Drivers without a home charger stand to pay around 50% more to run their electric cars due to exorbitant public charging rates.
On average, UK households pay 17p per kWh for domestic electricity, significantly less than the 28p per kWh average for rapid public chargers.
Our research found that the most expensive rate is charged by IONITY – IONITY customers without contracts pay an ad-hoc rate of £0.69 per kWh!
Is it cheaper to charge an EV at home?
Yes! Drivers without a home charger stand to pay 50% more to run an electric car without a subscription, and 25% more with a subscription, depending on how often they need to charge and what charging stations they use.
Another important factor in public charging costs is charge speeds, with fast chargers up to 22kW significantly cheaper than ultra-fast chargers. The price difference between an ultra-fast 150kW charger and a 22kW charger can be over 100%!
So, in the world of public chargers, faster charge speeds = higher prices.
How can I pay less charging in public?
The solution to cheaper electric car charging is to install a home charger, but what if you live in a terraced house without off-street parking?
Without the means to get a home charger, you should search for the cheapest public chargers and plan your journeys accordingly.
You could also get a charging subscription. BP Pulse is a good subscription option in most areas with tiered plans to suit your lifestyle.
You can also make use of free chargers in some supermarkets and retail car parks, although these are for customer use only and most only go up to 22kW.
Unfortunately, sky-high public charging rates are here to stay – someone has to pay for the infrastructure rollout, and it’s you.
