How Much Does It Cost to Charge an Electric Car

How Much Does It Cost to Charge an Electric Car?

The same car doing the same miles can cost anywhere from about 2p to 24p per mile depending on nothing more than where and when you plug it in. That's a more than tenfold swing, and it dwarfs the difference between one electric car and another. Battery size and efficiency matter, but the charging decision matters considerably more, and it's the one thing most people can actually change.

The Three Prices That Matter

For comparison, a petrol car doing 40mpg costs roughly 15p to 18p per mile. Home charging on a standard tariff beats that comfortably. Rapid public charging broadly matches it, which is the detail that surprises people who assumed electric always means cheaper.

Why the Home Rate Is So Much Lower

Two things are happening. The obvious one is that public networks build in infrastructure, maintenance, and site costs that domestic electricity doesn't carry.

The less obvious one is VAT. Domestic electricity is charged at 5% VAT, while public charging carries the full 20%. That asymmetry alone accounts for a meaningful chunk of the gap, and it applies regardless of which network you use or how efficiently it's run.

The Off-Peak Tariff That Changes Everything

The single biggest saving available to any EV driver is a dedicated EV tariff with an overnight off-peak window. Suppliers including Octopus, OVO, and British Gas offer overnight rates in the region of 7p to 9p per kWh, against the Ofgem price cap rate of around 26p.

Moving your charging into that window cuts home charging cost by roughly 70%. A full 60kWh charge drops from about £15.70 to around £5, and cost per mile falls from 7 or 8p to roughly 2p.

The catch worth knowing: daytime electricity on these tariffs usually costs slightly more than the standard cap. They work well if you can shift most of your charging, and ideally your washing and other heavy usage, into the cheap overnight window. They work less well if your consumption is spread evenly through the day. You'll generally need a smart meter, and for the smartest tariffs, a compatible car or charger.

What a Realistic Monthly Bill Looks Like

Most people don't charge from empty to full. A typical top-up adds perhaps £2 to £4 to the bill on a standard tariff, less on off-peak.

For someone driving 10,000 miles a year in a reasonably efficient EV, annual charging cost works out roughly as follows: about £200 on an off-peak overnight tariff, about £750 on a standard home tariff, and about £2,400 if relying mainly on rapid public chargers. Zapmap data suggests home-charging drivers save around £720 a year against a petrol equivalent.

Add Roughly 10% for Charging Losses

Worth factoring in when comparing figures: real-world charging involves losses of around 10%, so putting 60kWh into a battery draws slightly more than 60kWh from the wall. Most published cost tables, including the ones above, quote battery capacity rather than metered consumption, so add about a tenth in practice.

When Public Charging Makes Sense

Public rapid charging is a convenience tool rather than a running-cost strategy. It's genuinely valuable on long journeys, where a 150kW+ ultra-rapid charger can add around 100 miles of range in roughly 10 minutes against the 8.5 hours a 7kW home charger takes to fill a 60kWh battery from empty.

The sensible pattern for most drivers is charging at home overnight for everyday use and treating public rapid charging as something you use on longer trips, accepting the higher rate for the time saved rather than as your default.

If You Can't Charge at Home

Households without off-street parking face the least favourable version of this arithmetic, since they're largely reliant on public rates. Some councils permit a cable channel across the pavement, and on-street charging schemes exist in some areas. According to InstantCost.co.uk's data, an installation without off-street parking typically costs £1,500 to £2,500 and involves a permission process, against £900 to £1,400 for a standard 7kW install with a driveway.

It's also worth checking workplace charging, which is often free or subsidised, and slower public chargers at supermarkets or car parks at around 54p per kWh rather than defaulting to rapid chargers at 79p.

Charging From Your Own Solar

If you're already generating electricity, charging an EV is one of the most effective ways to use it. The economics of solar hinge on self-consumption, since electricity you use yourself is worth the full import rate while exported electricity earns only around 15p per kWh under the Smart Export Guarantee. An EV is a large, flexible load that can soak up midday generation that would otherwise be exported at the lower rate. Our related guide covers how much solar panels cost in the UK, including the self-consumption figures and payback periods, which is worth reading if you're considering whether the two investments make more sense together than separately.

Installation Costs

You need a home charger to access overnight tariff rates properly. According to InstantCost.co.uk's 2026 UK pricing data:

Around one in four installations needs a consumer unit upgrade. A 7kW charger suits almost everyone, adding roughly 30 miles of range per hour, which comfortably fills a typical EV overnight. 22kW requires a three-phase supply that most UK homes don't have.

The EV chargepoint grant still covers renters and flat owners, worth up to £350. Homeowners in houses no longer qualify.

Common Mistakes and What to Do Instead

Mistake: staying on a standard tariff after buying an EV. Moving to a dedicated EV tariff with an overnight window cuts charging costs by roughly 70%. It's the single largest saving available and costs nothing but a supplier switch.

Mistake: defaulting to rapid chargers when slower public ones are available. Rapid charging averages 79p per kWh against 54p for slower public chargers. If you're parked for a while anyway, the slower option is nearly a third cheaper.

Mistake: comparing EV running costs to petrol using rapid charging figures. At 24p a mile, rapid charging is broadly comparable to petrol. The genuine savings come from home charging, so compare like with like.

Mistake: not accounting for charging losses. Real-world charging loses around 10%, so actual electricity drawn exceeds battery capacity. Budget accordingly rather than working purely from battery size.

Mistake: assuming you need a 22kW charger. It requires three-phase supply most homes lack, and 7kW fills a typical battery overnight regardless. The faster unit solves a problem most households don't have.

Mistake: overlooking the chargepoint grant if you rent or live in a flat. It's worth up to £350 and is still available to those groups even though homeowners in houses no longer qualify.

What It Costs in the UK: Quick Reference

Charging rates based on Ofgem price cap and Zapmap public charging averages for 2026. Installation figures from InstantCost.co.uk's 2026 UK pricing data. VAT is 5% on domestic electricity and 20% on public charging.

Staying Safe

EV charger installation must be carried out by an approved installer and notified under Part P of the Building Regulations, which your installer handles. This isn't optional, and it matters for both safety and any future property sale.

Don't rely on a standard three-pin socket for regular charging. Granny cables are intended for occasional use, and repeated high-load charging through a domestic socket isn't what the circuit is designed for. A properly installed wallbox is the appropriate solution for routine charging.

Energy price cap rates change quarterly and public charging rates vary by network and location, so confirm current figures before building them into long-term calculations.

FAQ

How much does it cost to fully charge an electric car in the UK? A typical 60kWh battery costs around £5 on an off-peak overnight EV tariff, about £15.70 on a standard home tariff, and around £47 at a public rapid charger.

What's the cheapest way to charge an electric car? Home charging on a dedicated EV tariff with an overnight off-peak window, typically 7 to 9p per kWh, which works out at roughly 2p per mile.

Is charging an electric car cheaper than petrol? At home, comfortably, roughly 2p per mile off-peak or 7 to 8p on a standard tariff against 15 to 18p for a 40mpg petrol car. Rapid public charging at around 24p per mile is broadly comparable to petrol rather than cheaper.

Why is public charging so much more expensive? Network infrastructure and maintenance costs, plus VAT, which is 20% on public charging against 5% on domestic electricity.

Do I need a 22kW charger at home? Almost certainly not. It requires a three-phase supply most UK homes don't have, and a 7kW unit adds around 30 miles of range per hour, filling a typical EV overnight.

How much does a home charger cost to install? A standard 7kW installation costs £900 to £1,400 in 2026, with longer cable runs at £1,200 to £1,800 and a consumer unit upgrade, needed in around one in four cases, adding £450 to £900.