Yesterday, News Corp Australia revealed households could be charged up to $1.44 on their power bills to help expand the national EV charging network.
Readers flooded the comments section, slamming the proposal as “another tax” and questioning why petrol and diesel drivers should help pay for infrastructure they may never use.
About 85 per cent of more than 22,000 readers polled by News Corp Australia said non-EV households should not be expected to contribute toward the rollout.
While the cost is small, many readers felt angered by the proposal.
“Why should we pay for their choice?” one reader commented.
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Another added: “When did the government ever charge households to fund petrol stations?”
Others warned that this was “just the beginning” and costs would likely increase.
“The amount of people who can’t see that it will never be just $1.44 is astounding,” one commenter wrote.
“This won’t cost $1.49, more like $149 pa,” another said.
“F**kin kidding right,” one person simply said.
Others argued that if non-EV households were expected to contribute, then it was only fair that EV drivers faced a road user charge.
“Maybe EV owners should pay more for road maintenance like ICE drivers do with excise tax,” one commenter wrote.
Some users turned the backlash political, accusing the Albanese government of piling more pressure onto households.
“Come on surely people that are die hard labor supporters can now agree that this useless government needs to go before we as taxpayers are totally broke,” one user wrote.
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Under the proposed model, electricity networks would be allowed to recover some of the cost of building public EV charging infrastructure through household power bills, with the impact estimated at between $0.79 and $1.44 a year from 2029.
The aim is to accelerate Australia’s charging infrastructure, particularly in regional towns and suburban areas.
However, critics argue Australians already battling rising energy prices and cost-of-living pressure shouldn’t be footing the bill for infrastructure tied to someone else’s vehicle choice.
“Why don’t they simply add it to their rego? We pay enough for power and petrol as it is,” one reader wrote.
Some readers mocked the backlash entirely.
“$1.44 a year! Oh my God, how am I ever going to survive!!” One commenter joked.
Another wrote: “This is a positive. No wonder the world is leaving us behind.”
The proposal is expected to deliver up to 14,000 additional chargers nationwide.
