SINGAPORE: A driver of an electric vehicle took to social media to warn the public when he was charged almost $300 after he fell asleep at a charging station. He wrote a “heads-up” post on the Singapore EV Enthusiasts (EVE) Group on Facebook on Friday (Jan 10).
The netizen acknowledged in his post that he had been through a “really frustrating experience with excessive idle fees” and said he wanted to share it so that others would not have the same experience.
His idling time started at 1:33 am, and he got charged $297. While he attempted to appeal for consideration to the charging company since this was the first time it had happened to the driver, the company “only offered a ‘one-time’ administrative fee of $100.”
If it happens another time, the driver will be charged $200. After that, no more waivers will be granted, he added. He also shared a screenshot from his experience:
The driver wrote that one night, when it was quite late in the evening, he fell asleep using a charging station. It was not until the next morning that he realized that his car incurred idle fees during the entire time he was asleep.
“To my shock, the fees were incredibly high!” he wrote in his post, adding that for him, “the biggest issue” is that there was no cap on the charging station’s idle fees and that the time of day was not taken into account, such as when charging is done late in the evening when people are normally asleep.
“This resulted in a huge, unexpected charge,” he wrote before dispensing advice to the Facebook group members.
First, he told them to always check the charging station’s policy regarding idle fees before charging their electric vehicle. He especially told others to take note of the details of how the fees are calculated, specifically if there is a maximum fee and whether there are grace periods.
Secondly, he urged members to set an alarm or use the charging app on the car to let the driver know when charging is done, as this would help drivers avoid going past the time and incurring idle fees.
Third, he said EV drivers should consider using the providers whose idle fee policies or caps are “reasonable” because “Some providers are more user-friendly than others,” he added.
Finally, he suggested that drivers should advocate for better standards for idle fees, as he feels that more transparency and reasonable policies to prevent situations where EV users are charged high fees are needed.
“I’m hoping that by sharing my experience, we can all be more aware of these potential pitfalls and avoid getting hit with unexpected charges,” the post wrote.
The Independent Singapore has contacted the post author for further comments or updates. /TISG
Featured photo from Freepik (for illustration purposes only)
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