Motorists will have to pay to use electric vehicle charging points across East Ayrshire - and they will be charged for any 'overstay'.

There are currently 65 points in 36 locations across East Ayrshire and the councils says that increased demand for these has resulted in high running costs.

East Ayrshire Council has been responsible for installing and operating charging points since 2015.

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Tariffs and overstay charges for the use of public electric vehicle (EV) charging points will be brought in from April 1. 

Starting from April 1, 2024, the charging tariff will be set at:

  • Fast/AC (7kW): £0.31 per kWh
  • Fast/AC (22kW): £0.31per kWh
  • Rapid/DC (50kW): £0.37 per kWh

An overstay charge will also be introduced to ensure that service users choose the appropriate charger capacity for the duration that their vehicle will be parked.

This will also help to reduce congestion on rapid chargers.

The overstay charges will be:

  • Fast/AC: £30 after the first 5 hours plus 10 minutes grace between 8am and 10pm
  • Rapid/DC: £30 after the first hour plus 10 minutes grace between 8am and 10pm

There will also be a minimum spend of £5 at charging points to ensure that EV charger service users only access the charge facility to draw a minimum of 18kWh of electricity when they do need to charge.

When the tariff charging begins, members of the public will continue to use their Chargeplace Scotland card to access the charger network with the bank details assigned to their card being debited by SWARCO for the amount of the EV charge delivered to their vehicle.   

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Cumnock and New Cumnock councillor Jim McMahon, EAC's cabinet member for housing, transport and communities, said: “It’s great to see that the demand for electric vehicles is on the rise and that so many car owners are making the shift to electric.

"However, providing free EV charging is no longer financially viable for the council and it’s also preventing private sector investment.

"This investment is needed if we are to expand the charging network and ultimately achieve our goal of reducing transport emissions and reaching the council’s net zero target.

“By introducing the tariffs, we can recover the cost of energy, ensure effective maintenance of the points for our residents and visitors, and help to reduce congestion at our busier charging points.”