Public charging of an electric vehicle became cheaper per mile than petrol or diesel for most drivers for the first time in over a year, according to a snapshot analysis published by ChargeUK, the EV charging industry body, on 24 April 2026. The analysis draws on RAC Fuel Watch and Zapmap Price Index figures and uses the government's advisory fuel rates for vehicle efficiency1.
At the national average of 54p per kWh on a standard public charger, a driver pays around 15p per mile, against 17p for a typical petrol car and 17.5p for diesel. A driver using an 80/20 mix of standard and rapid public charging pays around 16p per mile. Only exclusive use of rapid and ultra-rapid chargers, at an average of 76p per kWh, costs more than liquid fuel, at 21p per mile1.
ChargeUK said average public charging prices rose 38 per cent between 2021 and 2025, driven largely by policy costs including standing charges, while petrol prices surged in recent weeks in response to global conflict. Home charging has stayed low, at as little as 2p per mile1.
"the cost of charging an EV on the public networks is now lower on average than petrol or diesel for the first time in over a year."
Over an average annual mileage of 7,100 miles, ChargeUK calculated that a driver charging solely on a standard public charger saves £124 a year against petrol, or £37 on an 80/20 mix of standard and ultra-rapid charging. A driver on an 8p per kWh off-peak home tariff saves over £1,000, or £765 on an 80/20 mix of off-peak home electricity and ultra-rapid charging1.
| Charging or fuel | Pence per mile | Cost over 7,100 miles | Saving vs petrol |
|---|---|---|---|
| Home off peak (8p per kWh) | 2.23 | £158 | £1,029 |
| Home price cap (24.7p per kWh) | 6.88 | £488 | £699 |
| Average standard/standard plus (54p per kWh) | 15.04 | £1,068 | £119 |
| 80% standard / 20% rapid (58.4p per kWh) | 16.27 | £1,155 | £32 |
| Average rapid/ultra-rapid (76p per kWh) | 21.17 | £1,503 | -£316 |
| Average petrol (157.34p per litre) | 16.72 | £1,187 | - |
| Average diesel (189.88p per litre) | 17.40 | £1,236 | - |
Source: ChargeUK, April 20261
ChargeUK said its white paper "Delivering Affordable Charging For All", published in September 2025, showed charging an EV was more affordable than fuelling a petrol or diesel car at the start of the decade whether drivers charged at home or on the public network1.
The position has since moved. ChargeUK's later analysis, published on 31 July 2026, said that as fuel prices dropped from the April high, a typical 80/20 split between standard and rapid public charging was almost exactly equal with petrol and more expensive than diesel. Its updated table put average petrol at 16.53p per mile and average diesel at 15.78p per mile, against 16.43p for the 80/20 standard and rapid mix2. The two sets of figures are not directly comparable because they use different price dates.
Why it matters for households
For a household without a driveway, the public network is the only route to running an EV, so the per-mile comparison against petrol is the number that decides whether electric motoring saves money. The April figures show a narrow advantage for standard public charging and a penalty for relying on ultra-rapid chargers, which are the closest equivalent to a motorway forecourt1.
Home charging remains far cheaper than any public option, at 2.23p per mile on an 8p per kWh off-peak tariff against 15.04p on an average standard public charger1. That gap is the practical form of the "pavement tax", the difference in VAT between public charging at 20 per cent and home charging at 5 per cent, which ChargeUK and the RAC both cite as a cost driver outside operators' control1. The site's guide to why public EV charging VAT is higher than home charging sets out the rates, and home versus public charging costs compares the two in more detail.
For a household weighing a switch, the relevant figures are the public charging price data behind these averages and the charging speeds and times that determine which charger type a driver ends up using. The Zapmap guide covers how the price index is compiled and how payment works at public chargepoints.
What happens next
The government committed in the November budget to a review of the public cost of EV charging, which ChargeUK said is now underway1. A Tax Tribunal ruling that 20 per cent VAT on public EV charging should be 5 per cent, equal to home charging, has been appealed by HMRC, a decision ChargeUK called "disjointed and disappointing"1.
ChargeUK said that on today's prices, drivers reliant on public charging would be likely to pay more than petrol and diesel again after the government's 3p per mile eVED tax is introduced in 20281.
Sources2 cited
- Public EV charging now cheaper than petrol for most drivers, chargeuk.org
- Reduced public charging prices could boost EV sales, chargeuk.org