How Much Does it Cost to Charge an Electric Car? (UK)
Find out how much it costs to charge an electric car at home and at a public charging station
According to data taken from Which?, the average cost charge an electric car in the UK between 8p and 11.5p per mile.
However, the cost of charging your electric car will vary. UK electricity prices fluctuate with demand, most notably during "peak/off-peak" hours. What's more, the cost to charge your electric car varies depending on the charge point used - whether you charge your car at home, or at a public charger.
How Much Does it Cost to Charge an Electric Car at Home?
If you charge an electric car at home, you will pay the standard rate for your electricity tariff. The average price for electricity in the UK is around 28.62p per/kWh (kilowatt-hour). As the average range of an electric car is 193 miles, it will cost around £14 - £15* to fully charge your vehicle. The exact price will vary because electricity costs fluctuate, not least between providers. You can check your energy bill to find your current cost.
There are electricity tariffs designed for electric car drivers. These make it even cheaper for you to charge your vehicle during ‘off-peak’ hours (overnight).
For example, EDF’s GoElectric Overnight tariff costs 9p per/kWh (off-peak), allowing you to travel a 20 minute commute for as little as 51p. This is a great way to keep your charging cost down because electric cars take an average of 9 hours to fully charge using a standard 7kW charger.
*On average; to add 200 miles of range. Price calculated using the standard tariff rate for home charging and an average battery size of 50kWh.
How Will the Energy Price Rises in 2024 Affect This?
Ofgem announced an increase to the energy price cap, effective from January 2024, to 28.62p per kWh. This means it will cost you on average around £30 more a year annually to charge your car at home.
However, this depends on your yearly mileage and the model you drive.
Public charging costs are also expected to increase.
How Much Does it Cost to Charge an Electric Car at a Public Charging Station?
Public charging points are found at workplaces (such as office blocks) and in public car parks. Some are even free to use. You should always check whether it will cost you to charge your electric car before plugging it in.
Public charging points may be free for an initial period and then charge you for continued use. This is usually the case at office blocks. It encourages employees to share charge points and gives every EV driver the opportunity to top up at work.
Each employer sets their own rate (if they don’t offer free charging), but you can expect them to be similar to the prices mentioned below.
How Much Does it Cost to Charge an Electric Car at a Rapid Charging Point?
Rapid charging points may seem like one of the more expensive ways to charge an electric car, but they can actually work out cheaper than home charging.
While the Tesla Supercharger Network is often free to use for Tesla owners, other rapid charging points can cost more per kWh than other charging options. The positive is that you don't have to plug your car in for very long to get a full charge - which can save you a few pounds.
Most network rapid chargers cost between 62p to 85p per kWh as of January 2024. Even though it may be inconvenient to wait around for half an hour, it is much more affordable than refuelling a petrol or diesel car.
The other main difference with public charging is how you pay. While it may not cost as much as refuelling, you can't always pay at the machine itself...
How Do You Pay for Electric Car Charging?
There are several ways to pay for electric car charging. Installing a home charge point means that you pay for electricity used in your car as part of your normal electricity bill.
If you plan on using a public charging point, make sure you're able to pay before arriving. You might need an RFID card (similar to a contactless debit card) to use some older public charge points. This can be ordered online.
Otherwise, you can use a free-to-download mobile app to pay for your charge time. There are plenty of options available, both for Android and IOS, and many also tell you where your nearest public charging point is.
Downloading Zap-Map will help you find your closest charging point across the entire network, while subscribing to a service like bp pulse just gives you access to their charger network.
How Has the Cost Per kWh Changed Throughout the Years?
Over time, the cost per unit of electricity has increased. It reached its peak in the second quarter of 2023, where it reached 33.6pence per kWh.
The cost per kWh has doubled since 2010, rising from 12.7pence per kWh, to 24.5pence per kWh in quarter two of 2024.
Data courtesy of NimbleFins, in partnership with gov.uk.
Please find the original article here.
Read More
Where Can I Charge an Electric Car?
There are plenty of public charging points in the UK but they can be hard to find for many new electric car drivers. Find out more in this article, which details where you can charge your electric car as well as how to find your nearest charging point.
How Much Does it Cost to Install an Electric Car Charger?
Charging an electric car at home is more convenient and can cost less than using public charging points. However, you must have the right infrastructure installed before you can do so. Find out more in this article, which details how to install a home charging point, as well as how much it costs to do so.
Which Electric Car Has the Longest Range? (2024)
If you cover a lot of miles each week, you need to know that your chosen EV can keep up. Find out which EVs go the furthest as well as the average range of every electric car available in the UK here.
The Best Energy Tariffs for Electric Car Drivers
As the cost of living is so expensive right now, you may have concerns about how much your electricity bills will cost if you decide to buy an electric car. In this article, we explain how EV-specific energy tariffs work, and highlight the best deals on the market right now.
How Much Does An Electric Car Cost Per Mile (UK)?
Electric cars are considered cheaper to run than traditional ICE vehicles, but how much does it actually cost per mile? In this article, we provide a rundown of running costs, and provide some of the cheapest models to run, per mile.
What are Range Extenders And What Electric Cars Use Them?
One of the disadvantages of an electric vehicle is that you are limited to driving certain distances, as the fully charged battery will only take you so far. If you regularly drain the battery and want to reduce your charging costs, a range extender could help. Find out more in this article.