Over 500 Blink chargepoints in Brighton and Hove move to Believ and Char.gy on 15 October. Rapid overnight drops from 73p to 48p a kWh; one rate rises.
More than 500 public electric vehicle chargepoints in Brighton and Hove will change hands on Thursday 15 October, when the council’s contract with Blink Charging UK ends.
The standard, fast and rapid chargepoints Blink runs will move to two other operators, Believ and Char.gy. The council announced the switch on Thursday 8 October.
Most charging will get cheaper. One rate goes up: daytime charging on a standard chargepoint.
What you will pay from 15 October
All prices are per kWh, as published by the council.
| Charger type | Blink now | New operator | New price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard, overnight | 55p | Char.gy | 39p |
| Standard, daytime | 55p | Char.gy | 59p |
| Fast, overnight | 55p | Believ | 41p |
| Fast, daytime | 55p | Believ | 53p |
| Rapid, overnight | 73p | Believ | 48p |
| Rapid, daytime | 73p | Believ | 58p |
The biggest cut is on rapid chargers overnight, from 73p to 48p a kWh. The only rise is 4p, on standard chargers in the daytime.
The council’s release does not say which hours count as overnight. Check the times in the Believ or Char.gy app before you plug in.
What changes at the chargepoint
- Standard chargepoints move to Char.gy, and every one is being replaced with a new Char.gy unit.
- Fast and rapid chargepoints move to Believ.
- You will start a charge through the Believ app, the Char.gy app or a compatible third-party charging app.
The council is asking anyone who uses Blink chargepoints now to set up with the new operators and check where their nearest chargepoint is.
More chargers on the way
The council says it is expanding the network at the same time:
- 500 new chargepoints have been installed since March
- 600 more are planned over the next six months
- installation of 50 new rapid chargers begins this month
- around 1,600 new chargepoints are due over the next three years, and 6,000 by 2040
It says 86% of households are now within a five-minute walk of a public chargepoint, up from 83% in 2025.
The council is also developing a pilot of almost 200 pavement gullies, funded by the Department for Transport’s EV Pavement Channel Grant. The gullies are for homes without off-street parking: they let a charging cable run safely through the pavement from the house to a car parked on the road.
Councillor Trevor Muten, Cabinet member for Transport and City Infrastructure, said: “It’s really pleasing the cost of charging will be coming down with the switch to new operators. We want a network that’s affordable and sustainable for our residents, businesses and visitors.”
What it means for you
If you charge on a Blink point, download the Believ or Char.gy app, or check that your usual charging app works with them, before Thursday 15 October.
If you use a standard chargepoint and can only do it during the day, you will pay 4p a kWh more. If you can charge overnight, you will pay 16p a kWh less.
For on-street parking rules and permit zones, see our parking in Brighton guide.
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