GRID Alternatives calls on US utilities to decouple EV affordability measures from home meters to address renter charging costs

Writing in Utility Dive, experts from non profit GRID Alternatives argue that renters and multifamily housing residents face a structural 'renter's penalty' because public and shared charging electricity can cost up to six times more than residential rates. They propose that utilities tie affordability programmes to the customer rather than the home meter, ensuring predictable charging costs regardless of housing type. The piece frames the disparity as a barrier to equitable transportation electrification across the United States.

Why it matters: For CPOs and procurement teams serving multifamily or public sites, utility rate reform that follows the customer could reshape site economics and unlock demand from the roughly tens of millions of US renters currently priced out of affordable EV charging.