Updated
The Hidden Cost of Not Having a Home Charger
Cost answer
Compare the real cost of relying on public charging with home charging, using current rate assumptions and a payback method based on your own mileage.
The decision in one line
A home charger is financially useful when it replaces charging you would otherwise buy at a higher rate. It does not create a saving merely by being installed. Start with your genuine alternative, then compare like with like.
The current rate assumptions
These are reference points, not promises about what every session will cost:
| Charging route | Current reference | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Octopus Intelligent Go | 8p/kWh during 11:30pm–5:30am | Eligibility and the share of charging that lands off-peak |
| Standard-variable home electricity | 26.11p/kWh | Your bill and current tariff |
| Tesla Supercharging | 45p/kWh illustrative | The Tesla app price at the site and time you use |
| UK PAYG rapid and ultra-rapid | 79p/kWh representative | The network, membership price and charging speed |
Home charging is normally cheaper than repeated rapid charging, but the size of the gap belongs to your usage pattern. A driver who already has dependable free workplace charging has a different case from one relying on motorway rapids.
Use the whole-bill view
On our shared default model, using 10,000 miles, the default vehicle efficiency, 2,700kWh of non-EV household use and all EV charging placed off-peak, Intelligent Go produces:
- EV electricity: £229 a year
- Household electricity, EV electricity and standing charge: £1,257 a year
- Difference from the representative standard-rate baseline: £403 a year
That last number is an estimate, not a saving available to every household. Peak household use, vehicle efficiency, mileage, tariff eligibility and the postcode-dependent standing charge all matter.
Work out your payback
Use this calculation:
Installed charger cost ÷ annual cost genuinely avoided = payback in years
For the annual cost avoided, compare the same number of EV kilowatt-hours under two realistic charging patterns. Do not compare a home tariff with 100% public rapid charging unless that is how you would actually charge without the installation.
The upfront figure also needs to be real. Current examples include:
| Charger | Current installed range |
|---|---|
| Sync Energy Wall Charger 2 | £700–£1,000 |
| Tesla Wall Connector | £875–£1,075 |
| Ohme Home Pro | £939–£1,039 |
Complex cable runs, consumer-unit work, groundworks and load-management equipment can move a quote beyond a representative range. Eligible households may receive up to £500 through the EV chargepoint grant, subject to the scheme rules. Do not subtract the grant until eligibility and the quoted grant contribution are confirmed.
The non-financial case
The convenience case is personal but real. Home charging can remove dedicated charging stops, make departure charge levels more predictable and let the car pre-condition while plugged in. Those benefits are strongest for drivers without reliable charging at work or near home; they should not be converted into a made-up cash saving.
Use the tariff comparison for current rates and the charger comparison for current installed-cost evidence. The payback guide sets out the calculation in more detail.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions.
Your next useful step: compare EV tariffs with the same assumptions.