Cafe owner charges tourists extra for using up electricity

A CAFE has been criticised for slapping tourists with a “bizarre bill” for plugging in their devices. But the owner is standing by the new charge to charge up.

A cafe owner in Vienna is fed up with tourists coming in and spending too long charging their phones and laptops. Picture: SamuelBrownNG

THE owner of a popular tourist destination in Austria is charging tourists extra for charging their devices.

In what has been described as a “bizarre bill”, tourists who visit Vienna cafe Terrassencafe in Hundertwasserhaus are charged one euro ($A1.40) if they spend too much time charging their phones, tablets and laptops, Reuters reports.

The cafe’s owner Galina Pokorny said a quick, 15-minute charge was OK, but she was fed up with tourists who spent more than an hour powering up their devices.

“Tourists — always electricity, electricity, electricity,” she said.

“Sorry, but who is going to pay me for it?”

Terrassencafe im Hundertwasserhaus, a unique, colourful building in Vienna that’s popular with tourists. Picture: Flickr/Manfred Morgner

The cafe is located inside a famous, colourful block of apartments designed by artist and architect Friedensreich Hundertwasser and is a local favourite with out-of-towners.

Ms Pokorny said her charging charge may be the first of its kind in Austria.

She said those using more than one power outlet would have their fee multiplied by the number of devices they were charging.

“I run a cafe, not an internet cafe,” she said.

“It’s getting more and more extreme. People come and think everything is accessible and free. You don’t even open your eyes in the morning for free.”

Ms Pokorny introduced the levy last year but it gained attention this week when a tabloid newspaper published details of the “bizarre bill” after one of its reporters was forced to pay it, according to Reuters.

But it’s not all bad news for people who call into Terrassencafe im Hundertwasserhaus — wireless internet is still free.