'Free tolls' for electric vehicles?

unkel

Ah I see, a right pain. I'd make sure that when it's sorted, you get every cent refund back that you are owed. I'm always strong on this principle!

kennethsmyth

Hi all, its worse than we thought, originally I like others expected to see the discounted rate being applied as each journal occurred.

I then assumed ok it will be deducted at end of month from your bill, ok not perfect but acceptable.

However I have just been in formed by eflow that you will be charged in full for the journeys and then a credit is applied to your next bill - this will mean 2 months before you get your discount and always well in arrears!!!!

This is not acceptable and goes contrary to what the toll discount was envisaged to be (or at least what the consumer was implied).

Not happy, the discount should at least be deducted from the months bill you are to pay not a "credit" for later :mad:

miamee

That seems to be at odds with what the other companies are doing - will probably lose them a few customers, us included if that is the case.

liamog

Well the Ups confirmed, so that's good news.
However the same email contains the following line

The first adjustment for the July tolls will be visible on the eFLow August statement issued early September.

unkel

kennethsmyth wrote: »

I have just been in formed by eflow that you will be charged in full for the journeys and then a credit is applied to your next bill - this will mean 2 months before you get your discount and always well in arrears!!!!

That's ridiculous. I'd switch to tolltag.ie / park magic if I were you. The toll refund is immediate (within seconds of the charge)

samih

Unkel, I can confirm that. All the tolls taken since 1st July on tolltag.ie are immediately discounted:

full toll + 0.1 x full toll - [0.5|0.75] x full toll

ELM327

unkel wrote: »

That's ridiculous. I'd switch to tolltag.ie / park magic if I were you. The toll refund is immediate (within seconds of the charge)

Do they offer a flat fee (ie no additional cost per toll use) service?
Currently with eflow I pay 1.50 per month for each tag and then the 2.10 or 1.40 etc

Silent Running

Well if they want to play silly buggers, they can play it without me. I'm with Eflow now, but I think it's time to take my business elsewhere.

unkel

ELM327 wrote: »

Do they offer a flat fee (ie no additional cost per toll use) service?
Currently with eflow I pay 1.50 per month for each tag and then the 2.10 or 1.40 etc

Yes they do. €1.23 per month incl. VAT (their website still says €1.21 presumably from before the VAT rate change). Going to ring them now to "upgrade" my PAYG tolltag to a monthly payment tolltag

Linky


Edit - done. Upgraded to monthly fee.

Silent Running

Silent Running wrote: »

Well if they want to play silly buggers, they can play it without me. I'm with Eflow now, but I think it's time to take my business elsewhere.

I sent Eflow an e-mail asking why it should take so long to refund the toll when other operators refund almost instantly. The answer was pretty much " we don't give a crap what other operators are doing".

As Andrea Bocelli is wont to say.... time to say goodbye!

Can anyone recommend another operator? I was happy enough with the €1.23 a month and usage on top of that. Anything similar with other companies?

unkel

See my posts above. Tolltag.ie

ewj1978

quick question? what If you're like me and only go into the pale once in a blue moon and PAYG. how do we get the lower charges?

slave1

ewj1978 wrote: »

quick question? what If you're like me and only go into the pale once in a blue moon and PAYG. how do we get the lower charges?

Same as, Easytrip, no monthly fee but they charge 10% of the gross toll fee

unkel

Same. Tolltag.ie

You only get the discount if you have a toll tag. You either rent it for €1.23 per month or you get it for free but you pay a surcharge of €0.21 each time you go through the M50 toll. So in your case go for the latter option. Tolltag.ie apply the discount to your account immediately.

Fiesta

unkel wrote: »

Same. Tolltag.ie

You only get the discount if you have a toll tag. You either rent it for €1.23 per month or you get it for free but you pay a surcharge of €0.21 each time you go through the M50 toll. So in your case go for the latter option. Tolltag.ie apply the discount to your account immediately.

Do tolltag.ie not charge €30 for the tag, on their Pay As You Toll tariff, or am I reading it wrong?

unkel

€20 on either option, but it is a refundable deposit. You get it back when you return the tag.

Linky

Gumbo

I emailed minister Naughton who in turn sent it to Shane Ross who replied with :

Dear Kceire,

Thank you for your email of 4th July 2018 to my colleague, Denis Naughton, TD, Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment regarding a requirement to open a Toll Tag Account to avail of electric vehicle toll discounts.

As Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, I have overall responsibility for policy and funding in relation to the national road network. However, matters relating to day to day operations regarding national roads, including toll roads, are under the remit of Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII).

Noting the above, I have forwarded your correspondence to TII and have requested them to respond directly to you on the matter as soon as possible.

I hope this information is helpful to you.



With best wishes,

I just feel that these private companies are taking the tax payer for a ride now with their cherry picking on how to apply these government led schemes and it disgusts me. I hate using the M50 toll out of principle. Back in 2002/2003 while I was in college, we had to do a little project on the Roche family and the M50 toll PPP and the vast amounts of money they made above and beyond the initial out lay was mental.

unkel

kceire wrote: »

I just feel that these private companies are taking the tax payer for a ride now with their cherry picking on how to apply these government led schemes

That's a bit strong. I'm sure they will all pay back the refunds as they are ordered to do. Some seem less competent than others in how they have implemented it though.

I'd point the finger to the government on this one. They should just have made all tolls free for EVs. Much easier to implement and it would currently cost less than 1 million per year extra. Not material.

ethernet

Contacted eFlow on Friday to switch over for the discount. I was told there's currently a five day backlog with the dedicated team handling the EV eligibility/verification process.

unkel

Only 3 weeks in and I've already got €20 M50 tolls refunded. And all the trips were leisure. No commute or business trips here

Car was near empty today. Still went from Lucan to Skerries south beach (with the dog to get us both some much needed cooling down). Got there just before turtle mode. Parked at the ESB slow charger right beside the main entry to the beach. Got more than enough to drive home where I fast charged

Went with near empty car, came home with near full car. Cost me just over €1 in fuel and tolls for the trip

ELM327

So. Update from eFlow

Regarding your query below, the transactions will show on your account at full price. The discount will be applied at the beginning of the following month for the rebate.

If you would like to discuss further, please contact me directly on the following mobile number:

Silent Running

ELM327 wrote: »

So. Update from eFlow

I think it's time EV drivers moved away from Eflow. The reply I got to an email I sent was pretty much: "don't care, not interested"

liamog

:eek:

Since the discount came in, I've found that if I leave the office at 6:55 and use the port tunnel, I can be home by 7:20 instead of leaving at 5:30 and getting home for 6:45. For €1.50 a shot it's worth the time. I may start doing my training runs from the office.

slave1

So how are all your rebates coming along, still have not received anything from Easytrip after 2 phone calls...

ethernet

slave1 wrote: »

So how are all your rebates coming along, still have not received anything from Easytrip after 2 phone calls...

€42 saved so far. Ditched eFlow for TollTag/ParkMagic given their much better implementation with instant refund.

ELM327

Nothing received
Well, I lie. I received a bill for full price tolls from eFlow.

Thats a lesson to me to get off my hole and move provider.

cros13

slave1 wrote: »

So how are all your rebates coming along, still have not received anything from Easytrip after 2 phone calls...

I got a rebate from easytrip on10th August for tolls from July.

lafors

I rang them a couple of times. On the second call he said unfortunately their automated system they had tried to set up isn't working and there doing it manually and we're told to tell customers it would be done by the end of the second week in August....still no refund.

unkel

About €40 saved so far. I was already with Toll Tag / Park Magic and I recently upgraded to the monthly fee account (€1.21 per month) as that now costs me less than the extra charge per toll

I have been going to many of the north county Dublin and county Louth beaches with my dog this summer. Costs nothing in fuel and now just €1 in tolls for my return trip :cool:

Toll Tag / Park Magic apply the discount instantly every time you go through the toll...

slave1

So they phoned me back, their IT advisement was my Leaf was not picked up as an EV, my July rebate will be processed with the August one in “early September”