Charge point operator Gridserve has increased the cost of charging an electric vehicle (EV) on its Electric Highway network.

It has increased the DC charging rate by 10 pence to 79p/kWh, while the price remains capped at 49p/kWh for standalone AC charging. The price change was effective from Thursday, November 30.

In a statement, Gridserve said: “We’re undertaking the biggest investment in our history with 40 sites under construction to deliver a UK-wide High Power UK charging network at the speed and scale required to meet the demand of electric vehicles and help move the needle on climate change.

“The unprecedented rollout of Electric Super Hubs, Electric Retail Hubs and Electric Forecourts is not without its challenges and we often face delays and cost increases outside of our control.

“We do our best to mitigate these issues through clever solutions and innovative technology, but this comes at a cost.

“While we absorb a lot of this expenditure within our business operations, the continued need to unlock barriers and apply increasing amounts of resource to deliver a network that we can be proud of, does mean we are unable to maintain current charging prices at this time.”

The price rise follows an increase in June, when the cost of using its high-power chargers increased by 3p per kWh, to 69p/kWh. 

To simplify pricing, and also to reduce some confusion around the levels of power delivered, at the time Gridserve also moved all DC chargers, including its medium-power chargers and those at our Electric Forecourts, to the same pricing.

Following this latest price hike, Gridserve said: “Whilst we have historically been able to maintain prices below the industry average for high power charging, the price increases now takes Gridserve in line with the rest of the industry.”

However, it insisted it was working hard to keep pricing as low as possible in the long term.

For example, Gridserve purchased a new hybrid solar farm on the outskirts of Rugby, allowing it to produce more of its own energy and therefore give it greater control over energy pricing.

“We’re continuing to invest in solar power as we know that as the Gridserve Electric Highway grows, we’ll need even more homegrown energy to continue delivering affordable net zero charging,” it added.

“Any price increase is never an easy decision, but we hope that you understand it’s needed at the moment, so Gridserve can continue maximising our efforts and resources in expanding our UK charging network as quickly as possible to meet the climate crisis and deliver the best possible customer experience.”