The free ride is almost over.
Beginning on Monday, July 1, users of the 15 electric vehicle chargers on town and school grounds will have to pay for the power. The rate will be 40 cents per kilowatt-hour.
The change is expected to save the town about $45,000 a year.
The chargers were primarily installed for use by school and municipal employees, and they have been notified that they also will be paying. The only exceptions are for the two town-owned electric vehicles.
Stations in the parking areas of the town’s four schools opened in 2019. Two years later, charging options expanded to the Police Department, Town Hall, the Department of Public Works, and Depot Park. There are a total of 24 plugs.
Erin Dorr, energy and sustainability consultant with the Facilities Department, said all of the charging stations are being used except the one at the police station. Records show that there have been about 1,300 unique vehicles that have taken advantage of the free power over the last 365 days, Dorr said, compared to 197 the first year.
Dorr noted that the town acquired the charging stations through state Electric Vehicle Incentive Program (EVIP) grants. She added that she knows of only two other towns providing access to chargers at no cost.
Consumers connect to the charging ports through one of two networks: ChargePoint, which serves the 12 stations at the schools, and Blink. Each has a payment option. Through these apps, the town is reimbursed for electricity used, minus service fees.
“We are not looking to make money, but just cover the usage cost, with a little buffer for repairs, maintenance, and networking fees,” added Dorr. All of the electricity provided is generated from 100 percent renewable sources, she noted.
There’s an etiquette attached to sharing public charging stations, noted Ron Scaltreto, director of the Bedford Facilities Department. People should move their vehicles at least 30 minutes after a full charge or a maximum of four hours.
“We saw four hours as pretty close to getting a full charge for a lot of vehicles,” explained Scaltreto. “That limit gives more people an opportunity to charge.
There are a couple of other unwritten rules:
“Please, never unplug another vehicle from a charger unless clearly stated on that vehicle.” There will be a waitlist option that will notify via cellphone when a charger is available.
Also, “If you drive an internal-combustion vehicle, please try to avoid parking in EV-charging designated spots,” Scaltreto stressed.
This may affect some residents’ routines, Scaltreto acknowledged, but he hopes when the change is implemented, “Most people will say, ‘Thank you, Bedford, for five years of allowing us to do this at no cost.’”
Loading ...
I echo Mr. Scaltreto’s final words, and say ‘Thank you, Bedford, for five years of allowing us to do this at no cost.’” And continued thanks for making these stations available at cost.