Electricity Tariff

Electricity tariff refers to the electrical energy cost paid by electric vehicle (EV) users to power grid utilities based on actual electricity consumed during charging. As the foundational component of an EV charging bill, it is subject to government-regulated pricing policies and is not determined autonomously by charging operators.

Policy Framework

According to the *Notice on Relevant Issues Concerning Electricity Pricing Policies for Electric Vehicles* (NDRC Price [2014] No. 1668) issued by the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), power consumption for EV charging and battery swapping facilities is governed by the peak-valley time-of-use (TOU) tariff policy. Base electricity tariffs and charging service fees must be clearly itemised and charged separately, strictly adhering to the "unbundled tariff and service fee" principle.

Electricity Tariff Rates across Different Scenarios

Specific electricity rates vary depending on the charging location:

For charging facilities located within residential developments, both the utility billing the facility operators and the operators billing end-users are charged according to the residential master-meter tariff. Taking the Guangnan Power Grid as an example, under the residential EV charging point TOU scheme, the off-peak tariff is approximately 0.284 RMB/kWh, while the normal/peak tariff is around 0.584 RMB/kWh.

Public charging stations operate in line with the commercial power tariffs applicable to their specific premises, generally adopting the commercial and industrial peak-valley TOU tariff. Rates are higher during on-peak hours and lower during off-peak windows—for example, peak-hour rates at commercial DC fast charging hubs can exceed 1.0 RMB/kWh, whereas late-night off-peak rates can drop to between 0.3 and 0.4 RMB/kWh.

Mandatory Regulatory Standards

Effective from 2024, regulatory authorities including the NDRC have enforced stricter compliance requirements for charging fees: charging point operators must clearly display both the electricity tariff and service fee rates separately in prominent locations, including on-site charging bays, mobile apps, and WeChat official accounts, with any unlisted fees strictly prohibited. In cases of non-compliance with statutory pricing or failure to display transparent pricing, users may lodge formal complaints through consumer hotlines such as 12345 and 12315.