Money Moral Dilemma: Should I ask for money if people charge their electric cars when they visit?

spiggy

Fascinating range of views here.  I own an EV and also my SIL.  We live 180 miles apart and charge up for the return journey at each other's homes.  We pay each other exactly what we have used.  I 'forced' this to happen on a very simple principle - I have never ever been paid for my petrol when visting and nor would I pay anyone's petrol when visiting me - we just don't subsidise others transport costs!  Why using one's electricity should be any different is beyond me.  For the record, it was my SIL who first had the EV, charged up at my home , asked how much it was but never paid!  I was actually very cross with the lack of respect shown at the time.  Neither of us are broke and cannot afford to pay (even to subsidise the other) but on a point of principle we should pay.  Ironically, as we visit them more, I do end up paying the most between us but I am very happy to pay my fair dues and expect others to do likewise.  Again, being transparent, my wife and daughter were not in agreement - so it just shows we all have different views!

Calvadnack

You wouldn't expect your host to fill your car up at the petrol station. Electric charging is no different.,

Herzlos

Calvadnack said:

You wouldn't expect your host to fill your car up at the petrol station. Electric charging is no different.,

If I had a petrol station at my house I'd 100% let my visitors fill up.

Goudy

Herzlos said:

Calvadnack said:

You wouldn't expect your host to fill your car up at the petrol station. Electric charging is no different.,

If I had a petrol station at my house I'd 100% let my visitors fill up.

Would you then pay the government the VAT and fuel duty on it?

Herzlos

Goudy said:

Herzlos said:

Calvadnack said:

You wouldn't expect your host to fill your car up at the petrol station. Electric charging is no different.,

If I had a petrol station at my house I'd 100% let my visitors fill up.

Would you then pay the government the VAT and fuel duty on it?

I'd do it legally, but I'm not sure what your point is?

I'm just pointing out that driveway charging and a valet petrol station visit are an apples vs oranges comparison.

The real comparison is charging on your driveway vs refuelling on your driveway, which is an odd concept because it's not really been viable to have a petrol pump at home. Charging an electric car is conceptually very different to visiting a petrol station.

It's more akin to letting a friend charge their phone, battery capacity aside.

Goudy

Herzlos said:

Goudy said:

Herzlos said:

Calvadnack said:

You wouldn't expect your host to fill your car up at the petrol station. Electric charging is no different.,

If I had a petrol station at my house I'd 100% let my visitors fill up.

Would you then pay the government the VAT and fuel duty on it?

 but I'm not sure what your point is?

it's not really been viable to have a petrol pump at home. Charging an electric car is conceptually very different to visiting a petrol station.

That's the point, one way isn't viable so to make a comparison is nonsense.

Then to affirm that by stating you would do something so unviable starts to make this thread sound bit like a school yard at lunch break.

Not everyone agrees with the concept of charging up at someone's home when visiting.
There are good reasons both for and against, but just because someone states an opinion that doesn't matches everyone else's or doesn't reflect a certain outlook of ownership of a certain type of vehicle doesn't make them wrong.

There's only a yes or no answer to the "dilemma". Some have given their reasons when answering and if they haven't been positive they been called skin flints or tight !!!!!!, yet there have been some good arguments against this, like not knowing the state of the electrical system of the persons home or not wanting to put a "price" on visiting a friend or family member.

The only simple and realistic answer is, you bought an EV, petrol car, diesel car, mobile phone, Saturn V rocket or whatever needs charging or fuelling, you look after it's fuelling or don't ask and don't expect. Then there's just no dilemma.

 

Arklight

Good grief, there are some stingy Scrooges on this thread. 

I suspect having visitors isn't a problem for some of you.

But for most people, we expect to offer hospitality to our guests when we have them. 

Do you also expect them to do contactless payments for using the toilet?

Herzlos

Goudy said:

Herzlos said:

Goudy said:

Herzlos said:

Calvadnack said:

You wouldn't expect your host to fill your car up at the petrol station. Electric charging is no different.,

If I had a petrol station at my house I'd 100% let my visitors fill up.

Would you then pay the government the VAT and fuel duty on it?

 but I'm not sure what your point is?

it's not really been viable to have a petrol pump at home. Charging an electric car is conceptually very different to visiting a petrol station.

That's the point, one way isn't viable so to make a comparison is nonsense.

Then to affirm that by stating you would do something so unviable starts to make this thread sound bit like a school yard at lunch break.

Not really, I was attempting to introduce a fair comparison, albeit a bit far fetched. And it's true. If I had the ability to refuel a visitors car whilst they were visiting at minimal inconvenience to me, I would do, and I wouldn't take money for it unless they insisted.

Maybe a better comparison is if I had a jerry can of petrol and they arrived low on fuel. Would I give them any of it?

Goudy

Arklight said:

Good grief, there are some stingy Scrooges on this thread. 

I suspect having visitors isn't a problem for some of you.

But for most people, we expect to offer hospitality to our guests when we have them. 

Do you also expect them to do contactless payments for using the toilet?

We've been here before in this thread, at least do everyone the courtesy of reading it all and come up with something new, if you can.

The dilemma posted was
"Given the massive rise in energy prices over the last couple of years, I've been wondering whether I should ask family and friends to contribute to my bills when they charge their electric cars at my home when they visit? I have a petrol car and when l visit others I obviously wouldn’t ask them to fill it up for me, so I’m not sure what the right thing to do is."

There have been both valid points for and against but anyone with a valid point against gets treated to juvenile comments about toilet paper or ridiculous similes and to be honest, you all aren't making a good case for your argument.

You might feel compelled for some reason to validate the whole EV ownership experience, but in reality it comes across as having the opposite effect.

To be fair I understand there are others on here that do the same sort of things from the other end of the same argument, with the same results.

Both attitudes are rather boring and disingenuous to be honest, especially when there are people coming on on here for genuine help.

Herzlos said:

Goudy said:

Herzlos said:

Goudy said:

Herzlos said:

Calvadnack said:

You wouldn't expect your host to fill your car up at the petrol station. Electric charging is no different.,

If I had a petrol station at my house I'd 100% let my visitors fill up.

Would you then pay the government the VAT and fuel duty on it?

 but I'm not sure what your point is?

it's not really been viable to have a petrol pump at home. Charging an electric car is conceptually very different to visiting a petrol station.

That's the point, one way isn't viable so to make a comparison is nonsense.

Then to affirm that by stating you would do something so unviable starts to make this thread sound bit like a school yard at lunch break.

Not really, I was attempting to introduce a fair comparison, albeit a bit far fetched. And it's true. If I had the ability to refuel a visitors car whilst they were visiting at minimal inconvenience to me, I would do, and I wouldn't take money for it unless they insisted.

Maybe a better comparison is if I had a jerry can of petrol and they arrived low on fuel. Would I give them any of it?

Yes, so would I, In fact if I didn't have it stored I would go out to a petrol station for it.

But there's difference with electricity, it's not stored in cans for a start and if I couldn't charge, which I can't (I couldn't even home charge my own when I had it), I couldn't help that way.
That doesn't make me or anyone else in a similar situation a Scrooge.

Someone you visit might be on a pre pay or have old electrics or just been made redundant or a million other things that make it awkward or impossible.

Apart from all the other arguments, they shouldn't really be need to charge like this or run out of petrol outside someone's home you are visiting, but I admit I've come close in both and ICE and an EV.
I still didn't feel the need to ask about charging, I just popped out and plugged it into a charger 200 metres down the street.
If they did have there own EV charger, I probably wouldn't have asked or excepted an offer anyway.
I would have planned a charge on the way there as it would have been a bit of a headache if I couldn't for whatever reason, charge while I was there.
That's just being more thoughtful, I couldn't just arrive anywhere flat out of juice without certain knowledge I could charge, and I reckon that goes for the majority of EV owners.

There's just not a correct answer, there's only an opinion, hopefully a well considered and thoughtful one.


  

LightFlare

Both sides are money saving:

Getting something for free versus not giving something for free

My view is there is no right or wrong answer but that it depends on the dynamic of the friendship