EV Charging Cost Calculator
What charging your electric car actually costs each year, whether a home charger pays for itself, and how much you save against a petrol car.
Charging cost
Does a home charger pay for itself?
Against a petrol car
Guide
Charging at home is by far the cheapest way to run an electric car, because a domestic tariff costs a fraction of what public chargepoints charge.
The rates HMRC uses
HMRC works out its advisory electric rates from the average electrical efficiency of electric cars sold to businesses, and from published electricity prices.
| Charging location | Electricity | Advisory rate |
|---|---|---|
| Home charger | 24.47p per kWh | 7p per mile |
| Public charger | 54p per kWh | 15p per mile |
Advisory electric rates from 1 September 2026. Source: HMRC.
The grant most people cannot claim
From 1 April 2026 the OZEV grant pays up to £500 towards one home chargepoint socket, covering 75% of the cost. It is aimed at renters, flat owners and households needing on-street parking. If you own a house with a driveway you cannot claim it.
Claiming back business miles
You can normally claim 55p per mile for the first 10,000 business miles and 25p per mile after that, using a valid mileage log.
EV Charging Costs Explained
Charging an electric car is simple maths once you know what your car uses and what your electricity costs. These are the parts people get wrong.
1. Home charging is the cheapest
A domestic tariff is roughly half the price of public charging, so the miles you can charge at home are the ones that save you the most.
2. Public charging has two prices
Slow and fast public chargers on a standard tariff sit well below rapid charging prices. If you can avoid rapid charging you will pay a lot less.
3. Efficiency drives everything
Miles per kWh is the number that matters. Bigger cars and motorways use more, so your own car's consumption is worth checking.
4. A charger usually pays for itself
At 10,000 miles a year, charging at home instead of in public typically saves several hundred pounds, so a charger installation repays itself in a year or two.
5. Home electricity tariffs vary
Some fixed tariffs are far cheaper than the default price cap. A time-of-use tariff with a cheap overnight window can halve your charging cost again.
6. Keep your mileage log
Business mileage in your own electric car is normally reimbursable at approved rates. Without a log, an employer cannot pay you and you cannot claim anything back.
This calculator provides estimates for guidance only. Electricity prices, chargepoint tariffs and grant schemes change often, so check your own bills and the current OZEV guidance before making a decision.