Not in our case, the two chargers we have here were installed "for free". I presume they run off building power though. The nearby Kroger now has four charger in the lot.
The issue is they cost 3x or more relative to retail electric power.
I'm not sure how true that actually is. From what I understand DC fast chargers typically are the most expensive to use, but the lower power chargers that are more economical to install may not have such exorbitant rates. If all you need is 2 hours at an L2 charger while you're perusing things at the mall or at the theater watching a movie, it might not be 3x.
I think some places (shopping centers) even may put them in as "free to use"
may put them in as "free to use". Not owning one, I don't know how plentiful free EV chargers are or how easy it is to find them. And as EV ownership increases, I don't know how economically feasible it will be to actually continue seeing "free" anywhere.
But one might think, as well, that as EVs proliferate, charging locations may need to compete with each other on charging rates. From one google search you can search free chargers via the "PlugShare" app, but I couldn't look at their web site without registering so I didn't. I'm sure that these charging companies will allow you to filter based on charge rate to find the cheapest chargers, and over time that might drive the cost of EV charging down to
bulk electricity rate + cost to install/amortize/maintain the charger + a reasonable profit. I highly doubt that will be 3x home charging.
Granted, this is just me speculating on the economics. But it's not like we don't see gas stations competing based on price. You don't see gas for 4.69/gal and on the opposite corner it's 7.49/gal. They have to compete. Usually they're all within a dime or two of each other per gallon within a small geographical area.