State Secretary Vivianne Heijnen of Infrastructure and Water Management calls on charging operators who have not yet properly arranged the clarity of their charging price to work on this. She leaves that in a response to questions from AutoWeek know. Heijnen wants the loading prices to be just as transparent in the long run as ‘the price of a carton of milk in the supermarket’. According to the state secretary, progress is being made in this area.
The Consumers’ Association noted earlier this week that the price for charging an EV at a public charging station is often unclear in advance. According to the interest group, the prices differ per fuel card or app used and the rates are often not transparent. “It is really incomprehensible for consumers; there are hundreds of charging cards and apps and they all have their own rates and conditions,” said Consumers’ Association director Sandra Molenaar. The conclusion of the Consumers’ Association is remarkable, because from 1 July 2021 charging operators are obliged to share real-time information about all publicly accessible charging points in the Netherlands due to a change in the ‘Alternative Fuels Regulations and Infrastructure’.
AutoWeek presented the findings to the State Secretary for Infrastructure and Water Management, Vivianne Heijnen. In a response, she calls on providers where the clarity of the price has not yet been properly arranged to work on this. “I think that people who want to charge the battery of their electric car should be able to quickly see what that costs them,” says Heijnen. She compares it with the price of a carton of milk in the supermarket, where you can see the price at a glance and immediately receive a receipt showing what you have paid. “There are many options for people who want to charge their car battery, with different prices,” acknowledges the state secretary. “I want that clarity to be normal for them just as quickly as for that carton of milk in the supermarket.”
Progress
State Secretary Heijnen does note that things are going in the right direction with regard to the price transparency of charging, partly thanks to the new law that obliges providers to be clear about their prices. “We are monitoring progress,” said Heijnen. “Recent research by the National Knowledge Platform for Charging Infrastructure shows that things are going in the right direction. The Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM), which enforces the law, also noted last spring. that transparency has improved. ACM can impose fines on providers that do not comply with the law properly,” concludes the State Secretary. If you, as a consumer, feel that you are not properly informed about the charging price at a specific provider, you can report this to the ACM ConsuWijzer.
– Thanks for information from Autoweek.nl