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Electric cars: Fee to use charging points being considered

BBC Car charging in BelfastBBC
The network is currently free to use in Northern Ireland but the possibility of introducing fees is being looked at

Introducing fees to use the electric car charging network in Northern Ireland is being considered for next year, the company that operates the public charging network has said.

Electricity Supply Board (ESB) executives were giving evidence to Stormont's Infrastructure Committee.

The network is currently free to use in Northern Ireland.

The executives reported that there are 1,180 charging stations in the Republic and 170 in Northern Ireland.

Appearing before the committee were ESB executives John Byrne and John Walsh.

They said there were currently 50,000 electric cars in use in the Republic, 4,600 in Northern Ireland.

They said the reliability of the charging network in the Republic is 98%, compared to 69% in Northern Ireland.

Infrastructure committee chairman Jonathan Buckley MLA of the DUP described the figures as "disgraceful" and "startling" and said it appeared Northern Ireland was "the poor child" in comparison with the Republic in relation to the reliability of the network.

NI Assembly ESB executives John Byrne and John Walsh.NI Assembly
Appearing before the committee were ESB executives John Byrne and John Walsh

The ESB executives said the Republic's network has benefited from an upgrade scheme over the last three years thanks to climate action funding from the Irish Government.

Levelling-up funding from the Westminster government will allow an upgrade of the Northern Ireland network over the next 18 months, replacing and upgrading charging points, which the ESB said will make the reliability here as good or better than the network in the Republic.

Levelling-up funding will provide £3.3m, which is 90% of the capital outlay required to upgrade the Northern Ireland network.

The ESB said the electric vehicle charging network operates at a loss in Northern Ireland.

In answer to a question from Alliance assembly member Andrew Muir, Mr Byrne said: "We are actively looking at our commercial models in NI in 2022, with a view to examining our options around commercialisation and introducing fees for charging."