Charging an electric car at home

Charging an electric car at home costs about £13 for a full charge* and is the most convenient and cost effective way to keep your car fully charged. Most drivers will charge their electric car overnight, waking up to a full battery every morning. 

  • Average domestic electricity rate in the while of the UK is about 24.5p per kWh. 
  • Fully charging an OMODA E5 will cost around £15 (depending on where you live), and will deliver a range of 257 miles. 

By switching to a dual-rate electricity tariff designed specifically for EV drivers, you could reduce this even further. Scenario: The Cost Savings of Charging an EV at Home vs. Petrol/Diesel Costs

Meet Sarah:

Sarah drives a petrol car with a fuel economy of 35 MPG (8.07 L/100 km) and currently pays £1.46 per litre for fuel. She drives 12,000 miles per year, which costs her £2,275.64 annually in fuel expenses.

Sarah is considering switching to an electric vehicle (EV) and charging it exclusively at home. She has access to a low off-peak electricity tariff of 7p per kWh, which is available from Octopus Energy, E.ON Next, and Good Energy. Her chosen EV has an efficiency of 280 kW/mile (3.57 miles per kWh), meaning she can maximize savings by charging overnight.

Annual Cost Comparison

Fuel Type Cost per Mile Annual Cost (12,000 Miles)
Petrol Car £0.1896 £2,275.64
Electric Car (Home Charging at 7p/kWh) £0.0196 £235.20
  • Annual Savings: £2,040.44
  • Daily Savings: £5.59
  • EV charging can be almost 10 times cheaper per mile.

The Financial Impact

By switching to an EV and using a low-cost overnight charging tariff, Sarah would save £2,040.44 per year. Over five years, this adds up to £10,200, which could cover insurance, maintenance, or even contribute towards a new EV.

Conclusion

For drivers like Sarah, who have access to a low off-peak electricity tariff of 7p/kWh from Octopus, E.ON Next, and Good Energy, switching to an EV can result in substantial long-term savings. While an EV's upfront cost may be higher, the ongoing fuel savings significantly outweigh petrol or diesel costs, making it a smarter financial decision in the long run.

Appendix: EV tariffs by energy company:

PROVIDER & TARIFF

HOW IT WORKS

AVG COST/YR (1)

Price capped dual-fuel tariff – to benchmark EV deals.  Most homes are on a price-capped tariff, so we've used the Cap to benchmark (average elec rate: 24.86p per kWh, gas: 6.34p per kWh). See Energy Price Cap regional unit rates.

£2,230

EDF - GoElectric Mar26v2

New & existing customers

Fixed two-rate tariff with five off-peak hours

- Off-peak hours: 12am to 5am

- Off-peak rate: 8.99p/kWh

- £75 per fuel exit fees

- Dual-fuel & electricity-only.

£1,836

E.on Next - Next Drive

New & existing customers

Fixed two-rate tariff with seven off-peak hours, fixed for 12 months

- Off-peak hours: 12am to 7am

- Off-peak rate: 6.7p/kWh

- No exit fees

- Dual-fuel & electricity-only.

£1,839

Octopus Energy - Intelligent Octopus Go
Existing customers only

Variable two-rate tariff with six off-peak hours – but not everyone can get it

- Off-peak hours: 11.30pm to 5.30am

- Off-peak rate: 7p/kWh
- No exit fees

- Electricity-only, so you'll need a separate gas deal.


Only available to those with certain EVs or home chargers.

£1,900 (2)

British Gas - Electric Driver

New & existing customers

Fixed two-rate tariff with five off-peak hours

- Off-peak hours: 12am to 5am

- Off-peak rate: 7.9p/kWh

- £50 per fuel exit fees

- Dual-fuel & electricity-only.

 

£1,906

Octopus Energy - Octopus Go
Existing customers only

Variable two-rate EV tariff with five off-peak hours

- Off-peak hours: 12.30am to 5.30am

- Off-peak rate: 8.5p/kWh

- No exit fees

- Electricity-only, so you'll need a separate gas deal.

£1,931 (2)

Scottish Power - EV Optimise
Existing customers only 

Two-rate 'add-on' tariff – but you can only charge your car on the cheaper rate and not everyone can get it

- Off-peak hours: Anytime

- Off-peak rate: 10p/kWh (for EV charging only)

- No exit fees.

It's only available to those with certain EVs or home chargers. You can add this on to any of Scottish Power's existing tariffs (excluding EV Saver and Heat Saver tariffs). You'll be charged the standard rate under your existing tariff for all electricity you use, then credited the difference for anything you use for charging your EV each month.

£1,936

Ovo - Charge Anytime

Existing customers only 

Two-rate 'add-on' tariff – but you can only charge your car on the cheaper rate & not everyone can get it

- Off-peak hours: Anytime

- Off-peak rate: 7p/kWh (for EV charging only)

It can be added on to any of Ovo's existing tariffs. You'll be charged the standard rate under your existing tariff for all electricity you use, then credited the difference for anything you use for charging your EV each month.

£1,977

Scottish Power - EV Saver
Existing customers only

Fixed two-rate tariff with five off-peak hours

- Off-peak hours: 12am to 5am

- Off-peak rate: 7.2p/kWh

- £50 per fuel exit fees

- Dual-fuel & electricity-only.

£1,991

EDF - EVolve Tracker Jan26

New & existing customers

Variable two-rate tariff with five off-peak hours

- Off-peak hours: 12am to 5am

- Off-peak rate: 14.86p/kWh

- £25 per fuel exit fees

- Dual-fuel & electricity-only.

£2,004

Ecotricity - One-year Fixed EV tariff

New & existing customers

Fixed two-rate tariff with five off-peak hours

- Off-peak hours: 12am to 5am (1am-6am when the clocks change for summer)

- Off-peak rate: 8p/kWh

- £100 per fuel exit fees

- Dual-fuel & electricity-only.

You don’t actually have to own an EV to be eligible for this tariff, but Ecotricity recommend you use a high proportion of your energy overnight, such as for charging an EV.

£2,072

Utility Warehouse - variable rate EV tariff
New & existing customers

Variable two-rate tariff with five off-peak hours

- Off-peak hours: 12am to 5am

- Off-peak rate: 7p/kWh to 8.5p/kWh (depending on the number of other services you take)

- No exit fees

- Dual-fuel & electricity-only.

 

£2,082 (cheaper if you have additional services)

Good Energy -
EV Charge

Existing customers only

Fixed two-rate tariff with five off-peak hours

- Off-peak hours: 12am to 5am

- Off-peak rate: 6.75p/kWh

- £75 exit fees

- Electricity-only, so you'll need a separate gas deal.

£2,116 (2), (3)

Correct as of 21 January 2025 (we'll aim to update this each month). Based on typical dual-fuel use with an extra (52 x 38kWh = 1,976kWh/year) added for the EV. Standing charges for each tariff are similar - between 53p/day and the January Price Cap of 61p/day. Peak pricing is similar to January Price Cap rates but you should check specific rates for your region. (1) Where a tariff has off-peak and peak rates, we've assumed the EV will only be charged in off-peak hours. (2) This is an electricity-only tariff, so we've assumed the average price for gas is charged at the suppliers' standard variable tariff rates. (3) The tariff also comes with a free Premium subscription to Zapmap, usually £29.99/year or £2.99/month.

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