Free public charging etiquette?

[WllXM]

My local supermarket has a single podpoint (free) charging station in their car park. (I believe supermarkets are the last place where you can get some free electrons while you shop).

I used to plug in when it was available, fill up my trolley, load my bags and leave with a few nice kW added…

But on the last two instances, the charger was unfortunately occupied by another PHEV.
Of course I’d have no issues if it was a fellow shopper who’d beat me to it. Happened before.
Except, on those two separate occasions, the driver (different each time) was sitting in the car, playing with his phone, to max out the 2h free parking duration I suppose… For all I know they may not have been shopping in the store before at all.

I haven’t confronted the (in my book, indelicate) drivers, but this begs the question : would you have stayed in your car like if it was a supercharger, or like me, do you consider that spot just a perk to be used strictly while shopping inside, and to be left promptly once you have finished the business that brought you there in the first place?

And finally, how would you address this? How could the supermarkets enforce this better as to reward their customers and not some freeloaders?

 

[Zilla91]

How could the supermarkets enforce this better as to reward their customers and not some freeloaders?

Scanning a barcode on the receipt to discount the full cost of the charging session

 

[Billbrown1982]

Personally, as long as the person at the charger is actually using it, I'm more than happy to move on with my life.
Its when they are constantly ICE'D that ticks me off.

 

[Lord Farquad]

I’m seeing more people using the limited free supermarket chargers for extended charging. I wonder how many get caught out by the parking time limits and end up Paying fines?
During my last visit I had two couples ask for help as the charge had stopped (they didn’t realise they needed to confirm the charge in the app or it’d stop after 15min. One couple had wasted 2hrs and the other said they’d left it there “all day” (parking fine incoming).
I personally think it’s bad manners to be charging when you’re not actively shopping.

 

[GeorgeSymonds]

Free charging is the devils work, it brings out the worst in people, and I'm not particularily proud to say me included (as I still have a few free supercharging miles to use before they expire).

For the first time yesterday I saw the supermarket podpoints in action and 3 of the 4 free charging ones were all people sitting having their lunch and making conference calls. I don’t even see the point of a destination charger at a supermarket with a 2 hour restriction and when most shoppers are in and out in 30 mins or so. At 7kw we’d have added maybe 15 miles while we were there, hardly life changing, about a £1 compared to home charging, whereas I saved £7 on electric toothbrush heads which were on special offer.

In your situation, if it’s free, use it, if it’s not, all you can do is forget about it. It’s the supermarket to determine the policy and policing.

 

[qwickshot]

If someone hasn’t got anything better to do than sit in the car for 2 hours at a free charger to save a few pence in electric then let them crack on IMO.

Likewise I’d have better things to do than worry about what other people are doing.

Their partner may be in the shop shopping and they have declined to go in because they were on a work call or had an urgent email to deal with.

 

[NewbieT]

It usually saves me about the same amount of kW as it takes to drive to/from the supermarket.

Now, local residents charging overnight routinely - PodPoint should use some kind of fair use control for that (not all have 2h parking limit).

 

[mick4545]

The only reason I use them is for the wider parking space.

 

[plisken]

Probably sitting in the car while the wife does the shopping...

As it happens, there are still free public charging options in Scotland outwith supermarkets, including 50kw chargers, but they are becoming quite rare.

 

[davidmc]

Our local Tesco has free charge points and DPD vans take the pee and charge their work vehicles their every day! They are even there at prime time 4-6pm weekdays.

Wonder if Tesco's know they are paying for DPD's fuel!

 

[NewbieT]

Or is it VW paying?

 

[pgkevet]

Inevitably the supermarkets will sort this out. I'm one of the guys that might well sit in my car for an hour and catch up on stuff via my phone to get some free sparks. Here I have no access to fancy cheap leccy deals or smart meters or salary sacrifice schemes and N Wales leccy rates are at least 36p/KWh.
I felt quite cheated the other day when I took my ancient ICE for a good run to the supermarket (13miles away) and found 2 pod-points unoccupied - missed opportunity. I have free supercharging but the nearest one is 50 miles away so go-fill-return is nearly 3 hrs for a net 70KWh. That works out as earning £9/hr pre-tax. I’m retired and if I have some time I’m not too proud to work for cheap.....

 

[atuk]

That's a good point and I wondered the same many times.

My personal opinion is that these chargers should not be used by anyone who is not shopping. However, at the end of the day it is up to the supermarket to decide what they want to do. It will be difficult to police though - i doubt they will be bothered to put anything like time limits and scanning of receipts in place. They will just start charging for the charging ... in fact, 4 of the previously free pod points near me have just seized to be free and now charge 60p instead.

 

[Buzzliteyear]

My local supermarket has a single podpoint (free) charging station in their car park. (I believe supermarkets are the last place where you can get some free electrons while you shop).

I used to plug in when it was available, fill up my trolley, load my bags and leave with a few nice kW added…

But on the last two instances, the charger was unfortunately occupied by another PHEV.
Of course I’d have no issues if it was a fellow shopper who’d beat me to it. Happened before.
Except, on those two separate occasions, the driver (different each time) was sitting in the car, playing with his phone, to max out the 2h free parking duration I suppose… For all I know they may not have been shopping in the store before at all.

I haven’t confronted the (in my book, indelicate) drivers, but this begs the question : would you have stayed in your car like if it was a supercharger, or like me, do you consider that spot just a perk to be used strictly while shopping inside, and to be left promptly once you have finished the business that brought you there in the first place?

And finally, how would you address this? How could the supermarkets enforce this better as to reward their customers and not some freeloaders?

At my local Tesco, the locals drive up in 2's, one car is plugged in and then is taken away by the other. Some I have spoken to say they have left their cars overnight.
I can see the supermarkets getting enough negative feedback and removing the free options.

One non Tesla owner told me, I should be going to a Supercharger and I shouldn't be using theirs. On the plus side I did tell another driver that he can now use the Superchargers with a non Tesla and he was quite appreciative.

As for being Ice'd, it would be amusing to see how the ICE drivers would take to, all the pumps at a petrol station being blocked by EV's.

 

[DrJFoster]

Some people will do anything to save a few pounds, sometimes things that cost them more than they save.

I was talking to a guy at a supercharger the other day while he ate his almond croissant and drank his latte ( I refrained from mentioning his morbid obesity) and he was laughing that it's only recently that his free supercharging is saving him more than the pastry and coffee he buys while it charged!

It always used to be the way that Supermarkets price compete on bread and milk and make their profit on everything else. They then started to give 3p of a litre of petrol. The free charging is the EV equivalent. When the differentiation of having it has gone, they'll start charging (no pun intended) like everyone else. Until then, it is what it is.

 

[Durzel]

I'm surprised the supermarkets don't turn these off outside working hours. Perhaps it would require a disproportionate effort to achieve. There's no benefit to them at all from someone charging there when the store is closed.

I've seen people dropped off to pick their cars up, as well as people being whisked away after plugging in, during peak times, so I can imagine there is a lot of abuse going on. For my part I have parked up and charged at a local Tesco and walked into town either to get a coffee or a bite to eat, but I always go into the store afterwards to buy some stuff, and don't leave it beyond the max stay period.

During supermarket hours I don't particularly care how people use them so long as the overstay times are enforced. Often, I suspect, they are not - and locals learn this and start taking even more liberties.

With energy prices going up I suspect these free Podpoints might become unsustainable.

 

[Durzel]

I wish there were a way to ban PHEVs though, they are just taking the p.

 

[Buzzliteyear]

I'm surprised the supermarkets don't turn these off outside working hours. Perhaps it would require a disproportionate effort to achieve. There's no benefit to them at all from someone charging there when the store is closed.

I've seen people dropped off to pick their cars up, as well as people being whisked away after plugging in, during peak times, so I can imagine there is a lot of abuse going on. For my part I have parked up and charged at a local Tesco and walked into town either to get a coffee or a bite to eat, but I always go into the store afterwards to buy some stuff, and don't leave it beyond the max stay period.

During supermarket hours I don't particularly care how people use them so long as the overstay times are enforced. Often, I suspect, they are not - and locals learn this and start taking even more liberties.

With energy prices going up I suspect these free Podpoints might become unsustainable.

I can see them having a time limit on a charge session, so you couldn't just leave the car for as long as you want. Or like someone else suggested the free charge was linked to your instore receipt. As usual it's a small minority that spoils a good thing, I sometimes will leave early if someone is desperate, since I know what I can expected from the charge level and not blindly believe what the car is telling you.

 

[Buzzliteyear]

I wish there were a way to ban PHEVs though, they are just taking the p.

I thought it was just me, they don't need to hog the faster chargers.

 

[atuk]

I wish there were a way to ban PHEVs though, they are just taking the p.

Interesting this one ... I thought the same when I went to Bicester Village recently. All their charging stations are always full due to the amount of people visiting ... but most are Hybrids. I don't care too much as I never cut it that fine with my charge and rather use Oxford Services before or after instead ... but I can imagine it would be quite stressful if someone absolutely needs a charge. I met a Kona owner once rocking up on a Tesco pod point with 2 miles left in the battery - safe to say he was happy that I let him charge as I was only topping up whilst getting my Quinoa salad (ok, sandwich)