How much does it cost to charge an electric car at home?

It depends on your electricity unit rate, your car's efficiency (miles per kWh), how many miles you drive and charging losses. A typical UK EV driving 7,000 miles a year uses around 2,000–2,200 kWh at the wall. At 27p per kWh that's roughly £540–£590 a year — much less on an off-peak EV tariff.

Is public EV charging more expensive than home charging?

Yes — usually much more. Public rapid chargers commonly cost 70–85p per kWh, versus 27p on a standard home tariff or as little as 7p on an off-peak EV tariff. Rapid charging is convenient on long journeys but expensive as your main way of charging.

How much electricity does an EV use each year?

Annual mileage divided by miles per kWh, plus around 10% for charging losses. For 10,000 miles at 3.5 miles/kWh, that's about 2,857 kWh from the battery and roughly 3,140 kWh at the wall.

Are EV tariffs cheaper?

Off-peak EV tariffs can be dramatically cheaper for the hours you charge — often around 7–8p per kWh overnight — but they can come with higher daytime rates, different standing charges or specific eligibility rules (smart meter, EV, sometimes a home charger). Compare your full annual cost, not just the off-peak rate.

Is solar EV charging free?

Not quite. Solar electricity you use to charge your car is electricity you could otherwise have exported and been paid for under the Smart Export Guarantee (SEG). This calculator values solar charging at your SEG rate (or your own valuation) rather than treating it as completely free, so the savings you see are realistic.

How accurate is the calculator?

It's an estimate. Real charging costs vary with weather, driving style, speed, battery temperature, tyre pressures, charger efficiency and future tariff changes. Use it to compare scenarios and understand what drives your cost, not as a guaranteed bill.

Independent UK EV charging assessment

What does charging your electric car cost?

Charging at home, at work or out and about? Let’s compare the costs using your mileage and charging habits. You can also compare with petrol or diesel.

Illustrative household scene · AI-generated

Figures reviewed June 2026 and updated monthly where appropriate. All results are estimates.

Quick answer: what 100 miles costs

At 3.5 miles per kWh plus 10% charging losses, 100 miles draws about 31.4 kWh from the charger.

Home, standard rate at 27p/kWh

£8.49

Home, off-peak EV rate at 7p/kWh

£2.20

Public rapid charger at 79p/kWh

£24.83

These are example prices, not current verified tariffs. Use your own unit rate in the calculator below. Off-peak windows and prices vary by tariff — see the Octopus Go and Agile pages for checked rates.
Home charging is usually far cheaper per kWh than public rapid charging. Public prices vary by network and speed, so check the price on the charger or app before you plug in.
Charging losses are energy lost between the socket and the battery. They are an assumption you can change (5–20%) in the calculator.

Your driving

Tell us how far you drive and how efficient your EV is.

Annual mileage

UK average is around 7,000 miles per year.

Vehicle (optional)

Selecting a car fills in a typical efficiency.

Efficiency (miles per kWh)

Most electric cars achieve between 3 and 4 miles per kWh in normal UK driving.

Current fuel type (for comparison)

Choose what you're comparing your EV against.