Citroën ë-C3 Home Charging UK: Cost per Charge, Time & Best Chargers
Vehicle guide
The 44 kWh ë-C3 fills in about 6 hours on a 7 kW wallbox and costs under £3.50 on an off-peak tariff. LFP means 100% is fine; the deferred-charging bug means the charger should hold the schedule.
Battery
43.8 kWh
20–80% at home
~3h 50m
AC limit
7.4 kW
20–80% at 7.6p
£2.00
Range
~155 mi
Charging time estimates
Approximate AC charging times
| Charge window | 3-pin (~2.3kW) | 7kW |
|---|---|---|
| 20–80% | 12h 20m | 4h 5m |
| 0–100% | 20h 35m | 6h 45m |
Assumes 8% charging losses and rounded 5-minute estimates. 3-pin assumes about 2.3kW; 7kW uses up to 7kW; three-phase only appears when the vehicle can accept more than 7.4kW AC.
Vehicle-specific tariff cost
Citroën ë-C3 (44 kWh) charging cost at 10,000 miles.
EV electricity only, using 3.5 miles per kWh and assuming every charging kWh reaches the listed lower rate. Household electricity and the postcode-dependent standing charge sit outside these figures.
Compare the full household bill, eligibility and achievable off-peak share in the EV tariff decision guide.
Charger picks
Citroën ë-C3 (44 kWh): 3 chargers we’d pick
Picked for the trade-offs that matter most when you’re buying for Citroën ë-C3 (44 kWh) specifically.
Best fit for Citroën ë-C3 (44 kWh)
Ohme Ohme Home ProThe ë-C3's own deferred-charging timer has a known fault, so the charger has to hold the schedule; the Ohme does that and carries Octopus, OVO and E.ON. Its 7.4 kW matches the car's charger exactly.
- Price
- £559
- Power
- 7.4kW
The same reliable schedule and supplier links in a compact untethered package at £949 installed.
- Price
- £949
- Power
- 7.4kW
A dependable app schedule and the cheapest OZEV-approved option at £480 for renters, without supplier links.
- Price
- £480
- Power
- 7.4kW
The hardware
The ë-C3's Type 2 inlet is on the rear left, so reversing in puts the socket by the house. The on-board charger is 7.4 kW single-phase as standard, which matches a UK wallbox exactly; the 11 kW three-phase charger is an option that only pays off on a three-phase supply. A Type 2 cable is included; the 3-pin lead is not standard.
DC peaks at about 100 kW on the 44 kWh car and 30 kW on the 30 kWh Urban Range.
Variants (2026)
| Variant | Battery (usable) | Max AC | Max DC | WLTP range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ë-C3 Urban Range (30 kWh) | 29.8 kWh | 7.4 kW (11 opt.) | 30 kW | 134 miles |
| ë-C3 Standard Range (44 kWh; Plus, Max) | 43.8 kWh | 7.4 kW (11 opt.) | ~100 kW | 202 miles |
Usable capacities. The 44 kWh car is the one to have and costs about £22,300 after the Electric Car Grant; the Urban Range is listed from about £18,500. Real-world range is about 155 miles for the 44 kWh car, and there is no heat pump, so winter takes a bigger bite. Figures below are for the 44 kWh car.
How long it takes to charge the ë-C3
The figures below are for the 44 kWh, the version most people buy, with its 43.8kWh usable battery.
20% to 80%, the everyday window
| Supply | Charge time (20–80%) | Range added |
|---|---|---|
| 3-pin socket (~2.3 kW) | ~11 hours | ~92 miles |
| 7 kW wallbox | ~3½ hours | ~92 miles |
| 22 kW (three-phase) | ~3½ hours | Same as 7 kW |
An evening from empty on a wallbox; the optional 11 kW charger needs three-phase, which most homes do not have.
0% to 100%
| Supply | Charge time (0–100%) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 3-pin socket (~2.3 kW) | ~19 hours | Emergency use only |
| 7 kW wallbox (single-phase) | ~6 hours | The standard overnight charge |
| 22 kW (three-phase) | ~6 hours | Same as 7 kW: the car's AC charger is the limit |
Costs
The tariff does most of the work. The ë-C3 returns about 3.5 mi/kWh in real-world UK driving.
Cost per full charge (43.8kWh)
| Tariff | Rate | 0–100% | 20–80% |
|---|---|---|---|
| EDF GoElectric | 6.66p/kWh | £2.92 | £1.75 |
| Octopus Intelligent Go | 7.6p/kWh | £3.33 | £2.00 |
| Octopus Go | 9.5p/kWh | £4.16 | £2.50 |
| British Gas EV Power | 9.5p/kWh | £4.16 | £2.50 |
| Standard variable (Ofgem cap) | 26.32p/kWh | £11.53 | £6.92 |
| Public rapid charger | 79p/kWh | £34.60 | £20.76 |
Annual charging cost at 10,000 miles
| Tariff | Cost per mile | Annual cost |
|---|---|---|
| Octopus Intelligent Go | 2.2p/mile | £217 |
| Octopus Go | 2.7p/mile | £271 |
| Standard variable | 7.5p/mile | £752 |
| Public rapid only | 22.6p/mile | £2,257 |
| Petrol equivalent | ~19p | ~£1,900 |
Petrol assumes 40 mpg at £1.45 a litre. The electricity figures are charging only: no standing charge, and no allowance for the 5–10% lost between the wall and the battery.
The gap between the standard rate and a good EV tariff is several hundred pounds a year on typical mileage, and it costs nothing to close. The interactive savings calculator runs the numbers for your mileage; the UK EV Charging Cost Index compares every tariff per mile.
LFP battery and the deferred-charging fault
The ë-C3 uses an LFP pack, so charge to 100% as routine; there is no 80% rule, and an occasional full charge keeps the range estimate calibrated.
The car's weak point is its deferred-charging feature. Owners have reported for months that scheduled charging set in the car or through My Citroën's e-Remote simply does not start, or starts at the wrong time, with a software fix repeatedly promised (SpeakEV thread, Electrive review). Until that is resolved, the dependable way to charge on a cheap window is to let the charger hold the schedule and leave the car's timer off. The e-Remote app also moves to a subscription after the first year.
Smart tariffs and the ë-C3
Intelligent Octopus Go has no integration with the car, so the scheduling has to come from the charger. That rules in the Ohme Home Pro, Ohme ePod, myenergi zappi, Hypervolt Home 3 Pro, Indra, Andersen and Octopus's own Octopus Charge, and rules out a basic wallbox if you want the 7.6p rate with no manual timers. Citroën is not on OVO Charge Anytime either. Given the car's own timer is unreliable, a charger with a schedule of its own is the right tool even on a fixed-window tariff such as Octopus Go.
Choosing a charger
Every home charger on this site works with the ë-C3: Type 2 is universal for UK AC charging. For once the smart charger is a necessity rather than an upgrade, because the car cannot be trusted to start on time by itself.
- Ohme Home Pro at £559: supplier links and a reliable schedule of its own. The 7.4 kW matches the car's charger exactly.
- Ohme ePod at £949 installed: the same in a compact untethered package, well matched to a small car.
- Easee One at £480: a dependable app schedule and the cheapest OZEV-approved option for renters, without supplier links.
Full head-to-heads are on the charger comparison page, and the smart-tariff chargers guide covers which units talk to which supplier.
Common questions
Can I charge an ë-C3 from a 3-pin plug?
Yes, with a portable charger (not supplied), at about 2.3 kW: a full 44 kWh charge takes about 19 hours, so overnight-plus. A workable stopgap on a small battery. 3-pin guide.
Does the ë-C3 work with Intelligent Octopus Go?
Not through the car. A smart charger with its own Octopus integration makes it work normally.
Why doesn't my ë-C3's scheduled charging work?
A known fault awaiting a software fix. Set the schedule on the charger instead and switch the car's deferred charging off.
Should I charge the ë-C3 to 100%?
Yes. It is an LFP battery.
Getting set up
- Switch to an EV tariff before anything else; the saving starts the day it goes live.
- Choose a charger, or compare them all.
- Get installation quotes: up to three local installers, no obligation.
- Read the installation guide so the day itself holds no surprises.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions.
Your next useful step: compare the recommended home chargers.