Should your EV charging site use idle fees or overstay charges?

Idle fees can charge for occupying a connected bay after charging finishes, while parking restrictions may use a different clock. Define the trigger, grace period, rate and cap before launch. Regulation 11 governs public charging price information [S1]; calling a fee an overstay charge does not settle its legal treatment. Check the terms with your solicitor. Checked October 2026.

Last checked 16 October 2026

When does an idle fee start, and when does a parking charge start?

Define each event rather than relying on the fee’s label. An idle fee might begin after a vehicle finishes charging but stays connected. A maximum-stay parking condition might count from entry into the car park. A time-based charging tariff is different again. Your policy needs to say which clock applies and what ends it. Do not assume that disconnecting the cable proves the parking bay has been vacated.

Public charging guidance distinguishes the price of charging from separate parking fees charged by a third party. It also addresses bundled offers. That distinction does not automatically validate a fee you describe as parking. Have your solicitor review the actual supply, trigger and customer terms. [S2]

Use managing EV bays and parking to plan the whole car park. An idle-fee system cannot by itself deal with a vehicle that never connects to the charger.

Should destination sites charge drivers after charging finishes?

Start with the behaviour you need to change. At a hotel, overnight connection may be part of the intended service. At a busy short-stay site, you may need turnover. Ask whether a driver can reasonably return from a meal, appointment or work shift when the charging session ends. A policy that looks simple on a screen may be awkward to operate at your site.

The LEVI Support Body’s technical schedules offer an example for local-authority procurement: charging ends, a grace period follows, and charges then accumulate, subject to a cap. Its bracketed values and council-specific conditions are drafting prompts, rather than a universal rule for private land. [S6]

Compare booking, reminders, designated long-stay bays and a maximum stay before adding a payment penalty. For staff parking, connect the rule to your workplace charging policy. Review blocked-bay records and complaints so the policy responds to an observed problem rather than an assumed source of income.

How could a grace period, fee and cap work in practice?

This is an illustration, not a quote or a statement of a lawful fee. Assume the charging session ends at 14:00, the grace period is 15 minutes, the idle rate is 10p per completed minute and the cap is £6. The times, rate and cap are policy assumptions requiring review before use.

Method: subtract the assumed grace period from elapsed minutes, with a minimum of zero. Multiply billable completed minutes by £0.10, then apply the £6 cap. This excludes the energy bill and any separate parking charge. A kilowatt-hour, or kWh, measures energy; it is different from a minute of bay occupation. A kilowatt, or kW, measures charging power.

If you intend to collect both parking and idle fees, show both to your solicitor. Ask who receives each payment, who authorises refunds and whether the software can reproduce the calculation. Do not put an assumed overstay income line into your business case before the policy, demand and costs are established.

What price information should drivers see before they plug in?

Regulation 11 governs public charging price disclosure. Current government guidance says fixed charging fees must be included in the displayed maximum pence-per-kWh price, while separate third-party parking fees are treated differently. Calling a fee idle, connection or parking does not replace that assessment. [S1], [S2]

The CMA’s price-transparency guidance covers mandatory charges, taxes and fees. Ask your solicitor how your conditional overstay charge should be presented and whether any unavoidable element belongs in the upfront price. Review the charger screen, signage, website and payment journey together. [S4]

Your proposed notice should explain:

• The event that starts the clock and the event that stops it.
• The grace period and whether fees run overnight or outside opening hours.
• The calculation, rounding method, tax-inclusive amount and maximum charge.
• Whether parking requires a separate payment or registration.
• How drivers request help, an adjustment or a review of an incorrect charge.

Ask a colleague unfamiliar with the site to read the notice and calculate a sample bill. Resolve differences between the written terms and the software before launch. Read setting a public charging tariff when reviewing the wider price.

What happens if the charger stops, notifications fail or a driver needs longer?

Commission a test in which charging pauses for load management, communications fail and a connector cannot be released. Ask the operator to show how it distinguishes those cases from completed charging. Request a rule that suspends disputed fees pending review when the fault may be on the service side. Keep evidence of the agreed tariff, session events, communications and the reason for any correction.

CMA guidance warns against hidden terms and disproportionate charges for breach. A sign and an app receipt do not remove the need to assess fairness. Agree a complaints route and refund authority before charges go live; check the legal wording with your solicitor. [S3]

In Great Britain, service providers must anticipate barriers faced by disabled people and consider reasonable adjustments. Build a way to request extra time or assistance without requiring someone to reveal medical details to other drivers. Northern Ireland has a separate disability-law framework; obtain local legal review before applying the same policy there. [S5], [S7]

What should you do next?

Write the proposed trigger, grace period, price, cap and fault exceptions, then get matched with an installer that covers your area. Request a demonstration of the whole billing and refund process before enabling fees.

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