Cost of charging an electric car

Charging at home is a convenient way to top up your car, simply plug into a socket or home wall box to charge your car. This will use your electricity, so switching to an EV specific tariff can help reduce the cost of charging at home by offering you lower rates for electricity at particular times at night. Our partner Octopus Energy can help you switch to an EV tariff which uses only renewable energy.

As volumes of electric cars grow, more and more employers now offer staff the ability to charge their vehicles at work. This is often free to use and there is no requirement for this to be classed as a benefit in kind so there are no taxation implications for those using them.

Public charging is growing with more locations such as supermarkets and service stations offering electric drivers places to charge. It offers convenient options to top up on the go and a growing network offering free charging to customers when shopping or parking. Paying for public charging can vary from using RFID tags or apps, that can require account creation, to payments at the charging unit.

If you are looking to quickly charge your vehicle, then public rapid or superfast charging may be the one for you. This uses direct current (DC) to quickly add power to your battery meaning most electric vehicles can get to 80% full in less than an hour dependent on the maximum charge your vehicle can take. DC points are more likely to be found in service stations and on major motorway networks and operate in a similar way to other public charging points in regard to payment and usage.