On 4 November, we came across an article in De Tijd claiming that rising energy prices are creating a noticeable difference between the cost of electricity employees pay to charge their vehicles at home and the amount they receive in reimbursement from their employer. However, this story deserves some important context. Here are our tips to help you charge as intelligently as possible and keep charging costs under control!
First, let’s briefly recap how home charging reimbursement based on the CREG tariff works.
How does the CREG reimbursement rate work?
Employers can reimburse employees for their home charging sessions based on a flat CREG rate per kWh. This rate varies by region and is set every quarter based on the average electricity price during the previous quarter. This is how the CREG reimbursement rate is determined.
What does this mean in practice? There is a delay in the home charging reimbursement rate. If energy prices suddenly rise, the reimbursement rate may therefore be slightly lower than the actual electricity price paid by the employee during that quarter.
BUT… when prices fall, the opposite happens: employees may receive reimbursement at a rate that is higher than the actual electricity cost at that time.
This brings things more or less back into balance! That is precisely why it is important to put this into perspective and look at the bigger picture.
Tips for keeping charging costs under control
🔵 Public charging is not the answer to higher home charging costs
Public charging is almost twice as expensive as home charging, and even 3 to 4 times more expensive than charging at the office. After all, businesses can negotiate more favourable electricity rates.
For fleet managers and business owners, it therefore remains important to encourage home charging and, above all, workplace charging, in order to manage the Total Cost of Charging (TCC) effectively.
With the eFleet Guard add-on for the STROOHM Platform , you can implement your company's charging policy in a practical and detailed way and keep public charging costs fully under control.
As a fleet manager or business owner, you can define the following aspects of your company's charging policy:
Geofencing: The countries in which employees are allowed to charge publicly. For example, you can restrict public charging to Belgium.
Provider Control: The providers employees are allowed to use. This allows you to exclude specific providers known to apply exceptionally high charging rates.
Split billing: The maximum charging rate employees are allowed to charge at. What's more, the split billing feature lets you set a maximum rate up to which your company covers public charging costs. Any costs exceeding that maximum rate are automatically charged to the employee.
🔵 The energy contract employees choose for their home also makes a difference!
The type of energy contract chosen can have a significant impact. Employees can therefore take steps themselves to keep their costs under control. Let's compare the advantages and disadvantages of the different types of energy contracts.
Fixed-rate energy contract
With a fixed-rate contract, the electricity tariff is locked in for the duration of the contract. This offers several advantages. Your electricity bill remains stable, even if energy prices suddenly rise. What's more, consumers in Belgium can switch to another supplier free of charge, subject to one month's notice. It may therefore be worth taking out a new fixed-rate contract when energy prices are lower.
Dynamic energy contract
A dynamic contract follows wholesale electricity spot prices on an hourly or even 15-minute basis. This type of energy contract can be particularly interesting if you can charge your vehicle intelligently at home. The STROOHM App allows you to align your charging sessions with the cheapest time slots! This means you can schedule a home charging session for when electricity prices are at their lowest, based on SPOT prices.
Variable-rate energy contract
A variable-rate contract should certainly not be confused with a dynamic contract. With a variable-rate contract, the electricity tariff is generally adjusted monthly or quarterly. This offers little flexibility or control over home charging costs. We therefore do not recommend this type of contract if you have a charge point at home.
In summary
If you have a smart home charge point that can be connected to the STROOHM App, we recommend opting for a dynamic energy contract. This allows you to schedule your home charging sessions yourself for the times when electricity prices are at their lowest.
Would you rather not have to worry too much about fluctuating energy prices? In that case, we recommend choosing a fixed-rate energy contract and reviewing it monthly or quarterly to ensure you maintain the most favourable balance with your home charging reimbursement.
🔵 The STROOHM Platform with the eFleet Guard add-on
As mentioned above, the eFleet Guard add-on for the STROOHM Platform gives your business complete control and visibility over its total charging costs. This advanced solution is the answer to the needs of today's fleet managers.
Where older platforms only provided an overview of charging sessions and basic reporting, the STROOHM Platform and its eFleet Guard add-on now offer extensive features, including dashboards, self-service tools, practical enforcement of your charging policy and greater control over your company's Total Cost of Charging.
🔵 The STROOHM App for EV drivers
In addition, every EV driver connected to STROOHM has access to our powerful STROOHM App. It doesn't just help you find a public charge point nearby; it offers many more features!
Manage your home charge point
Receive your home charging reimbursement
Stay in control of your home charging sessions with charging schedules, the amount of kWh you want to charge and much more
Get real-time insights into your charging history and charging costs
Find out when it's best to charge
Everything in one place, in the STROOHM App!
The solution to truly optimising your Total Cost of Charging!
There are plenty of reasons not to worry about the CREG reimbursement system, fluctuating energy prices or rising public charging costs! With these tips and tools, you can gain full control over your company's Total Cost of Charging and make all associated costs transparent.
By providing clear, solution-oriented information, you can also encourage greater acceptance of home and workplace charging!
With the eFleet Guard add-on for the STROOHM Platform and optimal use of the STROOHM App by EV drivers, your business can manage its charging costs efficiently and in a future-proof way. We can see that these tools have the potential to save STROOHM's entire customer base millions in public charging costs!
In short, smart charging starts with awareness and clear insights into your charging costs. The next step is implementing intelligent tools to manage your charging policy and costs. That's how you get the most out of electric mobility!
Ready for real smart charging?
Interested in the eFleet Guard add-on for the STROOHM Platform, smart home charging solutions or a smart charging hub for your business?
Contact us today at sales@stroohm.com or request a no-obligation quote!
Want to try out the STROOHM Platform and the STROOHM App? Be sure to check out our demos!
