Updated
How Much Does an EV Add to Your Electricity Bill? UK
The Short Answer
Charging an EV at home adds £17–£59 per month to an electricity bill, or £200–£700 a year. A fraction of the petrol cost for the same mileage.
Three variables set the exact figure: tariff, mileage, and car efficiency.
How Much Electricity Does an EV Actually Use?
The average UK driver covers around 10,000 miles per year. Most modern EVs achieve roughly 3.5 miles per kWh in real-world driving:
10,000 miles ÷ 3.5 miles per kWh = approximately 2,860 kWh per year
The average UK household uses around 2,700 kWh a year for everything else, so an EV roughly doubles electricity consumption. The bill increase is much smaller because the per-kWh rate matters more than the volume.
Bill Increase by Tariff
Costs for 2,860 kWh of EV charging across UK tariffs:
| Tariff | Rate | Monthly Increase | Annual Increase |
|---|---|---|---|
| Octopus Intelligent Go | 7p/kWh off-peak | £17 | £200 |
| Octopus Go | 8.5p/kWh off-peak | £20 | £243 |
| British Gas Electric Drivers | 8p/kWh off-peak | £19 | £229 |
| Standard variable (Ofgem cap) | 24.5p/kWh | £58 | £701 |
The tariff is the dominant variable: £450–£500 a year separates a standard rate from an EV tariff. See the full tariff comparison for per-supplier detail.
Against the Petrol You Are No Longer Buying
The electricity increase is only half the story. Against petrol:
| Fuel | Annual Cost (10,000 miles) |
|---|---|
| Petrol (comparable car) | £1,600-1,800 |
| Home charging (standard tariff) | £701 |
| Home charging (off-peak tariff) | £200 |
Even on the priciest home rate, the saving against petrol is £900+ a year. On a smart tariff, £1,400–£1,600 a year.
Our interactive savings calculator runs the figure for your mileage.
Bill Increase by Mileage
| Annual Mileage | kWh Used | Off-Peak (7p) | Standard (24.5p) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5,000 miles | 1,430 kWh | £100 | £350 |
| 8,000 miles | 2,286 kWh | £160 | £560 |
| 10,000 miles | 2,857 kWh | £200 | £700 |
| 15,000 miles | 4,286 kWh | £300 | £1,050 |
| 20,000 miles | 5,714 kWh | £400 | £1,400 |
High-mileage drivers gain the most from switching. At 20,000 miles a year, the tariff choice alone is worth £1,000 a year.
The Standing Charge Question
A common concern: whether EV tariffs charge higher standing charges that erode the savings. Slightly, but negligibly.
Most EV-specific tariffs sit at 47–53p a day on standing charges against 45–50p on standard tariffs — a gap of roughly £10–£15 a year. Not enough to offset the hundreds saved on the unit rate.
How to Minimise Your Bill Increase
1. Switch Tariff First
The highest-impact lever. Moving from a standard tariff to Octopus Intelligent Go saves £500/year on charging alone.
2. Charge Off-Peak Only
Schedule the charger or the car to start in the off-peak window (typically 11:30pm–5:30am). Five to six hours adds 35–42 kWh — enough for 120–150 miles.
3. Get a Home Charger
A dedicated home charger runs 3–4 times faster than a three-pin plug, and smart units schedule charging for the cheapest hours automatically.
4. Consider Solar
With solar panels, daytime charging becomes free at the margin. A 4kW array generates enough to cover 5,000–7,000 miles a year at no grid cost.
The Bottom Line
An EV adds £200–£700 a year to the electricity bill and removes £1,600–£1,800 a year in petrol. Net: £900–£1,600 a year.
The cheapest way to charge is on an off-peak EV tariff at 7–8.5p/kWh. For anyone yet to switch, it is the single largest lever on running cost.
For a full breakdown of every UK tariff by cost per mile, see the UK EV Charging Cost Index. Our EV tariff comparison and charger comparison have the matching unit-level numbers.
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