The City installed its electric vehicle (EV) charging stations about two and a half years ago around the Island.

Until now, this service was provided for free under the terms of the federal American Recovery & Reinvestment Act (ARRA) grant that funded the original installations.

But no more.

The City will now charge a fee of $1/hour for use of the charging stations any time of the day or night.

Presently the City sees about 2,600 unique charging sessions per year, and over the past 12 months have provided almost 15,000 kilowatt hours of electricity to drivers, valued at approximately $1,400. However, now that the ARRA has expired, the city will now levy a user fee for the service.

“We are seeking to recover our costs,” explained Ross Freeman, the communications and sustainability coordinator for the city, “while still providing a convenient service that meets the City’s goals of reducing the overall carbon footprint of the Island and its inhabitants.”

Every year, the city spends about $1,000 in maintenance and operation fees.

“Although a fee of $1/hr seems minimal, it aligns with many other municipalities in the region and with the fee set by the Mercer Island School District for their chargers,” he said. “It should generate about $2,500 after credit card fees are deducted and offset the $2,400 in annual expenses that the City incurs each year.”

There have been reports of some drivers leaving cars overnight at EV stations on the Island.

“It’s true that at some locations EV owners were parking overnight to take advantage of the free service,” Freeman said. “Although the fee system isn’t intended to prohibit that, we do certainly anticipate that the practice will drop off.”

Users can apply for a swipe card, or call the 1-800 number on each charging station to make a payment; to learn more about paying for EV charging, go to http://www.chargepoint.com/.