Q. My wife’s daughter and son-in-law and their family live about 40 miles away. Whenever they come to stay, he asks if he can use an electric socket to charge his new Tesla. Although he thanks me profusely for making a socket available, he does not offer to pay for the electricity. Were he to do so, I would decline the offer, but I do feel that it is discourteous of him to take it for granted that it is a gift. How can I get him to raise his game?
– Name and address withheld
A. There is a protocol to deal with this emerging dilemma. Electric car drivers must make a point of carrying and brandishing cash so they can at least offer to pay for their charge. Even if hosts refuse the sum – typically £45 for an overnight charge of a Tesla – they welcome the acknowledgement inherent in the gesture.
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