From this week drivers of electric cars will need to pay to charge their vehicles using the Charging Place Scotland equipment located in Perth and Kinross.
The change came into effect on the 1st of January, with the new charges paying for the electricity motorists use, and will allow further investment from the council in electric vehicle charging infrastructure across the area.
Councillor Richard Watters, Convener of Perth and Kinross Council’s Climate Change and Sustainability Committee said: “It’s great that more people are recognising the benefits of switching to electric vehicles.
“But that means the cost of maintaining and improving our EV charging infrastructure will also become more expensive, and we are all aware of the rise in energy costs themselves over the last 12 months.
“That means we can no longer avoid introducing charges in our car parks. Introducing fees is expected to raise around £230,000 a year which we will use to reinvest in our network so we have the necessary infrastructure to meet rising demand.”
Many Scottish councils have already introduced fees for using chargers in their cark parks, with motorists in Perth and Kinross able to pay for their electricity using their Charge Place Scotland RFID car or App, with pay as you go users able to use the Charge Place Scotland webpay facility.
Customers will be charged for the amount of electricity they use and an overstay fee will apply to ensure that chargers are made available to the highest number of users possible. Parking charges will continue to apply in all locations with paid parking.