Electric vehicle charging network EcoCharge IGA is switching to a kilowatt-hour (kWh) charging rate from the current time-of-use rate and is discounting nighttime charging.

Papillons Infrastructure Nature and Earth Day Canada made the announcement June 13.

The changes take effect June 17.

The rate will be set to $0.49 per kWh during the day, while the nighttime gets a 10 cent discount, costing $0.39 per kWh. Night rates are from 9 p.m. to 5:59 a.m.

These changes will apply to the entire EcoCharge IGA network, which has 102 Level 3 fast-charging stations in the parking lots of 51 IGA supermarkets in Quebec and New Brunswick.

“This distinctive measure is a sustainable action that can help reduce pressure on our electrical grid. As an electric charging station operator from the environmental sector, we are working to implement innovative and concrete solutions to participate in the energy transition. We are confident that this rate will have a positive impact and hope that people will take advantage of it,” said Pierre Lussier, president and CEO of Papillons Infrastructure Nature, the operator of the EcoCharge network, in the news release.

“IGA and its merchants are proud to support the EcoCharge program. Since 2020, more than 100 fast-charging stations have been installed in IGA stores across Quebec and New Brunswick. We want to highlight this first-of-its-kind initiative, which demonstrates our commitment to contributing to sustainable projects that simplify the daily lives of our customers,” said Geneviève Dugré, senior vice-president of retail operations for Quebec and national operations support at Sobeys, in the release.

The EcoCharge IGA charging stations are accessible 24-7 and illuminated at night.

Users can pay with a credit card right on the charging stations or on the ChargePoint app, available on the App Store and Google Play.

Additionally, the company says that on the 22nd of each month, the entire amount of the charge will be donated to a local charity associated with each station.

An interactive map of station locations is available at www.rechargeco.org.