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Borough manager proposes hourly fees as EV charging cost rises
Summary
Borough Manager Brian Bond told council that publicly available EV chargers have cost the borough about $600–$700 monthly in electricity; he recommended a $2 per hour charging fee and a $5 per hour idle fee to discourage vehicles occupying chargers after charging is complete. Council discussed enforcement and retail/parking impacts.
Borough Manager Brian Bond told the Washington Borough Council on Feb. 17 that the electric vehicle chargers installed downtown have been free but are costing the borough roughly $600 to $700 a month in electricity. Bond said usage patterns show vehicles stay connected an average of more than five hours, often remaining plugged in after charging is complete.
Bond recommended a two-tier approach to discourage station hogging: a $2-per-hour fee while actively charging and a $5-per-hour fee when a vehicle remains connected but is not charging. Council members discussed whether the idle fee should trigger after the first hour and how to enforce penalties and turnover. Councilman Brown noted the original intent of the chargers was to attract shoppers downtown, and members weighed that economic goal against recurring utility costs and potential abuse of the stations.
No formal motion to adopt the fee schedule was taken at the meeting; the discussion was informational and council asked staff to gather comparative policies used by nearby municipalities and to return with enforcement options and an implementation plan.
