Per kWh, Per Hour, or Monthly Fee? EV Charging Costs Explained with KotiCharge

If you’ve ever been in a housing company meeting where electric vehicle charging was on the agenda, you’ll know it’s a topic that sparks plenty of opinions. Some residents want to pay only for the electricity they use. Others prefer a simple flat monthly fee. And then there are those who worry about charger availability and believe time-based pricing is the way forward.

With electric vehicles becoming more common in Finland — more than 40% of new cars sold are now electric or plug-in hybrids according to the Finnish Transport and Communications Agency — these decisions can’t be postponed anymore. The question of how to manage EV charging costs is now at the top of many housing company agendas.

What Does “Per kWh” Mean?

When you charge per kilowatt-hour, residents pay for the exact amount of electricity their car consumes. If one person uses 20 kWh in a week and another uses 60 kWh, their bills will reflect that difference exactly.

This model is considered the fairest because it works like paying for your household electricity: you pay for what you use, no more, no less. It also encourages efficient charging habits, as residents are directly aware of their usage.

The challenge? Per kWh billing requires precise metering and accurate tracking of every charging session. Without the right technology, housing companies can end up spending hours calculating usage and dealing with disputes over accuracy.

This is where KotiCharge steps in. Our system automatically measures each resident’s consumption, down to the decimal, and bills them directly. There’s no manual tracking, no chasing payments, and no chance of “guesstimating” someone’s bill.

What Does “Per Hour” Mean?

In a per hour pricing model, residents are charged based on how long they are plugged in — regardless of how much electricity they take. For example, if two residents plug in for two hours each, they pay the same amount, even if one drives a slow-charging plug-in hybrid and the other drives a fast-charging full EV.

The advantage here is that it encourages turnover. If chargers are limited, people won’t leave their cars plugged in for hours after charging is complete because they know the clock — and their bill — is ticking.

The downside is fairness. A driver with a slow-charging car might end up paying more for the same energy than someone with a faster charger or a newer vehicle.

KotiCharge can make per hour billing fairer by combining it with accurate energy data. Housing companies can set a blended pricing model — for example, charging per hour to encourage turnover but also taking kWh into account so slower vehicles aren’t penalised unfairly.

What Does “Monthly Fee” Mean?

A monthly flat fee model means every EV owner pays the same fixed amount each month, no matter how often or how much they charge. It’s simple, predictable, and easy to explain.

For housing companies just starting with EV charging — especially if only a few residents own EVs — it can be a good temporary solution. It ensures costs for installing and maintaining chargers are covered without complicated metering.

The problem comes when EV adoption increases. Light users may feel they are subsidising heavier users, and the lack of usage-based data can make it hard to adjust fees fairly.

With KotiCharge, housing companies can keep things simple by charging a monthly fee, while quietly tracking how much each resident actually charges their car. Later, if they decide to switch to charging per kWh or a mix of methods, they already have all the real data to make the change smoothly and fairly

The Real Challenge with EV Charging Costs

No matter which model you choose, housing companies face a few common issues. Electricity prices in the Nord Pool market can swing dramatically from one hour to the next, which means fixed fees might not reflect real market conditions. Manual billing is time-consuming, especially as more residents start charging. And without transparency, trust between residents and the board can quickly erode.

That’s why automation is key. KotiCharge removes the manual work, the guesswork, and the conflict by recording every charging session, applying the correct pricing model, and invoicing residents directly.

How KotiCharge Handles EV Charging Costs

KotiCharge is built for fairness, flexibility, and ease of management. Every session is tracked in real time, so each resident can see exactly when they charged, how much electricity they used, and what it cost. Our automatic billing means the housing company doesn’t have to handle money or calculate usage manually.

One of our most powerful features is spot pricing invoicing. Instead of a fixed electricity rate, residents pay the actual market price at the time they charged. If they plug in during cheaper off-peak hours, they save money. If they charge during high-demand times, they pay accordingly. This not only makes EV charging costs fairer but also encourages residents to charge at times that reduce strain on the grid.

We also make it easy to change your pricing model as your community grows. You might start with a monthly fee, move to a per hour system as chargers get busier, and eventually settle on per kWh with spot pricing for maximum fairness. KotiCharge supports all of these — without requiring a complete system overhaul.

Choosing the Best Model for Your Building

The “best” pricing model depends on your building’s current needs and future plans. If fairness and precision are most important, per kWh with spot pricing is hard to beat. If charger availability is a bigger concern, a per hour element can help ensure spaces turn over quickly. And if you’re just getting started, a flat monthly fee can keep things simple until EV adoption grows.

What matters most is that your system can adapt over time — and that’s exactly what KotiCharge is designed for. Whether you have five EV drivers today or fifty in a few years, the technology scales with you, ensuring EV charging costs stay transparent and manageable.

The Bottom Line

EV adoption in Finland is accelerating, and housing companies that offer smart, fair charging have a clear competitive edge. Pricing models matter — but so does how you manage them.

With KotiCharge, you can choose the model that fits your residents, switch when needed, and trust that the billing will be fair, accurate, and completely automated. That means no extra work for the housing board, no disputes between neighbours, and a charging system that feels as modern as the cars it serves.

For more details about how KotiCharge can help your housing company manage EV charging costs with zero hassle, visit KotiCharge’s EV charging solutions