Guide, 6 min read
EV charging costs: home vs public charging
Yes, it is cheaper to charge at home, and on an overnight EV tariff it is cheaper again. Public rapid charging carries hardware, site and grid costs that your driveway does not.
Get a price
Where does it need to go? Two taps and a postcode gets you a price.
Is it cheaper to charge an electric car at home?
Yes, and by a wide margin. Home electricity carries VAT at 5% where public charging carries it at the standard rate, and that is before the hardware, the grid connection and the site costs behind a public charger are counted.
On a standard domestic rate, home charging comfortably beats public. On an overnight EV tariff it is cheaper again, because those tariffs price a night-time window far below the standard rate. The gap is widest against motorway rapid chargers and narrowest against slow on-street posts.
What it is not is free, and the size of the saving depends on your tariff rather than on your car. That is why the numbers below are a method rather than a figure.
The arithmetic, which is simple
Cost of a charge equals the energy you put in, in kilowatt hours, multiplied by your rate per kilowatt hour.
A 60kWh battery taken from 20% to 80% takes about 36kWh. At an overnight EV rate that is a few pounds. At a standard daytime domestic rate it is several times more. At a motorway rapid charger it is several times more again.
Your own rate is printed on your electricity bill. Public charging rates are displayed at the unit and in the operator's app.
Why does public EV charging cost more?
- The hardware is far more expensive and works far harder
- A rapid charger needs a substantial grid connection, sometimes its own substation
- The site has rent, maintenance, payment systems and support behind it
- Public charging carries VAT at the standard rate, home electricity at 5%
The tariff is where the saving lives
Time-of-use EV tariffs price a night-time window far below the standard rate, on the basis that the grid has spare capacity then and would rather you used it.
A charger that schedules into that window automatically is what turns the tariff into an actual saving. Setting timers by hand works until the week you forget.
When is public charging still the right choice?
On a long journey, obviously. Twenty minutes at a rapid charger buys a couple of hundred miles, and no home charger does that.
The sensible pattern for most drivers is home for the daily miles and public for the exceptions. That is roughly how most EV owners end up using them, and it is why a home charger changes the running cost so much.
Work out your own numbers
Rather than take a figure from a website, put your own battery size, your own tariff and your own mileage into the charging cost calculator. It compares home, off-peak and public rapid side by side.
Next step
Send us the postcode and we will tell you what your property needs.
Send the postcode and what the property is, and we will come back with the quote or the one question still outstanding.
Questions
EV charging questions on this
How much does it cost to fully charge an electric car at home?
Multiply the usable battery size by your unit rate. A 60kWh battery on an overnight EV tariff costs a few pounds for a full charge, and several times that on a standard daytime rate.
How much cheaper is home charging than public rapid charging?
Substantially, and the gap is widest against motorway rapids. The exact multiple depends on your tariff and the operator's price, which is why the calculator asks for both rather than quoting an average.
Do I need a special tariff?
No, but it is where most of the saving is. Without one you still pay domestic rates, which beat public charging comfortably.
Is it cheaper to charge an EV at home than in public?
Yes, in every ordinary case. Home electricity carries VAT at 5% against the standard rate on public charging, and a public charger also has to cover its hardware, its grid connection and the site it stands on. The gap is widest against motorway rapids and narrowest against slow on-street posts.
What does public EV charging cost?
It varies by operator and by speed, and the rate is displayed at the unit and in the operator's app. Rapid and ultra-rapid charging is the most expensive, slower destination and on-street posts less so. Because the rates move, the calculator asks you for the one you are actually paying rather than quoting an average that will be out of date.
How much does it cost to charge at home per month?
Take your monthly mileage, divide by the miles your car gets from a kilowatt hour, and multiply by your rate. Most cars manage roughly three to four miles per kWh depending on the car, the weather and the driving. The calculator does the same sum with your own figures.
Get a quote
Get an EV charger quote for your property
Seven quick questions. We reply with either a fixed price or the one thing we still need to know.
- No cost, and no obligation to book anything
- Your details are never sold on or passed around
- A fixed price for the work described, in writing
Would rather talk it through? Call 01246 952042.
