EV charging costs explained

Electric car charging costs

One of the many advantages of driving an electric vehicle is that running costs are low because you’re not paying for petrol or diesel. But how much exactly does it cost to top up your EV’s battery?

There are numerous variables involved in calculating the cost of running an EV, from the weight of the car to the heaviness of your right foot and where you do most of your charging, but we can give you a few ballpark examples.

How much will it cost to charge my electric car at home?

The easiest and cheapest way of charging an EV is to plug it in at home, which means that you’ll see the cost of charging your car reflected in your electricity bill.

It also means the cost of domestic electricity will determine the price you pay. We’d recommend looking into an electric car friendly home energy tariff, which, coupled with a smart wallbox charger, will help you take advantage of charging at off peak rates.

Do I have to pay for charging at work?

Charging at work can also be incredibly cost-effective. Some businesses that have installed points for fleets, may offer free charging for personal vehicles as an employee perk, or discount the cost of electricity compared to charging elsewhere.

You won’t be taxed either as HMRC doesn’t consider electricity to be a vehicle fuel, so you won’t have to pay Benefit-in-Kind (BiK) tax on any free charging.

As an employer, you can join the government support scheme which offers discounts towards the cost of buying and installing workplace charge points for small and medium businesses.

How much does public charging cost?

The cost of charging on the GRIDSERVE Electric Highway and at other public charging points varies with the cost per kWh often tied to the charging power of the unit you’re plugged into.

That typically means a slower, AC-powered unit often found in car parks or shopping centres will be cheaper than a faster, higher-powered charger that you’ll see at motorway service areas.

If you can charge predominantly at home and work, but then use the public network for top-ups, running an EV will be much cheaper than a petrol or diesel, regardless of the cost of electricity at public chargers.

You can check our current EV charger pricing here. And remember on the GRIDSERVE Electric Highway, all our chargers accept contactless payment and require no membership fees.

Can I charge my EV for free?

It is possible to find public chargers that are free to use. For example, if you stay at a hotel, you can often get free charging in their car park and the same is true for a growing number of shopping centres and supermarkets.

The idea being that you’re already spending in store so some free juice is the least they can do. In fact, studies have shown that if a customer is charging their car, they tend to stay in the shop for longer and buy more.

Relying on these free charging options from supermarkets and the like is not really a long-term charging solution, but if you usually charge at home, every little helps.