Wallbox cost trap

For the study, The Charging Project compared 110 providers. These billing service providers read the power consumption of individual charging points, for example in apartment buildings, and then send consumers a bill. The providers charge a fee for this service. Study results It turns out that the prices for almost identical services vary between 5 and over 41 euros per month, depending on the provider.

According to The Charging Project, 72 of the 110 providers contacted were not even willing to disclose their price list without further ado. Among the remaining providers, there were not only significant differences in the basic monthly costs, but also in the price of the charging current. Here, the price difference between the cheapest and most expensive tariff was around 21 cents. For an annual mileage of 12,000 kilometers, you would be paying up to 500 euros too much.

Even when setting up the Wallboxes The Charging Project team found significant cost differences between providers. Some offered the Installation of the charging station for free, others charge up to 1000 euros. The consulting company also warns of extremely high transaction fees that are incurred for each charging process. According to Edward Cooper, managing director of The Charging Project, transaction fees of up to 20 percent of turnover are completely unjustified.

In general, The Charging Project advises consumers to be cautious when choosing a billing service provider. Many offers “vary without any real added value”. Providers often work with non-transparent pricing models. In this case, it can be worthwhile to ask an independent consultant for help.