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Proper payment for use of a private charger/outlet?

How should you reward charger use hospitality

  • Cash ($5-10 bucks)

    Votes: 12 40.0%
  • Gift Card (~$10)

    Votes: 7 23.3%
  • Fruit basket sent later

    Votes: 1 3.3%
  • Nothing

    Votes: 2 6.7%
  • Other (specify below)

    Votes: 8 26.7%

  • Total voters
    30
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efusco

Moderator - Model S & X forums
Moderator
Just curious what everyone thinks. If you are traveling and need to top up along your route and make arrangements with someone to use their HPC or NEMA 14-50 or whatever you're likely going to be using $5-6 worth of electricity and may well occupy their time, drink their coffee and eat their potato chips. I think we all agree that our mere presence probably isn't payback enough for such hospitality, but what do you do? Should you offer cash, or is that too crude and insulting? I think most/many of us wouldn't accept it. Should you keep a stash of $10 Starbucks gift cards as a thank you?
 
Just as interesting question: what would you charge to open up your charger for use by random folks? Or even semi-random like fellow TMC forum members?

I should give this some thought. I imagine my HPWC plus koi pond could get some visitors. Hmmmm...

Thanks for asking the question!
 
Just as interesting question: what would you charge to open up your charger for use by random folks? Or even semi-random like fellow TMC forum members?

I should give this some thought. I imagine my HPWC plus koi pond could get some visitors. Hmmmm...

Thanks for asking the question!

I suppose if you were in a particularly popular area and there was no other public charging option, so there was frequent enough traffic to warrant it, then establishing a specific "rate" would be reasonable, but then are you a business? I guess if EVs get popular enough that I have to worry about what it's costing me to let folks charge then I might start asking folks to pay a nominal fee for the use to offset the cost. But, until that time, any TMC folks who wander through Nixa, MO have free use, no payment expected.
 
$5 may not cover the electrons depending on where you are charging. Our average cost at my office is $ .22 per kwh. Needing a full charge at peak times could be $ 25.00 or more!

Wow, that's so expensive! That would be higher than many gas vehicles on a per mile basis. We're $0.11/kWh flat rate here, so $10 would cover a full charge.
 
I'm installing an HPWC at my home, with part of the intended purpose to feed hungry Tesla EV's headed up the 15 to Vegas. I'm about 5 minutes from the 15 and about 220 miles from Vegas (Mandalay Bay to be exact). I'm also about 5 minutes from a large outdoor mall with lots of nice restaurants.

Should make for a reasonable stop point for those coming from the LA or SD area, or headed back from Vegas.
 
Lunch and a test ride/drive if you didn't already have a Model S but most people wouldn't expect anything for the occasional use of their HPWC. If people starting coming often then maybe charging some fee since you can't expect someone to hand out $10-25 in free electricity multiple times a month.
 
Wow, that's so expensive! That would be higher than many gas vehicles on a per mile basis. We're $0.11/kWh flat rate here, so $10 would cover a full charge.
I recommend you take a look at: kWh prices world-wide

I always take a couple of 5 euro bills with me in the Roadster, that is mostly enough for a small top-up you do, not for a full charge.

I'll open up my EVSE at home (put it on OpenChargeMap) and probably won't ask anything until demand really starts rising.
 
I recommend you take a look at: kWh prices world-wide

I always take a couple of 5 euro bills with me in the Roadster, that is mostly enough for a small top-up you do, not for a full charge.

I'll open up my EVSE at home (put it on OpenChargeMap) and probably won't ask anything until demand really starts rising.

Someone's making good money on those electrons. Probably taxes to offset carbon, or solar or wind projects, but still, crazy the price differences. I know petrol is no different. Paid US$ 9 in New Zealand a couple years ago.
 
When a TESLA sales rep visited from Chicago to do some test drives/rides he (TESLA) paid for our lunch while his black roadster was taking advantage of our HPC.

First time o roadster was charging outside our garage...

The neighbors were rolling their eyes thinking we got a 3rd roadster...

In a week they will see our third TESLA lol
 
I would offer the $5-10 in cash (if I wasn't patronizing them in any other way) and probably expect about 50% refusal rate. I would also probably bring doughnuts, or chips and salsa as offerings, if going to someones house.

I think that's reasonable. Depending upon the situation I might offer $20 given the inconvenience to the individual and that some electrical rates are so much higher.
I think bringing the non-monetary gift of food/drink/whatever is good. Maybe getting a stash of Tesla key chains or travel mugs and keeping several in the car for hand outs for these kinds of situations would be appropriate...whether they accepted the cash offer or not.

It's a whole new area of etiquette that Miss Manners just hasn't covered.
 
It depends. I would offer some combination of conversation (topics: EVs, funny bikes, rock climbing, travel), test drive, a hot beverage, returning the favor, a place to stay in <hometown>, and lastly cash if requested.

I am a member of a variety of tight-knit communities and those are the typical currency exchanged for favors like this. I have had multiple people visit my place, stay overnight, get rides to local or remote destinations, etc, all based on sharing a common interest or attending a shared event.
 
I'd probably do the following in sequence:
(1) Offer to compensate the owner for the electricity
If refused,
(2) Offer to take the owner out to lunch (or something similar), which would probably cost more :)

In either case,
(3) Offer a test drive if the owner is interested
(4) Offer charging at my place if the owner is ever going by.

I guess those are the assumptions in my social circle: analyzing it, there are two separate things going on:
(1) reciprocity and sociability
(2) offering to pay cash for charges to *outsiders* (the electricity company), but not for the owner's time, inconvenience, etc. (So, makes it clear this is "not a business transaction")