How much does it cost to charge an electric car at home?
The cost of charging an EV at home depends mainly on how much electricity the car needs, your electricity unit rate and the energy lost during charging. For many UK drivers, home charging remains substantially cheaper than relying mainly on public rapid charging.
Home EV charging cost at a glance
Using the current Great Britain average price-cap electricity benchmark of 26.11p/kWh and assuming 90% charging efficiency, these examples show the approximate electricity cost of charging from 20% to 80%.
Calculate your actual home charging cost
Enter your battery size, electricity rate, charging efficiency and normal charge range for a personalised estimate.
How is home EV charging cost calculated?
The basic principle is straightforward: work out how much electricity must be taken from the grid, then multiply that energy by your electricity unit rate.
One important detail is charging efficiency. The amount drawn from the electricity supply can be higher than the amount stored in the battery because some electricity is used by charging electronics and supporting systems or lost as heat.
usable battery capacity × percentage being charged
battery energy added ÷ charging efficiency
electricity drawn × electricity unit rate
Worked example: 60kWh battery
Suppose an EV has a 60kWh usable battery and is charged from 20% to 80%.
That means 60% of the usable battery capacity must be added:
60kWh × 60% = 36kWh.
If we assume 90% charging efficiency, the electricity drawn from the home supply is:
36kWh ÷ 0.90 = 40kWh.
At 26.11p/kWh:
40 × £0.2611 = £10.44.
Home charging cost by battery size
The following examples all assume charging from 20% to 80%, 90% charging efficiency and the current 26.11p/kWh benchmark.
| Usable battery | Battery energy added | Grid electricity | Approx. cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| 40kWh | 24kWh | 26.7kWh | £6.96 |
| 50kWh | 30kWh | 33.3kWh | £8.70 |
| 60kWh | 36kWh | 40.0kWh | £10.44 |
| 70kWh | 42kWh | 46.7kWh | £12.18 |
| 80kWh | 48kWh | 53.3kWh | £13.93 |
| 100kWh | 60kWh | 66.7kWh | £17.41 |
These are comparison examples rather than predictions of what every driver will pay. Your tariff and the amount of charge you normally add can make a much larger difference than battery size alone.
How much does a full EV charge cost?
A theoretical 0% to 100% charge costs more because the whole usable battery capacity must be replenished.
Using a 60kWh usable battery, 90% charging efficiency and 26.11p/kWh:
60 ÷ 0.90 = 66.7kWh drawn from the grid.
66.7 × £0.2611 ≈ £17.41.
In everyday use, many owners do not repeatedly charge from completely empty to completely full. Smaller top-ups are usually more representative.
How much does an EV cost to charge each month?
Monthly cost depends on how often you charge and how much energy each session replaces.
Using our 60kWh, 20% to 80% example at £10.44 per session:
| Charging sessions | Approx. monthly cost | Approx. annual cost |
|---|---|---|
| 1 per week | £45 | £543 |
| 2 per week | £90 | £1,086 |
| 3 per week | £136 | £1,629 |
| 4 per week | £181 | £2,172 |
Does the standing charge belong in EV charging cost?
Usually, not when estimating the additional cost of charging the car.
The household electricity standing charge is normally payable whether the EV is charged or not. For that reason, our basic home charging-cost calculation uses the electricity unit rate rather than adding the standing charge to every EV charging session.
Standing charges do matter when comparing complete household tariffs. Our Smart EV Tariff Savings Calculator therefore includes them when comparing total annual tariff cost.
Can an EV tariff reduce home charging cost?
Potentially, yes. Some electricity tariffs provide lower unit rates during off-peak periods, and smart charging can schedule some or all EV charging into those cheaper periods.
Energy Saving Trust also notes that charging at home is generally cheaper than public charging and that off-peak smart charging can reduce costs further. :contentReference[oaicite:2]{index=2}
Does charger power change the cost?
Charger power mainly changes how quickly energy is delivered rather than the basic price of each kilowatt-hour.
If two charging sessions draw the same amount of electricity at the same tariff rate, their energy cost is broadly similar even if one charger delivers that energy more quickly.
Real charging losses can vary with charging conditions, so the total electricity drawn may not be identical in every situation.
Is home charging cheaper than public charging?
Home charging is generally the lower-cost option when it is available, particularly where a driver can make use of a suitable off-peak tariff.
Public charging prices vary significantly by network, charger speed, membership arrangement and location. Rather than using a single public-charging price on this page, we keep public charging comparisons in the dedicated public charging cost guide.
Why your actual charging cost may differ
A calculator can estimate the electricity cost, but your actual bill may differ because of:
- your exact electricity unit rate
- time-of-use or off-peak pricing
- charging efficiency
- battery temperature
- vehicle charging systems
- solar generation used during charging
- how much charge is added each session
- tariff standing charges when comparing whole-home tariffs
The most useful approach is therefore to enter the rate from your own electricity bill or tariff rather than relying on a national benchmark.
Calculate your own home EV charging cost
Generic battery-size examples help explain the calculation, but they cannot represent every car, tariff and charging routine.
Our calculator lets you enter your own usable battery size, charging efficiency, unit rate, starting charge, target charge and typical number of weekly sessions.
Home EV charging cost FAQs
How much does it cost to charge an electric car at home?
It depends on battery size, how much charge you add, charging losses and your electricity unit rate. As an example, a 60kWh usable battery charged from 20% to 80% at 90% efficiency costs about £10.44 at 26.11p/kWh.
How much does it cost to fully charge a 60kWh EV?
A theoretical 0% to 100% charge of a 60kWh usable battery requires about 66.7kWh from the grid at 90% efficiency. At 26.11p/kWh, that is approximately £17.41.
Does a 7kW charger cost more to use than a slower charger?
Charging power primarily changes charging time. Electricity cost is mainly determined by how many kilowatt-hours are drawn and the tariff rate, although real charging losses can vary.
Should I include the standing charge?
Not usually when calculating the additional cost of charging the EV because the household standing charge is normally paid whether or not the car is charged. It should be considered when comparing complete electricity tariffs.
Can I save money by charging overnight?
Potentially. Some time-of-use tariffs provide lower electricity rates during selected off-peak periods. Compare the complete tariff rather than the off-peak rate alone.
Why does the calculator include charging efficiency?
Not all electricity drawn from the home supply is stored in the battery. Allowing for charging losses gives a more realistic estimate of grid electricity use.
What electricity rate should I use?
Use the actual unit rate from your own tariff whenever possible. National price-cap figures are useful benchmarks but are not the rate every household pays.
Sources and methodology
Worked examples are EVChargerCost calculations using the formulas shown above and a 90% AC charging-efficiency assumption.
Current electricity benchmarks checked against Ofgem. General home and smart-charging guidance checked against Energy Saving Trust.
Ofgem — Energy price cap unit rates
Energy Saving Trust — Charging electric vehicles