Environment ministry cuts EV charging fees by half during Chuseok holiday

The environment ministry said Monday it will slash electricity charging fees for electric vehicles by up to 50 percent during the upcoming Chuseok holiday to help balance power supply and demand. The temporary discount runs from September 24 to 27, targeting midday hours when solar power generation peaks while industrial consumption drops.

Owners of private chargers installed at homes or workplaces will receive a full waiver of electricity usage fees between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. each day. The provision covers approximately 102,000 households and businesses operating their own low-voltage or high-voltage charging equipment, where fees typically range from 80.2 won to 85.4 won per kilowatt-hour.

Public charging stations operated by the ministry and Korea Electric Power Corp will see rates cut in half across all output levels during the same timeframe. Fees at a standard 100-kilowatt public charger will drop from 348.4 won per kilowatt-hour to 174.2 won. Private charging operators are expected to pass on similar savings, with the ministry projecting rate reductions of 22 to 29 percent based on normal public charging benchmarks.

The policy leverages the country's fleet of about 1.16 million registered electric vehicles as of August 2026 to absorb excess renewable energy. With factory operations slowing during the holiday, solar farms continue to generate significant power, creating a surplus that forces grid operators to curtail output if not consumed quickly.

To prevent congestion at popular travel stops, authorities will deploy 19 mobile charging units at eight highway rest areas from September 23 through 27.

The initiative extends a weekend discount program launched earlier this year, which increased usage of public chargers during discounted hours by 9.2 percent in the spring. Officials expect the deeper holiday discounts to yield greater grid stabilization effects given the sharper drop in industrial demand.

"During the Chuseok holiday daytime, renewable energy generation is active while power demand is low," said Kim Seong-hwan, minister of climate, energy and environment. "By increasing EV charging during these hours through fee discounts, we can reduce both the burden on the power system and charging costs for citizens." Kim added that the government plans to continuously refine the fee structure linked to power supply conditions so the public can directly feel the benefits of expanding renewable energy.