Electric vs Petrol Charging Costs

How much does an electric car cost to charge?

Q: How much does an electric car cost to charge?

Charging at home typically costs £10–£17 for a full charge on a standard tariff, or as little as £4–£9 on an off-peak EV tariff. Public rapid chargers are more expensive, usually 50–85p per kWh, which can cost £30–£50 for a full charge.

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Charging an electric car at home typically costs £10–£15 for a full charge, depending on your battery size and electricity tariff. Public rapid chargers are more expensive, often costing £20–£35 for an equivalent charge at 50–85p per kWh.

Home Charging Costs

Average home rate: The standard UK electricity rate sits around 24–28p per kWh. A typical 60 kWh EV battery therefore costs roughly £14–£17 to charge from empty at home. 4

Off-peak tariffs cut costs further: EV-specific or Economy 7 tariffs can drop overnight rates to 7–15p per kWh, reducing a full charge to as little as £4–£9. The Energy Saving Trust recommends switching to an EV-optimised tariff as one of the best ways to reduce running costs. 5

Home charger vs three-pin socket: A dedicated 7 kW home wallbox charges most EVs overnight in 6–10 hours. A standard three-pin plug works but is slower, typically adding only 8–10 miles of range per hour. 4

Public Charging Costs

Rapid chargers (50–150 kW): Public rapid chargers typically cost 50–85p per kWh, meaning a 60 kWh battery could cost £30–£51 to charge from near-empty. RAC Charge Watch data shows average rapid charging costs rose significantly in 2023–2024. 3

Ultra-rapid chargers (150 kW+): The fastest public chargers command a premium, sometimes exceeding 85p per kWh at motorway service stations. These are best used for top-ups on long journeys rather than routine charging. 3

Free public charge points: Some supermarkets, car parks, and destination chargers still offer free or low-cost slow charging (3–7 kW). These are slower but worth using if you are parked for an extended period. 2

EV vs Petrol: How Do the Costs Compare?

Cost per mile at home: Charging at home at 24p per kWh typically works out at 3–5p per mile for an average EV, compared to 14–18p per mile for a typical petrol car at current pump prices. 5

Public charging narrows the gap: At 70p per kWh on a public rapid charger, the cost per mile rises to around 10–14p — much closer to petrol and sometimes more expensive depending on your car's efficiency. 3

Petrol prices fluctuate too: The savings comparison shifts constantly as petrol and electricity prices change. CheckFuelPrices tracks live UK petrol and diesel prices so you can see the real-time cost gap at stations near you. 1

How to Minimise Your Charging Costs

Charge at home overnight: The single biggest saving comes from shifting the majority of charging to home, especially on an off-peak tariff. This alone can halve your effective per-mile fuel cost versus public rapid charging. 4

Avoid motorway rapid chargers for routine use: Motorway chargers are convenient for long trips but expensive for everyday top-ups. Plan routes to use cheaper destination or slow chargers where practical. 2

Compare petrol costs at your local stations: If you are weighing up switching to electric, use CheckFuelPrices to see what you are currently paying per litre locally — this gives you a clearer baseline for calculating your potential EV savings. 1