How much does it cost to charge an electric car?
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Summary
The costs of charging your electric vehicle will vary depending on your location, your EV model, and the electricity tariff.
Generally, the cheapest place to charge your EV is at home using a dedicated residential EV charger. This will cost, on average, around £15 for a full charge.1
Charges in commercial workplaces depend on your employer. Employers may offer subsidised rates, and in some cases, charging will even be free to employees!
Public EV charging can vary, but this is generally the most expensive way to charge your EV. Superfast public chargers can cost almost 10 times more than residential charging, at 79p/kWh for using an ultra-rapid public charger. 2
The running costs of owning an electric vehicle are, on average, around £528 cheaper than those of a petrol car.3
Home Charging
Charging your electric vehicle at home is often the most economical option! The average electricity fee is approx. 24p per kWh in the UK (consumer rate, as of January 2025).
If your electric car has an empty battery and approximately 60kW capacity, charging it would cost a total of 60kWh x 0.24 = £14.40. This equates to 7.2 pence per mile for an EV with a 200-mile range. Your charging cost will be even lower if you have a specific off-peak tariff that allows you to charge your car when the demand on the electrical grid is lower.
Unlock the full potential of smart EV charging with the new Sync Energy app featuring Tariff Sense. Tariff Sense connects to any UK tariff, giving you real-time insights and control over your charging costs.
Public Charging
Public charging costs vary based on the speed of the charger and the provider; there are primarily three main types of public EV charging:
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Fast Chargers – power outputs between 7kW-22kW (average cost 66 pence per kilowatt hour 4)
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Rapid Chargers – power outputs between 25-99 kW, often found in supermarket car parks and leisure centres (average cost 79 pence per kilowatt hour 4)
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Ultra-rapid Chargers – 100+kW power output, high-speed EV chargers. (average cost 77 pence per kilowatt hour 4)
Considerations
EV charger installation costs also need to be considered; however, the running costs of an electric vehicle are considerably lower than those of an Internal Combustion Engine Vehicle (ICEV).
EV vehicle efficiency will also affect their associated running costs; typically, an electric vehicle will have an efficiency of around 3.5 miles per kWh.
In summary, while public charging offers convenience, especially for long-distance travel, home charging remains the most cost-effective method for daily use. By understanding these costs and planning your charging habits accordingly, you can maximize the economic benefits of owning an electric vehicle in the UK.
Sync Energy EV Chargers
The UK Government Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV) has approved Sync Energy's commercial and residential EV chargers.
Click here to view our chargers on the residential and commercial charge-point approval list.