Australians without electric vehicles are set to help fund the country’s EV rollout, whether they like it or not.
Under a plan backed by the Albanese government, electricity networks could charge every household up to $1.44 a year to help roll out public EV chargers, even if they don’t own an electric car.
The government insists the hit will be minimal.
“The estimated peak bill impact is between $0.79 and $1.44 per household per year, and no impact is expected before 2029,” a government spokesperson said.
Australia’s current charging network isn’t expanding quickly enough, especially in regional areas and suburban streets where commercial returns are weaker and private operators have been slower to invest.
To address that, electricity networks would be allowed to step in and help roll out infrastructure.
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Under the proposed model, networks would identify suitable sites for chargers and prepare them for installation. Private charging operators would be given first right to install and operate the sites, but if no company steps forward, the network could step in as a provider of last resort.
The aim is to fill gaps in the market without completely sidelining private investment, a balancing act that has become central to the broader energy transition.
However, a large portion of the rollout would be added to the regulated asset base, meaning the cost is spread across electricity users over time, rather than borne solely by EV drivers.
Government funding is expected to offset part of the cost, but households would still contribute.
Supporters argue the broader community benefits, not just EV owners, through reduced emissions and a faster shift away from petrol and diesel vehicles.
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Critics, however, say that argument doesn’t land in the middle of a cost-of-living squeeze.
Industry groups have also raised concerns about competition, warning the model could give networks too much control over where chargers are built and how the market develops.
The National Electrical and Communications Association Mark Stedfu said the rollout risked being slowed by the very networks now pushing for a bigger role.
“The main barrier to the rollout of EV chargers is the networks themselves,” he told The Australian Financial Review.
Energy consultancy Nexa Advisory has also flagged concerns about how the system would operate in practice.
Chief executive Stephanie Bashir said while a “provider of last resort” model sounded reasonable, the detail would ultimately determine whether competition is protected.
“As ever, though, the devil is in the implementation and the detail,” she told The Australian Financial Review.
“As written, the rule change is picking sides and allows the networks a lot of leeway, which is detrimental to competition and therefore to consumers.”
The proposal is expected to deliver up to 14,000 additional chargers, more than doubling Australia’s existing network.
