diff --git a/include/cantera/thermo/Phase.h b/include/cantera/thermo/Phase.h
index 04d8ddf234..fb9be33c29 100644
--- a/include/cantera/thermo/Phase.h
+++ b/include/cantera/thermo/Phase.h
@@ -477,22 +477,9 @@ class Phase
     //! units = kg / kmol
     const vector_fp& molecularWeights() const;
 
-    //! Charge of species \c k.
-    //!     @param k index of species \c k
-    //!     @returns the charge of species \c k.
-    doublereal speciesCharge(size_t k) const;
-
-    //! Copy the vector of species charges into vector charges.
-    //!     @param charges Output vector of species charges (-)
-    void getSpeciesCharges(vector_fp& charges) const;
-
-    //! Copy the vector of species charges into array weights.
-    //!     @param weights Output array of species charges (-)
-    void getSpeciesCharges(doublereal* charges) const;
-
-    //! Return a const reference to the internal vector of molecular weights.
-    //! units = (-)
-    const vector_fp& speciesCharges() const;
+    //! Copy the vector of species charges into array charges.
+    //!     @param charges Output array of species charges (elem. charge)
+    const vector_fp& getSpeciesCharges(double* charges) const;
 
     /// @name Composition
     //@{
diff --git a/src/clib/ct.cpp b/src/clib/ct.cpp
index 57ed446d50..3495ae6d27 100644
--- a/src/clib/ct.cpp
+++ b/src/clib/ct.cpp
@@ -289,8 +289,7 @@ extern "C" {
         try {
             ThermoPhase& p = ThermoCabinet::item(n);
             p.checkSpeciesArraySize(lenm);
-            const vector_fp& ch = p.speciesCharges();
-            copy(ch.begin(), ch.end(), sc);
+            const vector_fp& ch = p.getSpeciesCharges(sc);
             return 0;
         } catch (...) {
             return handleAllExceptions(-1, ERR);
diff --git a/src/thermo/Phase.cpp b/src/thermo/Phase.cpp
index ad47b6fd0f..8be20df180 100644
--- a/src/thermo/Phase.cpp
+++ b/src/thermo/Phase.cpp
@@ -559,25 +559,10 @@ const vector_fp& Phase::molecularWeights() const
     return m_molwts;
 }
 
-doublereal Phase::speciesCharge(size_t k) const
-{
-    checkSpeciesIndex(k);
-    return m_speciesCharge[k];
-}
-
-void Phase::getSpeciesCharges(vector_fp& charges) const
-{
-    charges = speciesCharges();
-}
-
-void Phase::getSpeciesCharges(doublereal* charges) const
-{
-    const vector_fp& sc = speciesCharges();
-    copy(sc.begin(), sc.end(), charges);
-}
-
-const vector_fp& Phase::speciesCharges() const
+const vector_fp& Phase::getSpeciesCharges(double* charges) const
 {
+    const vector_fp& ch = m_speciesCharge;
+    copy(ch.begin(), ch.end(), charges);
     return m_speciesCharge;
 }