EV drivers need to prepare for public charging network change

Electric vehicle drivers in Orkney need to download a new app and order a new charging card by mid-January as the public charging network switches to ScottishPower.

ChargePlace Scotland, which currently manages Council-owned public charging networks across the Highlands and Islands, is ending in Spring 2026.

As a result, public charging networks in Orkney, Shetland, the Western Isles and Argyll and Bute are all moving to ScottishPower in a coordinated migration during February 2026. The change is being coordinated by HITRANS along with the four Councils to ensure the transition is as smooth as possible for EV drivers.

ScottishPower will take over the management of day-to-day operations, maintenance coordination and customer support, but all charging points will remain in their current locations and Orkney Islands Council will continue to set charging tariffs and manage energy supply.

A detailed schedule showing when each charging location in Orkney will switch to ScottishPower will be published in January 2026.

Existing ChargePlace Scotland cards will stop working once chargers move to the new network, which is why drivers need to prepare now.

During the migration in February, some chargers will be operated by ScottishPower whilst others will remain on ChargePlace Scotland. A migration date for each charger will be published in January, but drivers needing to charge during this period should ensure that they can access both networks.

What you need to do

All EV drivers living in or visiting Orkney should complete these steps by mid-January:

1.    Download the ScottishPower Recharge app - free from the App Store or Google Play Store. The app allows drivers to find chargers, pay for charging and view charging history.

2.    Order a new charging card - either a ScottishPower card through the app (up to 1 week delivery) or a roaming card. Charging cards work even when mobile signal is poor, making them particularly useful in rural areas.

About roaming cards

ScottishPower has EV roaming agreements with several partners, including Allstar, Electroverse, Gireve, OVO Charge, and Zapmap.

Drivers can use RFID cards and apps from any of these partners to access both ScottishPower’s chargers and chargers on other networks. However, roaming partners may add their own fees to tariffs and no single provider gives access to all charging networks.