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With the spread of electric vehicle (EV) charging networks throughout the UK, you’ve got plenty of options when it comes to where you charge your electric car, from service stations to your supermarket, from kerbside charging to your home. But how much does it cost to charge an electric car and how can you make it as cheap as possible?
Here, we explain the costs of charging an electric car, including the average costs of charging at different locations, and what you can do to lower those costs.
Charging costs for your electric car will vary based on:
Over 90% of electric car charging is currently done at home in the UK, usually overnight. And the good news is that charging at home is one of the cheapest ways to charge your electric car.
The cost of charging at home will vary depending on factors like how large your car’s battery is and the time of day you charge. But you can expect to pay between £10 to £30 to fully charge your electric car, giving you 200 to 400 miles of range depending on its make and model. If you have access to off-peak electricity rates, you can significantly lower your charging costs.
However, it’s important to note that off-peak tariffs are only available to households with a smart meter installed. Without a smart meter, your energy costs will remain consistent throughout the day, based on your existing electricity tariff.
Many energy providers are rolling out smart meters, but the process isn’t always straightforward. While some households can request one, installation may take weeks, months, or even years, depending on the provider and your location. If you don’t have a smart meter, you’ll need to base your charging cost calculations on your current tariff.
You can charge many electric cars by plugging them directly into the mains at a three-pin plug socket using an EVSE1 cable. However, this is slow. It can take up to 24 hours to fully charge an EV battery, and it can risk overheating the cable and your car’s components.
It’s recommended to use a home EV charger to recharge your car’s battery, as it’s safer and much more efficient. These can cost anywhere between £120 to £1,000 and over, depending on the model and features. And whilst that’s a steep initial investment, it’s one that will pay off over time. Just think about the cost of fully filling a car with petrol or diesel and that outlay with feel a lot less substantial.
You can use home solar panels and a solar car charger to recharge your electric car, as well as producing electricity for your home.
Once the initial cost of installing solar panels has been covered, this can be one of the cheapest ways to power an electric car. As the electricity is being produced from a renewable, essentially free source.
The cost of installing panels will depend on the panels you choose, your location, and how they’re installed. The amount of time it takes to repay them will depend upon this initial cost, and how much electricity they generate for you.
The cost of recharging your EV at your place of work will vary. Employers are increasingly providing electric car charging at work for free as an employee perk.
You’ve got plenty of options for charging your electric car away from home or work. As of July 2024, there were 66,779 public EV charging points available in the UK, found at 34,570 charging locations.
Public chargers can be used at petrol stations and motorway service stations, as well as supermarkets and shops, leisure centres, and kerbside locations in residential areas. You’ll even find private domestic chargers being made available for public use.
Using a public charger is typically more expensive than charging at home, but costs will vary. Prices will depend on the location, who runs the charging network, and the speed of the chargers offered – faster charging tends to be more expensive.
On average, you can expect to pay between £0.25 to £0.80 per kWh for public charging, meaning a full charge could cost from £12 to £52.50.
Some public EV charge points are offered for free by businesses to their customers, such as the supermarkets Sainsbury’s, Aldi, and Lidl. You can also reduce the costs of public charging by joining specific charging networks, as they typically offer cheaper rates and/or charging plans to their members.
You can find free EV charging at:
There are plenty of steps you can take to reduce the costs of charging your electric car, including:
Do you have more questions about electric and hybrid cars? You’ll find a wealth of impartial advice and guides at Green Car Guide, covering everything from buying guides to car reviews, from news to in-depth features. See our green car FAQs for simple answers to the most common questions about electric and hybrid cars and other related topics.
