Home vs public EV charging costs in 2026: what UK drivers really pay
Electric cars are cheap to run – but only if you charge them in the right place. In 2026 the gap between the cheapest and the most expensive kilowatt-hour in the UK is more than tenfold, and where you plug in matters more than which car you drive. Here are the real numbers, and what they mean for a typical driver.
The price of a kilowatt-hour in 2026
- Home, off-peak EV tariff: roughly 7–10p per kWh overnight on the smart EV tariffs offered by the major suppliers.
- Home, standard tariff: about 26p per kWh under the price cap from July 2026.
- Public slow/fast AC (7–22 kW): typically 40–60p per kWh; some lamp-post and council chargers are cheaper.
- Public rapid and ultra-rapid DC (50 kW+): the pay-as-you-go average in July 2026 was around 80p per kWh, with most networks between 65p and 85p.
Note that public charging carries 20% VAT while domestic electricity is charged at 5% – part of the reason the gap is so wide.
What that means per mile
Take a typical family EV that manages 3.5 miles per kWh in mixed driving:
- Off-peak at home (8p): about 2.3p per mile
- Standard rate at home (26p): about 7.4p per mile
- Public fast AC (50p): about 14p per mile
- Public rapid (80p): about 23p per mile
For comparison, a petrol car doing 40 mpg at around £1.40 a litre costs about 16p per mile. In other words, an EV charged on public rapids costs more per mile than petrol; the same EV charged at home overnight costs a seventh of petrol.
The annual picture
At the UK average of roughly 7,500 miles a year, the same car costs about:
- £170 a year on an off-peak home tariff
- £560 a year on a standard home tariff
- £1,050 a year on public fast chargers
- £1,700 a year on public rapids
A home charger costing around £1,000 installed therefore pays for itself within a year for anyone who would otherwise rely on public charging – and keeps saving £1,000–£1,500 a year after that.
Why home charging is not just cheaper but easier
Cost is the headline, but drivers who install a home charge point usually say convenience is what they value most: the car is full every morning, there is no detour and no queue, and a smart charger can schedule sessions to the cheapest hours automatically – or to when your solar panels are generating. Our home EV chargers do exactly that, with app control and a UK-made unit covered by a three-year warranty.
How to cut your bill if you cannot charge at home
- Charge at work. Ask your employer about the Workplace Charging Scheme – it now pays up to £500 per socket towards installation, and electricity provided at work is not a taxable benefit.
- Use the cheapest public tier. Fast AC at supermarkets, car parks and lamp posts is often half the price of a motorway rapid.
- Subscribe. Most large networks offer monthly memberships that cut 15–25% off the PAYG rate if you use them regularly.
- Look at cross-pavement solutions. If you have on-street parking outside your home, approved cable channels now qualify for the £500 chargepoint grant, letting you charge on your domestic tariff.
- Talk to your landlord or management company. Grants exist for landlords and residential car parks; our car park installation service handles the whole process.
The bottom line
In 2026 an EV is either the cheapest car you have ever run or a surprisingly expensive one – and the difference is a home charger. If you have off-street parking, installing one is the single best investment an EV owner can make. Call Auto E on +44 20 3393 4113 or request a quote, and we will survey your property and give you a fixed price.