Electra’s General Manager: “Hourly rates limit the damage from high energy costs”

Electra has introduced time-of-use rates in an effort to mitigate the impact of rising energy costs. This is General Manager Italy Eugenio Sapora’s response to our article “Electra, what are you doing with the time-of-use rate?”

Electra, what are you doing with the time-of-use rate?

The cost of electricity has almost doubled

"The goal of introducing these new price tiers," writes Eugenio Sapora, "is to mitigate for our users the impact of rising electricity costs, which have nearly doubled over the past six months. In this context, we have chosen not to apply a uniform increase across all hours of the day, but rather to introduce differentiated rates that take advantage of lower energy costs for charging."

Electra rates vary based on energy costs

The manager explained that “the tariff, as correctly reported in the article, varies depending on the time the charging starts. This means the price tiers are determined based on the cost of energy at different times of day. The goal is to link the charging price more closely to the energy cost, offering a lower tariff during hours when energy is cheaper. This means that at certain times the current tariff will be lower than the previous one — from 11 to 3 p.m., as properly indicated in the article — and at other times it will be higher than the previous one, to varying degrees.”

Fl smoother access to charging stations with variable tariffs

Regarding the criticisms about the communication methods of the new Sapora tariff regime, Sapora adds: “We acknowledge that the communication may not have been clear enough, and we apologize for that. For us, transparency is a fundamental value that we strive for in all our activities. Moreover, the time-based pricing mechanism can encourage a more balanced distribution of charges throughout the day, helping to reduce congestion and waiting times and improve the experience at the station. This is a potential benefit of the model, separate from the criteria used to define the time periods.”

AI “outperformed” itself on subscriptions: our apologies

"Regarding subscribers, we confirm that the Smart discount of 0.20 €/kWh applies to all time periods, based on the current public price for that time period, with the subscription fee remaining separate. The information provided by our agent Tom regarding the specific case mentioned in the article was unfortunately incorrect. We apologize for the confusion it caused and assure users that we promptly updated the information used by our AI support agents to eliminate any inconsistencies."

"Finally, we apologize for the difficulty in accessing the app and subscription as described. Viewing as a ‘guest’ does not inherently mean account or subscription cancellation, but to ensure everything works properly, we are available to clarify the situation by verifying the relevant profile, so as to determine the cause of the issue, confirm the status of the plan, and verify the proper application of its benefits."

Transparency about prices first and foremost

"The comments shared by users in this article highlight the need to explain more clearly both how the time-based pricing tiers work and the difference between the subscription discount and the previous price list. In this regard, we remind you that the updated prices for each charging station can always be checked in real time: on the website, through the station map where you can view details of each charger based on your location, and directly from the Electra mobile app. Additionally, on the app, users with an Electra+ subscription see the rates displayed with the dedicated discount already calculated and applied, allowing them to know the exact amount before starting a charging session."

Higher charging costs have arrived (for all providers)

Response – We thank Electra’s General Manager for responding to us personally, promptly and accurately. We also confirm that the issues with our Elecrta+ subscription were resolved promptly once a human assistant took over from the AI agent Tom. The timing discrepancy between virtual and real assistance is entirely understandable given that the problems arose on the very day of a complete tariff overhaul.

Of course, we would all have preferred to retain the benefits of one of the most competitive fixed prices in the Italian market. However, given the widespread increase in energy costs, we are not surprised by the significant upward adjustment to Electra’s charging prices—after all, all major Italian providers have done the same.

READ ALSO: How much does it cost to drive 100km (and when electric cars make sense) and watch the VIDEO

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