Much cheaper to charge electric cars in Rotterdam than Utrecht

Charging your electric car at a public charging station in Rotterdam is significantly cheaper than in Utrecht, according to comparison site Pricewise. Rotterdam charges 31 cents per kilowatt hour (kWh), Utrecht 79 cents - a price difference of 48 cents, more than the charging price in the port city, RTL Nieuws reports.

Utrecht’s rates are head and shoulders above the other three cities and even higher than fast charging at Fastned (69 cents per kWh). The Hague charges 33 cents per kWh. In Amsterdam, there are several providers of public charging stations, so the rates vary in the capital. Fast chargers charge around 30 cents per kWh, and the “regular” charging stations from Vatenfall and Total Energies cost 56 cents.

The Hague, Rotterdam, and Utrecht work with a concession rate - each city has one provider who installs the charging stations and determines their rate. Consumers pay the basic rate if they have a charge card for the provider. Other providers often charge a little extra if you use their card at a different charging station.

Utrecht used to adjust the rates annually, but when energy prices spiked due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the city moved to changing rates per quarter. Price increases on the energy market are implemented retroactively, which is why the Utrecht rates are still high while energy prices have fallen.

A spokesperson for the municipality of Utrecht couldn’t tell RTL whether the city planned to move back to annual rate adjustments. “But it is, of course, the intention that it will be cheaper for the customer to charge again next quarter, now that energy prices are falling.”

The Hague and Rotterdam still adjust their rates annually.