Taipei, May 22 (CNA) State-run Taiwan Power Co. (Taipower) said Sunday that from June 1, electric car owners will be charged a flat-rate NT$262.50 (US$8.82) monthly fee for household electricity, as well as a varying per-kilowatt-hour (KWh) surcharges.
The new rates, which Taipower said were designed to encourage off-peak charging, would apply to the registered residential addresses of Taiwan's 10,000 or so electric car owners, as well as to public charging points, the company said.
Taipower said that in addition to the NT$262.50 monthly fee, electric car owners would also be charged a per-kilowatt surcharge of NT$34.6 between October and May, and NT$47.2 between June and September.
In an effort to lessen the strain on the nation's power grid, Taipower said it would also be imposing variable demand surcharges on electric car owners.
From October to May, electric car owners will be charged an extra NT8.13 per KWh of electricity used between 3 p.m. and 9 p.m., with the surcharge dropping to NT$1.95 outside of these hours.
However, during the high electricity consumption months from June to September, these surcharges will increase to NT$8.35 per KWh between 4 p.m. and 10 p.m., and NT$2.05 per KWh outside of these hours, according to Taipower.
The company said it hoped the new rates would encourage the nation's electric car owners to charge their vehicles outside of times of peak demand.
The new rates, which have already been approved by the Ministry of Economic Affairs, will be officially announced on May 25 and rolled out beginning June 1, the company added.
Taipower explained that it had introduced the new charges in light of the noticeable growth in the sales of electric cars across Taiwan, and the subsequent increase in demand for electricity.
