One condo resident shared frustration online over what they called an "outrageous" hike in electric vehicle charging fees by their local homeowners association.
The discussion took off on Reddit's r/electricvehicles forum, where one resident described living in a condo building with shared Level 2 chargers installed years ago through an incentive program.
For a long time, charging cost about $0.28 per kilowatt-hour, roughly in line with nearby public chargers. Then, without much warning, the HOA approved a jump to $0.58 per kilowatt-hour.
That new price, the resident wrote, is higher than many fast chargers in the area, including Tesla Superchargers and Electrify America stations.
"The HOA is not a for profit enterprise," they said, adding that they couldn't understand why residents were being charged well above the cost of electricity. They ended their post with a plea: "Any … advice on how I might fight against this?"
This certainly isn't the first instance of a homeowners association blocking or discouraging money-saving upgrades. Across the country, HOAs have made headlines for preventing residents from installing rooftop solar panels or putting up barriers to EV charging.
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High charging prices, along with hitting people's wallets, can slow the shift to cleaner transportation by making EV ownership less appealing for people who rely on shared charging at home.
Several commenters offered practical advice.
One suggested a direct approach: "The best way to fight this is to get on the HOA board yourself where you'll have an actual say."
Another recommended digging into the numbers, writing: "Ask the electric company the cost for 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."
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