{"id":1993,"date":"2026-04-27T14:41:27","date_gmt":"2026-04-27T12:41:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/certipower.be\/kennisbank\/public-charging-in-belgium-price-differences-of-up-to-200-depending-on-charging-card-and-operator\/"},"modified":"2026-10-07T21:16:35","modified_gmt":"2026-10-07T19:16:35","slug":"public-charging-in-belgium-price-differences-of-up-to-200-depending-on-charging-card-and-operator","status":"publish","type":"kennisbank","link":"https:\/\/certipower.be\/en\/kennisbank\/public-charging-in-belgium-price-differences-of-up-to-200-depending-on-charging-card-and-operator\/","title":{"rendered":"Public charging in Belgium: why the same kWh at the same charger costs a different price"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Anyone charging publicly rarely pays the kWh price shown on the charger.<\/p>\n

Between the charger and your invoice sits the charging card provider, who adds surcharges, own rates or session fees. At exactly the same charging point, one driver therefore pays noticeably more than another, while the electricity comes from the same plug.<\/p>\n

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We deliberately do not publish a rate table: it is outdated within the quarter. What does hold up is the calculation method.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

The kWh rate is only part of the story<\/h2>\n

The rate on the charger or in the app is the starting point. The final price per kWh is often noticeably higher, and that difference does not arise in the kWh rate itself. Three elements explain most of the spread.<\/p>\n

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01<\/div>\n
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Session or start fee<\/h3>\n

A fixed amount per charging session, regardless of how much you charge.<\/p>\n

Key takeaway:<\/strong> on a short stop of a few kWh, that weighs heavily.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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02<\/div>\n
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Time surcharge<\/h3>\n

A per-minute rate on top of the kWh rate, especially with DC fast charging.<\/p>\n

Key takeaway:<\/strong> staying plugged in after charging costs considerably more.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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03<\/div>\n
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Roaming margin<\/h3>\n

If you charge with a card that works through a foreign partner, a margin is added on top of the local operator rate. What that costs per year: hidden costs of public charging for fleets<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Calculate it on your own profile<\/h2>\n

The difference between the most expensive and the cheapest card depends entirely on your consumption mix: how much at home, how much public AC, how much DC.<\/p>\n

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  1. Take the sessions of a full month<\/strong>From your charging card reporting.<\/li>\n
  2. Recalculate them per candidate card<\/strong>At each card\u2019s all-in rate, surcharges included.<\/li>\n
  3. Multiply by twelve<\/strong>That is the only calculation that is right for your fleet.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
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    Which charging card pays off most for your fleet?<\/strong>Our fleet specialist analyses your driving profiles and calculates the annual savings.<\/span><\/div>\n
    Get the calculation<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

    The paradox: one card is rarely the best choice<\/h2>\n

    One card is rarely the cheapest on all segments at once: public AC, DC up to 50 kW and DC from 150 kW. A card with a sharp AC rate is often more expensive at fast chargers, and vice versa. A card with a low DC rate sometimes has a session fee that makes AC charging unattractive. For fleets with mixed use, there are two options:<\/p>\n

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    Option 1<\/span>Dual-card strategy<\/strong>One card for regular use, one as a back-up for atypical use.<\/span><\/div>\n
    Option 2<\/span>Weighted choice<\/strong>Explicitly weighted on your expected consumption profile, not on the provider\u2019s rate table.<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

    How do you compare yourself?<\/h2>\n