Multiple Regions Scrap Fixed Time-of-Use Industrial and Commercial Electricity Rates; Public EV Charging Fees Now Market-Driven

Recently, provinces including Guizhou, Hubei, and Shaanxi have successively abolished the fixed time-of-use electricity pricing mechanism for industrial and commercial users—a policy that had been in place for over 40 years. This adjustment applies only to industrial and commercial users participating directly in the power market. Residential users and public institutions providing essential民生 services (such as hospitals and schools) will continue to follow the existing fixed peak-valley pricing policy, meaning household electricity bills remain unaffected. Public EV charging stations fall under the category of industrial and commercial electricity use and are subject to market-based electricity procurement rules. With the removal of the fixed time-of-use pricing mechanism, charging station tariffs are no longer set by the government with fixed peak-valley price differentials; instead, they now adjust dynamically based on real-time supply and demand conditions in the electricity spot market. As many new-energy vehicle owners still habitually charge during evening peak-demand hours, they have noticed an increase in charging costs. This reform does not eliminate time-of-use pricing altogether; rather, it shifts the responsibility for determining peak/off-peak periods and corresponding price differentials from government regulation to market mechanisms. Electricity supply-demand dynamics and outcomes of spot market transactions will now directly influence tariff levels at different times of day. China has already established a relatively robust electricity regulatory framework, and as market-oriented electricity pricing reforms advance, enhanced oversight measures are being implemented in parallel to maintain orderly market operations and ensure overall price stability.