How much does it really cost to charge an EV in the UK?
UK EV charging costs vary widely depending on where and when you charge. At home on a standard variable tariff (around 27p per kWh in 2026), a typical 64 kWh battery costs about £17.30 for a full charge, giving roughly 240 miles of real-world range. On a dedicated EV tariff like Octopus Intelligent (7p per kWh off-peak), Octopus Go (8.5p), OVO Charge Anytime (7p) or British Gas Electric Driver (8p), that same full charge drops to between £4.50 and £5.45. That is the single biggest lever you control: switching to an EV tariff can cut your charging bill by more than two thirds.
Compare every major UK EV tariff at once
Flip on Compare across tariffs to see your annual cost on every preset side by side, with the saving versus the standard variable cap. The maths uses your own inputs (vehicle, annual mileage and home/public split), so the comparison reflects your real driving rather than a generic example. Most drivers with off-street parking will see Intelligent Octopus Go, OVO Charge Anytime and Octopus Go cluster together, with EDF GoElectric and British Gas Electric Driver slightly behind because their off-peak windows are narrower.
Home charging vs public charging
Public chargers serve a different purpose. Rapid 50 kW units typically cost 55p per kWh, while ultra-rapid 150 kW+ networks now sit around 79p per kWh. That means a 30-minute top-up adding 100 miles of range costs roughly £14 to £20 on a public network, versus £2 to £6 at home overnight. The drivers who get the cheapest cost per mile own a home charger, run an EV tariff, and use public charging mainly for long trips.
How much do EVs save versus petrol?
A typical petrol car returning 45 mpg at £1.40 per litre costs about 14p per mile in fuel. An EV at 4.0 mi/kWh on a 27p tariff costs about 6.7p per mile, and just 1.75p per mile on a 7p overnight rate. Across 8,000 miles per year, that is the difference between £1,140 (petrol) and £150 to £540 (EV) in annual energy costs. Higher mileage drivers see proportionally larger savings, which is why fleet operators have moved fastest to electric.
Why your real cost may differ
Three things shift your number: efficiency drops in cold weather (expect 15 to 25 per cent more energy per mile in winter), your driving style and motorway-heavy mileage reduce mi/kWh, and the share of public charging you do has the biggest impact. Use the inputs above to model your real pattern, then compare to the petrol equivalent. If the saving looks worthwhile and you do not yet have a home charger installed, you can request free quotes from verified TrustWatt installers via the Get Quotes panel.