Managing reimbursement of charging costs with E-Flux by Road
Reimbursing charging costs is one of our specialties. Charging sessions often involve multiple parties: the car user, the charging station owner, and sometimes a third party covering the costs (e.g., an employer). The charging station owner typically covers the initial energy costs and may wish to recoup these from the user or a third party.
How reimbursement works
As a charging station owner, you can access and manage your station through your E-Flux by Road account. In the account, you can set a kWh tariff in the pricing settings. The total amount for each charging session is calculated based on this tariff and the energy consumed. Proper registration of your charging station is essential to ensure that all charging sessions are accurately recorded, enabling smooth processing and reimbursement of charges.
Example calculation: If your set tariff is €0.30 per kWh and a user charges 10 kWh, the cost of the session will be:
€0.30 x 10 = €3.
Common reimbursement scenarios
1. Reimbursement with your employer
If you use your EV for business purposes and have a home charging station, you can set up reimbursement with your employer. Here’s how:
Your employer creates an E-Flux by Road account and invites you as an employee.
You connect your personal charging station to the account.
Your employer sets the reimbursement tariff they wish to pay.
What happens next:
Every month, two invoices are generated:
An invoice for your employer to cover the charging costs.
A self-billing invoice detailing the amount to be reimbursed to you. You can find this invoice in your E-Flux by Road account.
2. Reimbursement with visitors
If your charging station is publicly accessible, visitors who use it will be charged for their usage, and you will receive this amount.
How it works:
E-Flux by Road forwards the completed charging sessions to the visitors' charge card providers, who ensure payment to E-Flux by Road.
A self-billing invoice is generated, and the specified amount is transferred to your bank account.
3. Reimbursement with residents (HOA)
For charging stations located in apartment complexes, energy costs are often managed by the Home Owners Association (HOA). It is essential to ensure that only residents who charge their vehicles pay for their usage, not others.
How it works:
Residents using the charging stations receive a monthly invoice to cover their costs.
Visitors using the station also pay for their usage separately.
Two invoices are generated each month: one for the residents to pay E-Flux by Road and a self-billing invoice to reimburse the HOA's bank account.
Payment timeline for self-billing invoices
Self-billing invoices are generated around the first day of the new month and paid within 30 days. For example, January's self-billing invoice will be created at the start of February and paid by the end of February.
Common Billing Issues and Troubleshooting
Missing Charging Sessions on Invoices
Sometimes, users may notice that certain charging sessions are absent from their provider's invoices. Providers have up to one year to process and bill for certain sessions, and such sessions often appear on subsequent invoices once logged by the provider's system.
Handling Invoice Discrepancies
In rare cases, discrepancies like duplicate billing across multiple months can occur. These issues typically result from updates or delays in data communication between the charging station and the server. Providers regularly update their systems, which often resolves these problems and ensures seamless data transmission moving forward.
Steps to Resolve Common Issues
Confirm Charging Station Registration: Verify that the charging station has been registered correctly in the system to ensure session data is tracked accurately.
Check Invoice Timeline: Remember the standard one-month delay and providers' processing timeframes of up to a year for sessions to appear.
Contact Your Provider: If issues persist, reach out to your charging service provider to investigate and address the discrepancies.
Monitor Updates: Stay informed about system updates that may affect data communication and billing processes.