As an electric vehicle (EV) driver, you may have come across instances where you notice old charging sessions appearing on your recent invoice from ChargePlace Scotland. While this is generally a rare occurrence, this can be puzzling and may raise natural questions about the accuracy of the billing process. In this article, we aim to shed some light on why this happens and clarify the role of connectivity and charger placement in maintaining seamless communication between charging units and the back office.

The Importance of Communication in EV Charging:

To understand why old charging sessions appear on your invoice, it is crucial to understand the significance of communication between charging units and the network management system.

When you connect your EV to a charging unit, it initiates a transaction that records the amount of energy consumed and the corresponding times, date, and necessary billing information. This data is usually transmitted in real-time to ensure accurate and up-to-date billing for each month’s invoice. However, certain circumstances can disrupt this communication, resulting in delays in updating charging session records.

Charger Connectivity and Dropouts:

As communication between the ChargePoint and management systems relies on the same networks and signal as your mobile phone, various factors can affect the communication between the charging unit and the back office, including the placement of the charger and the reliability of the roaming signal. In some cases, the charger may experience temporary dropouts, where it loses communication with the back office for a certain period. During these dropouts, drivers can still charge their vehicles and draw kilowatts (kW) from the charger.

Delayed Information Transmission:

When a charger experiences a dropout, it may continue to provide charging services to drivers but temporarily loses the ability to relay information to the back office. As a result, the charging session data, including energy consumption and associated billing details, cannot be immediately transmitted for invoicing purposes. Consequently, there can be a delay in updating the charging sessions on the driver’s invoice until such time as the unit re-establishes communication with the back office.

Billing Process and Resolution:

When a charger reconnects to the back office after experiencing a dropout, it transmits the accumulated charging session data. ChargePlace Scotland then updates the driver’s account and generates the corresponding invoice, including any previously unreported charging sessions. It is essential to note that drivers are only billed for the energy consumed during their charging sessions, regardless of the delay in invoicing.

As always ChargePlace Scotland is committed to working continuously with owners and suppliers, to ensure such issues are resolved promptly and ensure accurate invoicing for EV drivers.