Select Board raises EV fast‑charger price to $0.55/kWh after payouts fail to cover rising electric costs

The Hamden Select Board voted Feb. 9 to increase the town’s Level‑3 electric vehicle charging rate to $0.55 per kilowatt‑hour, after staff reported that rising electricity costs and demand charges have left the town subsidizing charger use.

Staff told the board that utility retail kilowatt‑hour rates have risen substantially in recent months and that Ready Network payouts to the town are not matching the town’s electric bills. "The kilowatt hour rate has essentially doubled," a staff presenter said, adding that reconciled payouts from the Ready Network did not equal electric usage costs. The presenter gave an example in which the town’s electric bill might be $50 while Ready Network pays roughly $40, leaving a shortfall.

Board members discussed the two components that affect net revenue: the energy supplied to vehicles (kilowatt hours) and fees paid to the vendor for promoting/operating the chargers. Staff recommended raising the per‑kWh price from roughly $0.45 to at least $0.55 to stop subsidizing the stations from the town’s general fund. The motion to raise the price, effective the next day, was moved, seconded and approved by voice vote.

Members also raised ongoing concerns about demand charges and asked staff to continue to press the utility and vendor for billing clarifications. The board asked staff to implement the rate change via the charger vendor’s app and to monitor monthly payouts and electric bills going forward.

Next steps: staff to reprogram pricing via vendor interface, continue billing reconciliation with the utility, and report back on whether demand charges are properly removed.