What Does It Cost to Charge an Electric Car at Home?

Charging an electric car at home costs, in most cases, less than half what it costs to run the same miles on petrol or diesel. The headline figures are straightforward: a full charge of a typical 50kWh battery costs about £17 on a standard electricity tariff, but only about £8 on an EV tariff or another time-of-use deal¹, and some off-peak tariffs bring a full charge in at under £10². On an overnight rate of 7p per kWh, home charging works out at around 2p per mile³.

The catch is that "the cost of a full charge" is not one number. The same car, on the same driveway, can cost £6, £8, £13, £17 or more to fill depending on the tariff, the battery size and the time of night the electricity flows. This page works through the sums, tariff by tariff, and sets out what a household actually needs in place to reach the cheapest rates.

The price of a full charge, and why three answers exist

Start with the battery. A full charge is simply the battery's usable capacity multiplied by the unit rate, so a bigger battery costs more to fill but carries you further. Energy Saving Trust uses a 50kWh battery as its example car: on a standard tariff that costs approximately £17 to charge from empty to full⁴. The same organisation's smart charging advice puts the standard-tariff figure at £17 and the EV-tariff figure at £8 for the same charge¹.

Other independent sources land in the same band. Which? notes that with an off-peak tariff a full charge can cost less than £10². Uswitch's statistics put the average cost of a home charge at £13 in October 2024, based on the average UK domestic electricity rate of the time and a typical 54kWh battery⁵. At a tariff rate of 24.5p per kWh, a typical 60kWh car would cost £14.70 to fill, while the same charge at an overnight rate of 10p per kWh would cost £6.00⁸.

For comparison, the same 60kWh car charged on a public chargepoint at a supermarket or car park cost around £26 for a full charge, according to Pod Point's charging guide⁹. Public rates can reach 79p per kWh, more than ten times the 7p per kWh available on the cheapest home tariffs³.

So the honest answer to "what does a full charge cost" is a range: roughly £6 to £17 at home depending on tariff, and £26 or more in public. The battery size moves the number, but the tariff moves it far more.

Budgeting figures: pence per mile and per 100 miles

Per-mile figures are more useful than full-charge figures, because most people do not run the battery to empty. On the cheapest home rates the numbers are striking. Which?'s comparison table puts home charging on an off-peak or EV rate at 7p per kWh and 2p per mile, based on an average tested EV efficiency of 3.18 miles per kWh³. ChargeUK's price comparison uses a slightly different efficiency assumption of 2.23 miles per kWh for home off-peak charging¹⁰. Zapmap's guidance quotes fuel costs as low as 3p per mile depending on supplier and tariff¹¹, and Smart Energy GB records a real household in Bedford averaging two pence per mile in energy costs¹².

The annual picture matters just as much. Uswitch's 2025 statistics found that drivers who charged 80% of the time at home typically paid £630 per year to run their car, about 6p per mile, less than half the £1,410 average spent fuelling a petrol or diesel car⁵. Note that the 6p figure reflects a mix of home and public charging across a year, not the pure off-peak rate; Zapmap's home charging calculator is explicit that its cost per mile is for pure electric driving only¹³.

For budgeting, a household that charges overnight on a cheap tariff can plan on roughly £2 per 100 miles at 2p per mile³, rising to around £6 per 100 miles at the blended 6p rate that includes some public charging⁵.

The tariff that shapes your bill

The single biggest driver of home charging cost is not the car, the charger or the weather: it is the tariff. EV tariffs are typically two-rate tariffs, where electricity used at night costs less, so the car can be charged more cheaply overnight¹⁴. Some are structured as an add-on to an existing tariff, where the cheaper rate applies only to the electricity used charging the EV, while others apply the cheap rate to the whole house during the window¹⁵. That distinction matters: on a whole-house two-rate tariff, the cheap overnight power can also run a dishwasher, a storage heater or a heat pump¹⁵.

The size of the gap is quantified. Modelling by the EV Energy Taskforce, cited in an Ofgem consumer flexibility report, found that domestic EV charging prices will be 25% higher without smart charging¹⁶. Smart Energy GB makes the same point from the consumer side: with electric vehicle tariffs, it is typically cheaper to use energy at night¹⁷, and Energy Saving Trust notes that most EV tariffs involve a lower rate for charging overnight¹⁸.

Against a standard single-rate tariff, the difference between £17 and £8 for the same charge¹ is entirely a tariff effect. And against public charging the gap widens further: home rates of 7p per kWh compare with typical public rates of 79p per kWh³. The practical implication is that a household serious about cheap motoring treats the electricity tariff as part of the car's running costs, chosen with the same care as the car itself. Our page on EV energy tariffs and how they change home charging covers the market in detail.

Comparing Octopus Go with Intelligent Octopus Go

Octopus Energy is the supplier most associated with EV tariffs in the UK, and currently offers three of them¹⁹. The two best known work differently.

Octopus Go is the original tariff: it gives five hours of cheaper energy every night to charge the car, and any vehicle will work with it¹⁹. The household sets the charging window and the car charges in it.

Intelligent Octopus Go hands the timing over to the supplier: the supplier charges the car at times when energy is at its cheapest to save the household as much as possible¹⁹. The trade-off is compatibility, because there are some vehicles that will not work with the Intelligent version¹⁹.

Independent figures show what the off-peak rate is worth. Carwow calculated that fully charging a 77kWh battery at Octopus Go's off-peak rate would cost about £5.39, while the same charge at peak rates of around 28.69p per kWh would cost £22.29 or more²⁰. That is a fourfold difference on one charge, from the same supplier, same car, same driveway.

Uswitch's guide for households running both an EV and a heat pump estimates annual EV charging costs of £500 on a time-of-use tariff such as Octopus Go, within a total annual electricity bill of £1,250⁶. That gives a sense of proportion: the car is a large but not dominant share of a fully electrified home's electricity use.

Smart charging explained, plus its value

Smart charging means letting the car charge when electricity is cheapest and greenest, often overnight, without changing your routine²¹. In practice the charger, the car or the supplier's app decides when the power flows within the cheap window, and the household simply plugs in.

The reward is measured. As noted above, modelling for the EV Energy Taskforce found domestic EV charging prices will be 25% higher without smart charging¹⁶. NICEIC's guidance for householders explains the mechanism: some energy providers offer smart charging tariffs that make it cheaper to use electricity at night, or at times of low electricity demand²². The cheap window is typically a fixed overnight period, five or six hours depending on the tariff, and the car's battery is large enough that most households' daily driving fits comfortably inside it.

Smart charging is also the mechanism that makes the wider system work: overnight charging uses electricity when demand is low and wind generation is often high, which is why suppliers can sell it so cheaply. A household that charges this way is, in effect, being paid to be flexible. Our pages on smart EV chargers and smart charging, flexibility services and reward schemes explain the equipment and the earning schemes.

Getting the cheap rates: what is required

The requirements are fewer than many people expect, but one of them is close to unavoidable.

• A smart meter, in most cases. The Energy Ombudsman is clear: you do not need a smart meter simply to charge an EV, but without one you may not be able to access some EV-specific tariffs²³. Uswitch adds that most, if not all, EV tariffs require a smart meter so the supplier can track usage at different times of day²⁴, and Smart Energy GB states that in most cases a smart meter is required to access EV tariffs¹².
• A compatible car, for some tariffs. Any vehicle works with Octopus Go, but some vehicles will not work with Intelligent Octopus Go¹⁹.
• Not necessarily a home charger. Government support has been aimed at residents without driveways, enabling them to access cheaper electricity rates and charge for as little as 2p per mile²⁵. In Northern Ireland, official guidance notes that home charging is the least expensive way to charge because you can use lower home electricity tariffs²⁶.
• Off-street parking helps, but is not always required. Households that own or rent a flat with its own dedicated off-street parking space may be able to get £350, or 75% of the cost, off a charger installation²².

Switching itself is quick: moving to any energy tariff is simple, will not cause power outages and typically takes just a few days²⁴. The Electric Vehicle Chargepoint Grant page covers the support available to renters and flat owners.

Fitting a charger: £450 to £1,200

The hardware is a one-off cost, and the independent figures cluster tightly. Uswitch's guide for households running an EV alongside a heat pump puts installation costs at £450 for a basic model, increasing to around £1,200 as the power and capabilities increase⁶. Which? reports a typical cost of £500 to buy and install a home charger², with the 7kW chargers that are the most common choice costing around £900 to buy and install²⁷, and Energy Saving Trust puts a typical home charge point installation at £800 to £1,200⁴. Uswitch also cites a Checkatrade report putting the average installation cost at £1,000 in parts and labour⁵.

Two practical points sit behind the range. First, the household's wiring can add cost: one EV driver whose experience was recorded in Consumer Scotland's research had a free charger installation but had to pay £250 for the wiring to be redone in the house²⁹. Second, grants can reduce the bill for eligible households: landlords and flat tenants can receive a government grant of up to £350 for home EV chargers, reducing the installation cost to as low as £650⁵. The full breakdown is on our home EV charger cost page, and the installation process itself is covered under home EV charge point installation.

Running costs and their impact on energy independence at home

An electric car shifts a household's transport energy from the petrol station to its own electricity supply. That is a genuine gain in independence: the fuel arrives over the household's own connection, on a tariff the household chooses, and the running costs are lower than most new drivers expect. Which? reports survey findings that 30% of EV drivers who tend to charge at home found running costs lower than expected, compared with 16% of those who mostly charge elsewhere².

The tax system reinforces the position. Electricity used at home carries 5% VAT, and in 2025 a UK EV driver with a home charger paid an estimated £48 per year in VAT on charging costs, compared with £194 for a driver reliant entirely on public charging⁷. Add the £630 versus £1,410 annual fuel comparison⁵, and the home-charging household is materially less exposed to pump prices.

The dependence that remains is real, and it is worth naming it. The household still depends on the grid, on an electricity supplier, and on the supplier's tariff design: the cheap rates exist because overnight charging suits the system, and they can be withdrawn or repriced. A household on a smart tariff also depends on the supplier's or charger's software to hit the cheap window. Pairing the charger with solar panels or a home battery reduces that dependence further, and vehicle-to-home charging can turn the car itself into a store of household energy.

VAT, road tax and the changes coming in 2028

The current position is favourable. Drivers able to charge at home pay just 5% VAT to power up their EV, while public charging carries 20%⁷, a disparity the industry has called on the government to cut³⁰. Purely electric cars currently enjoy vehicle tax exemption²⁴, and the government's own costs and infrastructure publication carries updated vehicle tax rates³¹.

That exemption is scheduled to end. The government has consulted on a new Electric Vehicle Excise Duty, a mileage-based charge intended to take effect from April 2028. Under the proposals, battery-electric cars would pay 3p per mile and plug-in hybrids 1.5p per mile, on top of existing vehicle tax³². The trade body NAPIT has urged the government to rethink the pay-per-mile scheme³², so the final shape of the charge may yet change.

For a household doing the sums today, the honest position is this: home charging on a cheap overnight tariff is the lowest-cost way to run a car in the UK at present, the tax position adds to the advantage, and the known change coming in April 2028 narrows but does not close the gap.