Request 101004042307

I am making a request for information concerning Moray Council’s participation in the North of Scotland Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Partnership and the subsequent 20-year contract with EZO (formerly EasyGo) for the operation and expansion of public EV charging infrastructure.

I am particularly interested in the financial arrangements relating to the existing Moray Council / ChargePlace Scotland charging infrastructure, much of which was originally provided using public funding.

Please provide the following information held by Moray Council:

1. TARIFF SETTING

Please provide the relevant clauses, schedules or other documents setting out who has authority to determine and vary the price per kWh charged to members of the public at the existing Moray Council EV charging sites now operated by EZO.

In particular, please confirm whether:

a) EZO can determine tariffs independently;

b) Moray Council must approve tariff changes;

c) tariffs are determined jointly; or

d) a contractual formula or other mechanism determines the tariff.

Please provide any contractual provisions governing maximum tariffs, reasonable/competitive pricing, affordability, benchmarking against other networks, or limitations on tariff increases.

2. REVENUE SHARING AND COUNCIL INCOME

Please provide the contractual provisions and financial information showing how revenue generated from the existing Moray public charging network is divided between EZO and Moray Council.

Please include:

a) EZO’s percentage or share of charging revenue;

b) Moray Council’s percentage or share;

c) any management, operator or transaction fees retained by EZO;

d) any guaranteed or minimum annual payment/income payable to Moray Council;

e) any rental, concession or other payments payable by EZO to Moray Council;

f) any other financial benefit received by Moray Council as a result of charging activity.

If commercially sensitive figures are contained within a larger document, I would prefer the document supplied with only genuinely exempt information redacted rather than the entire document being withheld.

3. EXISTING PUBLICLY FUNDED CHARGERS

Please provide information identifying the ownership arrangements for the existing EV chargers in Moray which have transferred from the ChargePlace Scotland network to EZO.

Please confirm:

a) whether Moray Council continues to own the physical charging equipment;

b) whether EZO has acquired ownership of any existing equipment;

c) who owns the associated electrical infrastructure and underground cabling;

d) what rights EZO has been granted to operate these assets;

e) what happens to ownership and operation of these assets at the end of the 20-year contract.

For existing chargers purchased wholly or partly using Scottish Government, Transport Scotland or ChargePlace Scotland funding, please provide the amount of public funding originally used where this information is held.

4. FINANCIAL CASE FOR THE 20-YEAR CONTRACT

Please provide the business case, financial appraisal, options appraisal and/or other financial modelling considered by Moray Council before agreeing to participate in the 20-year arrangement.

In particular, I am seeking any comparison between:

a) continuing operation through ChargePlace Scotland;

b) continued operation directly by Moray Council;

c) alternative commercial arrangements; and

d) entering into the EZO/EasyGo partnership.

5. EXPECTED EV TARIFF INCREASES

Procurement material relating to the North of Scotland project described the existing network as generating approximately £1.55 million annually on “current below-market tariffs”.

Please provide any documents, calculations, financial models, correspondence or reports held by Moray Council which discuss or assume increases to EV charging tariffs following transfer of the existing ChargePlace Scotland infrastructure to the private-sector operator.

In particular, please provide the tariff assumptions used in the financial model/business case over the 20-year contract period.

6. CURRENT EZO TARIFFS

Prior to migration, Moray Council charged approximately 43p/kWh for fast charging and 56p/kWh for rapid charging.

The tariffs following migration to EZO are substantially higher, including approximately 55p/kWh for AC charging and 75p/kWh for 50–149kW DC charging.

Please provide any reports, correspondence, meeting records, calculations or approvals held by Moray Council concerning the decision to introduce these tariffs.

Please also provide any assessment undertaken of the financial effect of these increases on EV drivers.

7. PROFITABILITY OF THE PREVIOUS MORAY NETWORK

A previous Moray Council FOI response indicated that, during May 2025, AC charging produced a loss of approximately £1,266.95 while rapid charging produced a surplus of approximately £5,292.98 before certain additional maintenance/operating costs.

Please provide the equivalent monthly revenue, electricity cost and operating surplus/deficit figures for the Moray public EV charging network for the complete financial years:

2022/23

2023/24

2024/25

2025/26

If monthly figures are not readily available, annual totals will be sufficient.

8. PUBLIC FUNDING AND PRIVATE INVESTMENT

Please provide the amount of Scottish Government / Transport Scotland EV Infrastructure Fund money allocated to Moray under this project.

Please also provide:

a) the amount of private capital EZO is contractually required to invest specifically within Moray;

b) the amount invested to date;

c) any minimum investment obligations during the 20-year contract; and

d) any circumstances under which public funding or public assets may be used to support EZO’s commercial charging operation.

9. CONTRACT DOCUMENTS

Please provide copies of the parts relevant to Moray Council of the following documents, where held:

• the final Framework Agreement with EZO/EasyGo; • the Inter-Authority Agreement between the participating councils; • relevant leases or concession agreements; • the financial model; • revenue-sharing schedules; • tariff-setting schedules; • contract performance requirements relating to pricing and affordability; • relevant reports presented to Moray councillors or committees before approval of the arrangement.