Here’s how idle fees work when you’re charging your electric vehicle

What is charger hogging?

Charging hogging means continuing to occupy a public charging station after your vehicle is sufficiently charged. It means other drivers who want to charge can’t use it. Examples of charger hogging include:

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  plug-in hybrids that sit at a charging station all night, when the vehicle’s battery is actually full after just a few hours;
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  staying at a fast charger while you grab lunch or have a meeting, when you already have enough battery to continue driving;
• •
  colleagues’ vehicles that are left in office charging spaces all day.

Happy Charger

It’s best for everyone if all EV drivers follow charging etiquette and avoid creating problems for other drivers. This inspired us to develop the Happy Charger disc, which allows drivers to indicate when they expect their EV to be charged and the space to be free again. This promotes courtesy and takes some of the annoyance out of traffic. But above all: by doing so, you also show respect for other EV drivers. Read more about the Happy Charger here.

What is an idle fee?

Charging station providers are applying fines to incentivise users to remove their vehicle from the charging station when they’ve finished. They do this both to give others a chance to use the station and to avoid loss of revenue. We call this the 'idle fee'.

When is an idle fee applied?

There is often a per-minute idle fee and it starts once the car is sufficiently charged. However, the exact rules vary between providers. Some providers start charging when the car is connected to the charge point, while Tesla, for example, determines whether your car is sufficiently charged based on your route planning. Development in this area is rapid and conditions and tariffs change frequently. It’s best to check the most recent information via an app such as Plugsurfing, which shows you which stations apply idle fees after a certain period. This also applies to charging stations abroad.

What does this mean for me as a driver?

We want drivers to charge socially. By thinking of other drivers, you help people who also need to charge their vehicles and you generally avoid idle fees. Should things not go to plan when you’re using your employer’s charge card, your employer will be charged the fee. It’s common for the employer to deduct this from your salary, as the costs are avoidable. Remember that with some providers, the idle fee is unlimited and a night’s charging can cost a few hundred euros.

How do idle fees work in other countries?

Idle fees don’t apply only in Belgium, but are charged more often by providers abroad. According to an ANWB survey, they are much more common in France, Germany and Austria in particular. So when you’re abroad, always check the regulations before you start charging!

Beware: Sometimes a parking space specifically for electric vehicles also has a maximum parking time (blue zone). This is not subject to an idle fee charged by the charging station supplier, but in some cases it can result in an administrative fine. So it’s best to double check: is there an idle fee charged as well as a maximum parking time?