A $7.50 Monthly Credit For EV Charging Could Buy A Dozen Eggs

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Okay, so $7.50 per month credit on your electricity bill to reward off-peak EV charging is peanuts, but it would pay for a dozen eggs at today’s inflated prices. Besides, 3,000 EV owners in Florida decided that a bit of chump change was enough motivation to rush into an off-peak pilot project launched by the utility Duke Energy. The limited-subscription program quickly oversubscribed and now Duke is offering it to everyone in their Florida territory, sky’s the limit.

$7.50 Per Month For Off-Peak EV Charging

For all the fuss over the new super ultra mega fast-charging electric car platform unveiled last week by the Chinese firm BYD, the vast majority of EV drivers in the US prefer a leisurely Level 2 charge at home, where they can watch teevee or brush their teeth or whatever.

That could help explain why Duke Energy’s credit program for off-peak EV charging won so many hearts and minds when the utility introduced it as a pilot program for its residential customers in 2022. Drivers in the utility’s service territory in Indiana were the first to benefit, with Florida drivers following in 2023. It’s not much, but it’s still free money for drivers who routinely charge up at home.

Duke described the pilot program last year, positioning it as a grid resiliency initiative aimed at avoiding service interruptions even while the demands of EV charging continue to increase.

“Through financial incentives, the company aims to shift demand on the energy grid to times when it is used less, which is important since about 2 million EVs are expected to be on the road in Duke Energy’s service territories by the end of 2030,” the utility explained.

“Charging EVs during off-peak hours, when fewer people are using electricity, allows the grid to function more efficiently – behaviors that can help keep costs down by reducing the need for new infrastructure,” Duke added.

The pilot program defined off-peak as weekday nights, 9 p.m. to 6 a.m., plus any time during weekends and holidays, making it a real no-brainer for EV drivers with a habit of charging up at home.

“It demonstrates that voluntary-managed charging programs can help balance demand on the grid with little inconvenience to customers,” Duke explains. “We want people to be able to simply, ‘set it and forget it.’”

More Off-Peak EV Charging Credits For More Drivers

The Florida pilot program quickly hit the 2,000 enrollee mark during its first year of launch, eventually climbing to the subscription limit of 3,000 with a long waitlist, to boot.

The enthusiastic response motivated Duke to re-launch the program to every residential ratepayer in its Florida service territory using a Level 2 charger at home, with no limit to the enrollment. The new program was announced on March 18.

The new credit-able hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. Monday through Friday. Compared to the pilot program, Duke has shaved off some of the evening hours but added mid-day hours to the credit-eligible charging schedule. Weekends are still credited at any hour.

How About Some Help Installing That New EV Charging Station?

In the same EV charging announcement, Duke also dropped word that it will provide a one-time rebate for its residential and business ratepayers in Florida that install a new Level 2 or higher charging station. The credit does not cover the cost of the station itself, but it does cover associated electrical upgrades, which can be substantial depending on the state of the building’s existing wiring. Duke will send a check in the mail for up to $819 to help defray the cost of an electrical upgrade.

As an additional perk for commercial ratepayers, Duke is also rolling out a new electrification service for commercial customers with at least 20 light-duty EVs on their roster, or at least five medium or heavy-duty EVs, or a combination of both adding up to 10 or more EVs.

The new “Fleet Advisory” service will provide up to $12,000 to help cover the cost of a fleet electrification study for ratepayers who want to know what they’re getting into before they make the switch.

“The goal is for businesses to learn how to reduce their carbon footprint, while also discovering how EVs can lower their operating costs and improve overall efficiency,” Duke explains.

Fleet managers better not sit on that electrification study offer, because the dictator-adjacent Commander-in-Chief who occupies the White House has threatened to eliminate the federal tax credit for EVs. Though EVs are known to be less expensive to operate and maintain, loss of the tax credit will impact up-front costs.

Why Florida?

EV drivers elsewhere in Duke’s service territory can check into the utility’s website for any other EV-related offers that may apply in other states. Meanwhile, it’s fair to ask why Duke is bothering to promote EV adoption in deep red Florida, where red-state political prejudices work against the vehicle electrification movement.

Or not, as the case may be. For utilities determined to pry open some load-shifting opportunities among EV owners, Florida is a target rich environment. Last week CleanTechnica took a look at registration data compiled by the US Department of Energy and noted that, as of 2023, EV registrations track with population, not necessarily politics. The three most populous states in the US are California, Florida, and Texas. California was far ahead in EV registrations in 2023, with Florida and Texas both vying to claim the #2 spot.

On the other hand, red-state politics have been hard at work in the office of Republican Governor Ron DeSantis, who failed to ensure that his state deployed its cut from the $5 billion federal NEVI program. The funds were carved out from the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act, which passed Congress with exactly zero votes from Republican legislators. The goal is to help states establish EV charging corridors along major highways, with a focus on fast charging for long distance travelers, such as those heading to and from Florida on vacation.

The program still exists in law but the walking scofflaw who occupies the Oval Office suspended the funding on February 6.

Florida is not the only state to lose the opportunity. NEVI is a new program, and even the most willing state policy makers had to work from scratch to recruit vendors and plan routes. Still, nine states were able to start deploying their NEVI funds by the end of last year, and the five-year program still has three or so years of life before it times out.

If you’re an EV driver in Florida with a home charging station, tell us what you think about the Duke EV charging credit. Is it worth signing up for an extra $7.50 in your pocket every month?

Photo (cropped): A leading US utility is offering a home EV charging credit of $7.50 per month to its residential ratepayers in Florida, which is the equivalent of a free carton of eggs at today’s inflated prices (courtesy of Duke Energy).