Drivers in the South are being charged over a quarter (28%) more to charge their electric cars using council-owned chargers than those in the North, new research has revealed.
A freedom of information request by British Gas has uncovered a 'postcode lottery' when it comes to public electric vehicle charging costs.
It found that while drivers in the South have access to 1,468 more on-street charging points than their Northern counterparts, they do have to pay more to use them. On average it costs drivers 32p per kWh to recharge in the South, compared to 25p per kWh for people in the North.
It also found there are 21 councils across England and Wales that provide free electric vehicle charging.
A survey by British Gas shows that while nearly half of drivers would consider purchasing an electric vehicle as their next car, 29% said expensive public charging costs is the biggest barrier to switching.
Lucy Simpson, head of EV enablement at British Gas, said: 'Currently, we have 21 progressive councils that have decided to support local EV adoption, so we would expect a greater uptake of EVs to come through in these areas than in councils where it is expensive to charge. If charging doesn’t become more accessible in these areas, we could see a slower rate of adoption.
'Whilst the government does offer certain financial incentives at the point of purchase, charging costs are still a barrier to electric vehicle adoption. With 29% of drivers citing expensive public charging as one of the main reasons holding them back, it’s unfair that those who don’t live in areas with either free or low cost charging are being discriminated against based on their address.'
