How much does it cost to charge an electric car?

By Danny Morgan

Last updated: Apr 28th 2023

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The truth is that the cost to charge an electric car depends on a great many variables to give a single, simple answer.

However, despite some recent doom and gloom around electric vehicles, the cost of charging still compares favourably to a diesel car or petrol car.

However, this guide is only an indication of how the cost of charging may appear.

One of the biggest attractions of owning a plug-in electric car is that they are cheap to run, even if the cost of an electricity tariff has been affected by world events.

This guide explains some of the basics around the costs to charge an electric car at home and on the road with rapid chargers, and how you get the best out of your electricity supplier with a cheaper fixed tariff.

How much does it cost to charge an electric car?

While the initial purchase cost of an electric vehicle might be higher (though prices are coming down), the lower running costs can mean it is cheaper overall; one of the key benefits of joining the EV revolution.

One of the main reasons for this is the cost to charge an electric car is less than the cost to refuel a petrol or diesel car; while fuel costs have dropped as domestic electricity prices have risen of late, this is likely to be a short-term situation.

In fact, even though your electricity bill might be rising, charging electric cars is extremely cost effective simply because electricity costs are lower than petrol or diesel. Look behind the currently cheaper prices at the motorway service station and the figures still stack up.

How much electric cars cost to run exactly will vary between vehicle to vehicle. In the same way as an internal combustion engine vehicle, some electric cars are more efficient than others and therefore cheaper to run.

But by far the biggest factor in the cost to charge an EV is the price of electricity.

We'll look at the costs to charge the typical electric car at home and using public charging points later, but you can work out the cost of a single charge with this simple sum:

Home charging cost for electric cars

Charging an electric car at home is by far the cheapest method of keeping your EV battery topped up.

How much does it cost to charge an electric car? Well, prices are changing and vary but the main factors affecting the cost of home charging are:

1. Which energy tariff you are on and the subsequent energy prices

2. How and when you charge

Energy tariffs for home charging

Choosing the right energy supplier and tariff can save you hundreds of pounds per year in electric car charging costs.

Using a standard tariff will likely still be cheaper than a petrol car but you could be saving a lot more by switching to an EV-friendly tariff.

EV-friendly tariffs, sometimes known as time-of-use tariffs, offer cheaper electricity prices during off-peak hours typically when the national grid is experiencing less demand.

By charging at these off-peak times, you can dramatically lower your EV charging costs.

However, the off-peak window is usually relatively short depending on the supplier. For example, it may last for a few hours during the night, so you want to concentrate as much charging as possible in this "window" to lower costs.

This is where a dedicated home charging point comes in handy.

Home charging unit

If you have a home charging point, not only is it a very convenient way of EV charging, especially if you have off-street parking, but it can also save you money.

You see, compared to a three-pin plug and domestic socket, a home EV charger is around three times faster.

The extra power and charging speed it delivers means you can fit more charging in during those low-cost off-peak periods.

You'll need to factor in the cost of a home charge point installation, but the added convenience, charging speed, and cost savings make it worthwhile. In addition, using a smartphone app will allow you to track energy usage and make further savings.

Cost to charge electric cars on public charging points

Using public chargers, such as at motorway service stations, is typically more expensive than at home, so if you don't need to use them then don't.

However, prices do vary between public charging points at motorway service stations and those found in supermarket car parks for example. There are even free to use public charging stations.

Rapid charging station

The fastest public chargers, called rapid chargers, are the most expensive.

Rapid charging networks include Gridserve, Osprey, Instavolt, Tesla's Supercharger station and more. You'll typically use these for motorway charging, but they can be found in other locations too. We've produced a guide for some of the major charging networks, including the cost of charging. We've also built a handy rapid charge point cost comparison tool, which compares the cost of the UK's biggest rapid charging networks.

Fast charging network

"Fast" public charge points aren't quite as speedy as rapid charge points, but they tend to be cheaper to use as a result.

Sometimes they are referred to as destination chargers because they are located in places where you don't require superfast recharge, but you can grab a top-up while doing something else such as visiting a shopping centre or the gym.

One of the most well-known modern networks is operated by Pod Point. You might have seen Pod Point's fast chargers in Tesco car parks, for example, and many of its chargers are free to use for electric vehicles.

Tips to keep electric car charging costs low

Electric cars are cheaper to run. Full stop. However, you can maximise your savings in a few ways.

Install a charge point and charge an electric car at home

We recommend to all our customers that installing a dedicated charge point at home is the most convenient and cost-effective way of charging your electric car.

You can check out the costs of an installation and compare chargers, and we also offer finance through Klarna so you can spread out the cost to charge an electric car.

A dedicated home charge point not only allows you to charge an electric car more quickly, but thanks to accompanying smartphone apps you can coincide EV charging with the times when your electricity price might be lower.

Switch to an EV friendly tariff

By switching to an energy provider or tariff that are aimed at EV drivers, which typically have a lower price per kWh (or kilowatt hour) at certain times of the day, you can save hundreds per year on charging for electric vehicles.

Avoid rapid charging if you can

As mentioned above, rapid charge points are extremely handy if you're on a long journey and need a superfast charge for your electric car, but they charge a premium for this service.

Try to charge your electric vehicle at home if you can. If you're reliant on public charging then try to use other public charging points such as those in car parks or even at work, instead of rapid chargers. Several companies have pledged to provide workplace charging points.

Although prices are creeping up across the board for public chargers, they tend to be cheaper for electric vehicle charging than rapid chargers, and some, like Pod Point, still offer free charging in some areas which can help reduce your own electricity bill.

Also be aware of idle fees – leaving your vehicle fully charged while at electric car charging points is bad etiquette, and can result in fines. Best not to get too distracted in the supermarket while your car is at a public charging point...

Use electric car charging cards

EV charge cards help make accessing and paying for different charging networks, such as Pod Point's rapid chargers easier.

But with all new public charge points including contactless payment and many older units being upgraded, you might wonder why you would need an electric car charging card.

Well, we can't argue with that, but the increased competition in the market means some providers are offering discounts, subscriptions with cheaper charging rates, and even rewards for using them.

Examples include Electric Universe, Shell Recharge, Zap Pay by Zap Map, Bonnet, Mina Chargepass and more. Many are free to sign up to, so they're worth checking out as they can make charging an electric car easier in some cases.

We've reviewed them all and you can find a summary of which is best in our Best EV Charge Cards article.

What are the best energy tariffs for EV drivers?

There's a range of EV energy tariffs available which can help reduce the cost of charging your electric car. It's important to choose an energy tariff that suits your home lifestyle as well as what is best for your vehicle.

We have created a guide on the best EV energy tariffs for electric car drivers, which will help you make a decision on what is best for you. Find out more about the cheapest EV energy tariffs by using our Home EV Tariff Comparison Tool.