bp pulse has emailed their existing Australian registered charging customers to say that they have changed from their previous flat price of 55c/kWh to a variable price depending on the day of the week and time of day.
Price signals are a well known method of encouraging efficient behaviours from market participants.
While some people will be annoyed that the pricing isn’t fixed anymore I think variable pricing is better because it means demand will spread out from a few peak times to longer periods across weekdays and weekends by day and night.
As you can see in the example screenshots I took below, the current prices for locations near me are 45c/kWh, 55c/kWh and 60c/kWh.
The following is a quote from the bp pulse email:
“As a valued bp pulse customer, we are committed to giving you the best possible charging experience. You may have noticed that other providers have already raised charging prices across their entire network due to the increased cost of energy”.
“To offer you more flexibility, the team at bp pulse are excited to introduce to you variable pricing – at some locations, we are now giving you the power to access lower-priced, off-peak rapid charging via the bp pulse app”.
“You will notice moving forward that pricing may vary across different bp pulse locations, and at selected sites, you might see discounted pricing when you charge at off-peak times. To check the most up-to-date charging prices near you, always refer to the bp pulse app”.
“We are continuing to improve and invest in our rapid EV charging network. We are growing our number of charging points and importantly, putting more chargers where you need them”.
I assume the pricing strategy must be based on usage, not cost of electricity.
During the day in some locations, cost of electricity is zero or negative due to solar generating more power than required.