Shropshire EV Drivers Face Upcoming Public Charging Price Adjustments

Connected Kerb flags network-wide tariff review for Shropshire

The trigger is quantifiable: national electricity transmission and distribution charges rose from April 2026, raising the operating cost base for the infrastructure. Connected Kerb is modeling the impact and expects to confirm revised tariffs by 10 September 2026; any new pricing takes effect no earlier than 14 September 2026.

The cost chain

The pressure point sits one layer above the socket. Transmission and distribution (T&D) use-of-system charges are fixed network fees that flow directly into the cost per kWh a charge point operator pays to its energy supplier. When those fees step up materially — as the April 2026 change did — the absorbed cost either compresses operator margins or propagates to the consumer tariff. Connected Kerb has signalled the latter, though it has not yet published revised per-kWh or per-minute rates, idle fees, or any session minimums.

The operator has also stated it is pursuing two mitigation levers: renegotiating its energy supply arrangements and leaning harder on smart-charging schedules plus loyalty pricing to keep downstream cost low. Smart charging shifts load to off-peak windows where T&D charges and wholesale power are both cheaper; loyalty pricing rebates can offset headline rates for repeat users. Both reduce exposure to peak-period T&D bands but do not remove the underlying network charge.

What users should track

Three data points will determine the real-world impact on running costs:

• Tariff delta. The published kWh rate change for each speed tier (slow, fast, rapid). A typical 7 kW slow charger priced in pence per kWh is the most sensitive number for overnight users; rapid DC is where T&D charges hit hardest per session.
• Time-of-use structure. Whether smart-charging incentives are folded into the new tariff as a default, or retained as an opt-in loyalty tier. Default enrollment materially shifts cost.
• Effective date. Any churn before 14 September 2026 is on the old tariff; new bookings on or after that date carry revised pricing.

Until Connected Kerb confirms the new schedule, drivers have no actionable rate to model against. The single most useful move is to record current session pricing and expected kWh draw per typical visit, so that the post-14 September bill delta can be measured rather than guessed.