An electric vehicle owner in Massachusetts has taken to Reddit after returning home to find that their homeowners association introduced a new policy on EV charging stations.
According to the post, they live in a condo building with a shared garage for all homeowners to park their vehicles and several 6-kilowatt EV charging stations throughout. Because the HOA makes a profit from these stations, the cost to use the chargers has been moderately higher than the cost of electricity at about $0.28 per kWh since their installation five years ago — until now.
Although the average cost of Level 2 charging stations around the user's town is $0.25 per kWh, the resident found their HOA board recently approved a price increase for their charging stations to $0.58 per kWh.
"It's higher than all of the chargers around town including Superchargers and Electrify America stations," said the original poster.
"The HOA is not a for-profit enterprise, so I can't see any reason why they should charge residents more than the cost of electricity."
An estimated 74 million people in the U.S. live in areas governed by a homeowners association. While most don't tend to be this imposing on residents, many have been caught passing similar measures that restrict residents' ability to invest in money-saving, eco-friendly home options. For example, another condo owner in California was not allowed to install an EV charger in his garage unless the condo association was added to his insurance.
Frustrated tenants in similar situations can take it up with their local HOA to make changes for their community. Contact your HOA office or search online for the Declarations of Covenants, Conditions, and Restrictions to better understand the HOA's powers and responsibilities.
Research the bylaws to understand when and where boards hold meetings, how they choose board members, and how they vote. Residents can also talk to neighbors about HOA policies, attend meetings, and research how state laws apply to their local demographic.
The OP received plenty of support and recommendations for challenging this change.
🗣️ Are you thinking about buying an electric vehicle?
🔘 Yes — in the next 6 months 🙌
🔘 Yes — but not in the next 6 months 👍
🔘 Already own one 😎
🔘 Nope 🚫
🗳️ Click your choice to see results and speak your mind
"There is no reason for them to charge this. … It makes it a disincentive to use the charger," commented one user.
"Ask the electric company the cost of electricity and the plan they're on. If they're trying to flatten the on-demand curve, you could propose lower rates at night or something. That info is what you need to challenge whether they're profiting or not," said another.
Join our free newsletter for easy tips to save more and waste less, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Cool Picks
