ubitricity pricing
Our charging prices are agreed with individual Councils.
We continue to monitor the price of our network.
Pricing update: ubitricity reduces standard price
From the 30th November 2022 ubitricity will be rolling out a new pricing structure:
- We will be reducing our standard pricing rate from 49p to 45p per kWh which will be available to all customers for 21 hours of the day
- We will be introducing peak pricing between the hours of 4-7pm. The peak pricing will be 79p per kWh
1. We are lowering our standard price for the majority of the day
We are lowering our standard rates for 21 hours of the day. Outside of 4-7pm all charging will now cost 45p per kWh.
2. Introducing peak hours pricing
We are introducing a peak pricing rate between 4-7PM. The peak pricing will be 79p per kWh.
Electricity isn’t one price throughout the day. Between 4-7pm the price we pay to supply our charge points with electricity more than doubles due to peak demand on the national grid.
Rather than distribute this increased cost throughout our standard pricing. we’ve decided to limit this price increase to a peak window. This helps ensure we can offer the best value reduced rate to our customers for the majority of the day.
Our own customer data has shown that over 77% of charging typically happens outside of this window, so by having a short three-hour peak window we hope to give our customers the option to avoid these higher charges and access a lower standard rate for the remaining 21 hours of the day.
3. Skip the peak – helping customers to reduce charging costs
Alongside lowering our standard rate from 49p to 45p per kWh, we will also be rolling out our new Smart charging technology to allow customers to skip the peak pricing. Direct access customers who plug in from 12:00PM (midday) will be given the option automatically schedule their charge to start after the peak window has finished (from 7pm).
FAQ
Where does this new pricing structure apply?
The new pricing structure is implemented in the following local authorities.
Can the lower rate be accessed on Shell Recharge?
This pricing update will affect all direct access users only (users who scan the QR code at the charge point to start their charge). For Shell Recharge users, this pricing update will be reflected in a standard price increase to 55p per kWh.
How often will prices change?
Between October 2022 and March 2023, we will review our prices monthly. We’ve taken this decision for more regular pricing reviews to ensure the price we charge customers fairly reflects our supply costs.
Why have you added a connection Fee?
Earlier this year we decided to add a flat connection fee. This fee was added to cover the transactional and operational costs associated with each charging session.
What is ubitricity doing to relieve the impact of the Energy Crisis?
We’re taking the following steps to reduce the impact on your charging costs:
• Developing products which enable you to take advantage of cheaper electricity times
• Ensuring the way we buy our energy is robust, future proof and offers the best possible value
Why has your standard price increased in my area?
The ongoing energy crisis impacts individuals and businesses across the UK, including ubitricity. On October 1st , ubitricity implemented a price increase across the majority of our network, the increase in our price reflected the increase in our supply costs.
For the majority of councils, this price increase went live on the 1st October. However for some Councils, the price increase did not go live until the 7th December. This is because we have different agreements with each Council on when we vary our network price.
From the 7th December 2022 ubitricity will be rolling out a new pricing structure.
• We will be increasing our standard rate to 45p per kWh.
• We will be introducing peak pricing between the hours of 4-7pm. The peak pricing will be 79p per kWh
Adjusting our prices will ensure that we can continue to:
- Supply our charging network whilst remaining commercially viable business
- Fund the maintenance of the network to ensure is safe and reliable
- Develop innovative solutions to help you get the best value charging
- Provide you with an easy, convenient charging experience
This change will affect the following Local authorities: Brent
Why am I being charged a preauthorisation fee?
UK specific: As soon as you start charging, your bank pre-authorises (reserves) £20 to ensure it’s available for you to pay with.
Our standard tariff across the majority of our network is 45p per kWh. This covers an approximate charge of 45 kWh. Most batteries are between 50-75kWh therefore this pre-authorisation fee ensures we can be certain there are bank funds to cover normal sized charging session.
If you have mobile banking, you may see this amount pop up. When you finish charging, we tell your bank the real amount you spent, they deduct it, and arrange to unreserve the pre-authorised amount. This process can take a few minutes to a few days depending on who you bank with.
Toby Butler
UK managing director
“We want to provide fair priced and convenient charging to our customers, these recent changes to our pricing structure mean we are able to offer customers a lower standard price for the majority of the day.”