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by _puk
1692 days ago
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It sounds similar to the current "standing charge" you get on UK household energy bills (don't know about the rest of Europe). Even if you don't use any electricity you still pay a day rate (on most tariffs). What I'd hate to see long term is if the subscription remains tied to a single supplier (i.e. I pay my subscription to Tesla, but use Ionic to charge, so pay the subscription charge and the higher rate). That will mean the decision to use a different charge point still has repercussions, and prevents the openness of the infrastructure we (society at large if we're moving full electric) really need. |
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One of the great things mobile phones did for society was the PAYG model. It lowered costs for consumers and allowed to onboard even people with atypical cashflows, who might have otherwise struggled to afford monthly contracts. It was a great democratization of access, and that should be the model to pay for services.
Sadly, companies of all size prefer monthly "standing charges" because they make it much easier to fleece consumers by making them pay even if they don't use the service - and if you miss a payment, they can add further charges on top, increasing the abuse. Even mobile companies now make it harder and harder to get true no-strings PAYG accounts.