Here's a scenario that happens in electric fleets all the time.
A driver joins your fleet on a standard variable tariff, paying around 26p/kWh. You reimburse home charging either at that rate with an EV charging payment platform or via the HMRC Advisory Electric Rate of 7p/mile.
In April, the driver gets a personal EV and switches to an EV tariff. They’re now charged different energy prices throughout the day, as low as 7p/kWh. Their electricity cost has changed, but your home charging payment hasn’t.
A different driver’s fixed-rate energy tariff deal expired. Their supplier moves them on to a more expensive standard variable tariff at 28p/kWh. Again, your home charging payment hasn’t changed.
Both scenarios are happening in UK electric fleets right now. Most fleets reimbursing via the AER or EV charging payment platforms have no way to detect this. This often leads to either overpaying or underpaying drivers.
The energy tariff problem
The HMRC Advisory Electric Rate (AER) is the government-suggested rate for reimbursing drivers for charging at home, currently sitting at 7p per mile. Calculated using a standard vehicle efficiency figure and an average electricity price.
The problem is that UK electricity prices can vary massively, by supplier, contract and tariff type.
Standard variable rates currently sit at around 24-28p/kWh. EV tariffs such as Octopus Go and OVO Charge Anytime can fall to 7-9p/kWh during off-peak hours. A driver on a standard tariff paying 27p/kWh, with a vehicle efficiency of 3.5 miles/kWh, has an actual cost of around 7.7p per mile. A driver on Octopus Go paying 8p/kWh has an actual cost of around 2.3p per mile.
In both scenarios, someone ends up out of pocket.
Where most fleet charging payment platforms fall short
Most fleet charging payment platforms ask drivers to submit their energy costs, either at onboarding or by uploading a monthly energy bill, creating unnecessary admin. The rate on the platform reflects what was submitted at the time and not what the driver is paying in real time.
As drivers change suppliers and switch tariffs, there’s no way for the platform to detect it. EV tariffs, where electricity prices change throughout the day, add a further layer of complexity.
The fleets often end up overpaying or underpaying drivers.
How Rightcharge detects tariff changes
The only way to reimburse drivers correctly is to know what the electricity actually costs at the time of the charging session on the work vehicle.
Rightcharge connects directly to energy suppliers. The actual tariff rate for each driver is tracked in real time, including for EV tariffs, which change throughout the day. When a driver switches tariff or supplier, the platform detects it automatically.
The tariff connection works alongside charger and vehicle integrations. The charger records exactly how much energy was used, and the vehicle verifies that the charge went into the right work vehicle. All three work together to provide accurate home charging reimbursements.
Reimbursements go directly to the driver’s energy supplier. Employers pay what the electricity costs, and drivers get back exactly what they spent.
Find out more about Rightcharge’s EV payment platform: https://rightcharge.com/product
Tariff switch detection FAQs:
How does Rightcharge handle it when a driver switches energy supplier?
Rightcharge connects directly to each driver's energy account via API, we detect supplier and tariff changes in real time. There's no manual update process, drivers don't need to notify anyone and fleets don't need to chase them. The reimbursement rate adjusts as soon as the change is live.
This is different from platforms that rely on charger data or manual uploads, where a supplier switch can create a window of inaccurate reimbursements until someone notices and updates the records.
What if my driver is on a time-of-use tariff?
Rightcharge handles time-of-use tariffs, such as EV tariffs. Because we pull live tariff data via API rather than applying a flat rate or manually updated rate, the reimbursement reflects what the driver actually paid for the electricity, including off-peak rates if they charged overnight. This typically means lower costs for the fleet and accurate payments for drivers.