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School districts, municipalities use fair pricing while discouraging extended plug-ins

Electric vehicle charging stations are designed to be shared, so municipalities and school districts are experimenting with ways to discourage drivers from plugging in for extended periods.

That's why earlier this year the Burnaby School District enacted a pricing strategy aimed at ensuring Level 2 charging stations at its high schools are freed up for various drivers. Plug in for up to three hours and you're charged at $1 per hour. After that, you're charged $5 each hour, and the flow of electricity is switched off.

"The idea behind that is to prevent people from occupying spaces longer than necessary," says Alexis Takahashi, energy specialist for the school district. "And it's generally been successful. I'm typically the person who will field complaints, and since we've transitioned to this pricing, I haven't received a single complaint about the fees or anyone parking for hours and hours."

Introducing access to EV charging, and deciding how much that charging should cost, is a learning process. The BC Utilities Commission doesn't allow charging based on the kilowatt-hour, as there's no guarantee all models of eligible chargers are accurate in measuring kWh. Because of that, public Level 2 EV charging is time-based.

The City of Burnaby also has a network of Level 2 chargers, located at an assortment of sports centres, pools, parks, city offices, libraries, and golf courses. They charge a $2-per-hour flat fee from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., $1-per-hour after that, and in many instances there are also parking fees to deter users from using them as free parking. Coquitlam has a network of Level 2 stations, as well, but relies on a combination of parking fees and pricing changes ($1 per hour for first two hours, $5 per hour after), to dissuade drivers from overstaying their welcome.

In Victoria, EV charging stations have been provided by the city since 2013 using the Flo app that combines, for a charging fee of $1 per hour plus any parking charges, the ability to pay for both on the app.

Burnaby School District's Takahashi says she talked to the City of Burnaby along with other school districts and municipalities to arrive at pricing that would be fair and consistent with what was happening elsewhere.

"I feel like having continuity for users is probably a good thing," she says. "We're all public entities, so I don't want anyone to think we're gouging. We're all in this together, supporting electric vehicle use in the community."

Businesses, stratas also experiment with pricing

Many B.C. businesses also offer free charging for their employees and have taken advantage of CleanBC workplace charging incentives. Incentives are available for up to 50% of purchase/installation costs to a maximum of $2,000 per charger, and $14,000 per workplace while funding lasts. The program stipulates that chargers must only be used by staff, and not by the general public.

According to Reid Arkinstall, Program Manager for the CleanBC EV Charger Rebate Program, the most common billing approach for EV chargers in condo developments is a flat monthly fee.

"This is because Measurement Canada does not allow stratas and/or landlords to charge for the amount of energy they actually consume, which is problematic given the amount of energy used can vary from driver to driver," he says. "The good news is that Measurement Canada is working on the issue and has committed to addressing energy billing in condos soon."

Read Measurement Canada's EV equipment guidelines

While Burnaby School District's charging stations are designed to help staff and students make the transition to zero-emission commuting, their stations are also open to the public. So it has become important to come up with a pricing scheme that ensures fair access to the chargers.

"Usage is definitely a mixed bag, and differs from one school to the next, which is great," says Takahashi.

Maintenance staff with the Burnaby School District are also getting well acquainted with EV charging, which will be increased by six chargers when the massive new Burnaby North Secondary is complete next year. The district's own electricians installed the stations at the high schools and at the district's maintenance service centre, and staff rely on two Nissan Leaf EVs owned and operated by the Burnaby School District. A retrofitted Kia Soul EV has also been in use by the Coquitlam School District since 2021.

Related:

• MetroVancouver EV strata charging resource (evcondo.ca)
• EV charger rebates