What does it cost to charge an EV?
Compare a year of charging at home, on public chargers and against a petrol car, using October 2026 prices.
A year of charging at home on an EV tariff
£170
Includes about 10% lost while charging. Prices are UK averages: Ofgem's price cap, Intelligent Octopus Go, Zapmap and RAC, checked October 2026.
How we work out the costs
We divide your yearly miles by how far your car goes on each kWh, add about 10% for energy lost while charging, then multiply by each price. For petrol, we convert miles per gallon into litres and use the latest average pump price.
- 7.6p per kWh for an EV tariff, based on Intelligent Octopus Go's off-peak rate.
- 26.32p per kWh standard rate, from Ofgem's price cap for October to December 2026.
- 79p per kWh for public rapid chargers, Zapmap's UK average for September 2026. Slower public chargers average about 54p.
- 174.8p per litre for petrol, the RAC's UK average on 9 October 2026.
Your own tariff will differ. Open "Use my own prices" above and enter the rates from your bill.
3-pin plug or a home charger?
You can charge from a normal 3-pin socket, but it's slow, adding around 8 miles of range an hour. A 7kW wall charger is about three times faster, so most cars fill up overnight.
Speed isn't the only difference. A home charger has its own circuit and protection, designed to run at full power for hours. Household sockets and extension leads aren't, which is why car makers warn against charging through extension leads. Smart chargers can also schedule charging for the cheapest hours automatically, and some EV tariffs need one to unlock their lowest rates.
Getting the most from an EV tariff
EV tariffs give you cheap electricity for a few hours overnight, usually between 23:30 and 05:30. Set your car or charger to charge in that window and the savings in the calculator follow. Our live greenest time to charge forecast shows how clean the grid is in your area over the next 24 hours. If you have solar panels, a charger like the Zappi can top up your car from spare solar during the day.
Select installs 7kW smart chargers from Zappi, Ohme, Pod Point, Andersen and Easee across Tunbridge Wells, Kent and London, and tells the network operator about the installation for you. Find out more about our home EV charger installation.
Questions
How much does it cost to charge an electric car at home?
For a family EV covering 7,000 miles a year, charging at home costs about £170 a year on an EV tariff at 7.6p per kWh, or about £580 on the standard capped rate of 26.32p. Those are October 2026 prices and include typical charging losses.
Is it cheaper to charge an EV than to fill up with petrol?
At home, by a wide margin. The same 7,000 miles cost about £1,240 in a 45mpg petrol car. Relying on public rapid chargers is a different story: at the UK average of 79p per kWh it comes to about £1,740, which is more than petrol.
How long does a 7kW home charger take?
A 7kW charger adds roughly 20 to 25 miles of range an hour. A family EV with a 75kWh battery charges from empty in about 12 hours, so overnight is plenty. A 3-pin plug takes about 36 hours for the same charge.
Do I need permission to install a home EV charger?
Usually not. Most home chargers are covered by permitted development rights, though listed buildings and conservation areas may have restrictions. The local network operator must be told about the installation, which your installer should handle for you.
Last updated 13 October 2026 by Select Mechanical and Electrical.
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