South Korea will cut electricity rates for electric-vehicle charging by half during midday hours on weekends in the spring and fall, part of a broader effort to shift demand to periods of peak solar generation.
Under a revised seasonal and time-of-use pricing system announced by the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment, EV drivers using public chargers between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Saturdays and public holidays will qualify for the discount starting April 18.
The policy applies to about 94,000 privately operated chargers and roughly 13,000 public fast chargers run by the government and Korea Electric Power Corporation. Discount periods cover March through May and September through October.
At public fast chargers, rates are expected to fall by about 3 cents per kilowatt-hour on holidays and around 4 cents on Saturdays. Fees will be based on the actual charging period rather than the start time. Roaming services using third-party charging networks are excluded.
The measure is designed to encourage electricity use when solar output is abundant, improving renewable-energy utilization and easing strain on the grid.
The government is also revising industrial electricity pricing, which accounts for roughly half of total demand. Weekday midday rates, between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m., will be lowered from peak to mid-tier levels, while evening rates, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., will be raised from mid-tier to peak levels to reflect higher demand.
Officials estimate the changes will reduce average industrial electricity costs by about $0.001 per kilowatt-hour. Small and midsize manufacturers with higher daytime operations are expected to benefit more than large companies. Continuous-process industries such as petrochemicals are also projected to see a net reduction of around $0.001 per kilowatt-hour.
While the revised pricing takes effect April 16, 514 industrial sites that require operational adjustments will be granted a grace period until October 1. New rates for commercial and educational users will begin June 1. Residential pricing, already piloted in Jeju, may be expanded gradually following further public consultation.
Lee Won-joo, a senior official overseeing energy transition policy, said the government would continue to explore ways to guide more efficient electricity consumption in line with shifting supply conditions driven by renewable energy growth. Officials also plan to introduce regionally differentiated transmission pricing later this year and aim to deploy megawatt charging systems for ultra-fast EV charging by 2028.
