in Scotland for EV drivers.
He lives in a retirement apartment in Forfar. That means he does not have access to cheaper at home charging and has to use council-owned charging points.
He believes those who do not have access to off street parking, such as those living in tenement flats, do not get a fair deal.
He said his plea to end the discrepancy had fallen on “deaf ears”.
“Angus Council had the opportunity and the means to address a significant financial inequality within the community and it appears that they have chosen not to do so.
“I suspect that further down the road they will turn their attention to residential charging.
“I am not entirely sure that the people who have made the decision appreciate the challenges EV drivers face.”
What’s the difference between Dundee and Angus?
Angus Council introduced the charge at the start of November 2021.
Electric car drivers in Dundee pay 15p per kWh and a 38p connection fee. Dundee City Council has levied the charge since November 2019.
Charging remains free in many other local authority areas in Scotland.
“That’s unsustainable,” he added.
“It’s perfectly reasonable that drivers pay to fuel their cars. But when you consider that Angus is so much more expensive than Dundee it just does not make financial sense for some drivers.”
An Angus Council spokesperson said the flat rate tariff would help the local authority to recover its costs for providing the power.
She said: “It is appreciated that not all EV owners will have alternative access to private chargers.
“One area that we will be looking at in more detail due to demand already is to make allowance for private charging of EV on street.
“This will not suit all circumstances, but may benefit those without private off-street parking.”
Councillors will also review the electric vehicle charging tariff annually as part of the authority’s budget setting process.
