FastNed raises charging prices
The fast-charging provider Fastned is increasing its prices in several countries in continental Europe. The new prices come into effect on 11 November 2021 from 12 noon. The price increase is in response to ever-increasing overall energy prices, despite the fact that FastNed exclusively uses renewable energy.
“We don’t like to do this.” Fastned says. “In fact, we take great pride in the fact that we have kept our prices fixed for five years now while installing much faster chargers, making your charging stop ever more convenient. But in order to keep doing so, it is important that we act on this reality.”
In Germany, for example, the kWh price will rise to 69 cents from the above-mentioned date. The price in Germany used to be 59 cents per kilowatt-hour. The prices for Gold Members will also rise but slightly later on the 1 December 2021: in Germany from 35 to 45 cents per kWh. The monthly basic subscription fee remains unchanged at 11.99 euros.
The Netherlands and Belgium will also be charged 0.69 euros per kWh on 11 November from 12pm onwards. In Switzerland, prices rise to 0.69CHF per kWh, in the UK 0.39 pounds per kilowatt-hour. In France, where the first stations are due to open shortly, Fastned plans to charge 0.59 euros per kWh. Further adjustments are possible in the near future, depending on the overall geopolitical situation. This could drive prices either up or down. Here the company says: “We will review this again when the situation changes.”
Fastned’s price adjustment does not come as a complete surprise since just last month, the Dutch company announced that it was considering a “more dynamic pricing strategy” to reflect price trends on the European wholesale electricity market when it presented its third-quarter financial figures. Just what this means is now becoming clearer: although the company’s prices will not be adjusted throughout the day like at petrol stations – they will be reviewed much more regularly than before.
It remains to be seen just how the new retail prices will affect charging with other EMP’s offers at Fastned stations. If Fastned also passes on the higher end-customer price to other EMPs as a B2B price, this could have an impact on the EMPs’ offers. Until now, for example, charging at Fastned has been possible with EnBW mobility+ at the regular price for DC stations of other operators. Here, only Ionity was listed as a “high price provider” at 0.79 euros per kWh. Fastned only says that “Please note that if you use an EV charge card, different fees could apply”.
Fastned is still emphatic about the fact that it only uses electricity from renewable sources at its charging stations but explains that the wholesale price of electricity is “still strongly linked to gas prices”, presumably putting more pressure on the renewables market. So the situation in the gas market has a very direct impact on electricity and charging prices because of lower gas production in the Netherlands, lower gas imports from Russia, increased energy demand in Asia.
FastNed has indeed kept their prices stable for a long time until now. Back in 2019, the old prices were still in use when the company changed billing at its mainland European fast-charging stations to kWh prices.
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