Updated
Every UK tariff compared. Real prices, updated monthly.
per mile — cheapest UK home rate
Key metrics for UK EV home charging in 2026.
Home charging costs as little as 1p per mile on Octopus Agile — vs 18p per mile for petrol and 23p per mile at a public rapid charger. Switch to an EV tariff and a home charger pays for itself in 4–8 months, saving over £1657/year compared to petrol at 10,000 miles. If you drive a company EV, HMRC reimburses 7p/mile for home charging — every tariff below costs less, so you pocket the difference tax-free.
Charging costs vary by vehicle efficiency and battery size. Here's what it costs to fully charge the UK's most popular EVs at home on the cheapest EV tariff (5p/kWh off-peak) vs a standard tariff (25p/kWh).
| Vehicle | Battery | Efficiency | Full Charge (EV tariff) | Full Charge (standard) | Cost/mile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tesla Model 3 Standard Range | 60 kWh | 3.9 mi/kWh | £3.00 | £14.70 | 1.3p |
| Tesla Model 3 Long Range | 82 kWh | 3.5 mi/kWh | £4.10 | £20.09 | 1.4p |
| Tesla Model Y Long Range | 82 kWh | 3.3 mi/kWh | £4.10 | £20.09 | 1.5p |
| Tesla Model S | 100 kWh | 2.8 mi/kWh | £5.00 | £24.50 | 1.8p |
| VW ID.4 | 77 kWh | 3.2 mi/kWh | £3.85 | £18.86 | 1.6p |
| Nissan Leaf (40 kWh) | 40 kWh | 3.8 mi/kWh | £2.00 | £9.80 | 1.3p |
| Nissan Leaf e+ (62 kWh) | 62 kWh | 3.5 mi/kWh | £3.10 | £15.19 | 1.4p |
| BMW iX1 | 66.5 kWh | 3.4 mi/kWh | £3.33 | £16.29 | 1.5p |
Use the interactive calculator below to see detailed costs for any of our 15 supported vehicles.
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Every UK EV tariff ranked by cost per mile. Toggle standing charges to see the true cost impact.
When each tariff's cheap rate applies. Plan your charging schedule at a glance.
The real cost difference between charging at home, using public rapid chargers, and driving a petrol car.
Surprise: public rapid chargers (23p/mile) are more expensive than petrol (18p/mile).
Octopus Agile · 5p/kWh
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79p/kWh average
18p/mile average
It might sound surprising, but at 79p/kWh the average public rapid charger works out to 22.6p per mile — compared to 18.0p per mile for petrol. That's £457 more per year if you rely solely on public rapid chargers. This is exactly why a home charger on a cheap EV tariff is so valuable — it turns EV running costs from the most expensive option into by far the cheapest.
How quickly each home charger pays for itself compared to public rapid charging at 79p/kWh.
| Charger | Unit price | Install cost | Total installed | Payback | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tesla Wall Connector (Gen 3) Tesla | £425 | £500 | £925 | 5 months | Review → |
| Easee One Easee | £405 | £500 | £905 | 5 months | Review → |
| Ohme ePod Ohme | £409 | £450 | £859 | 5 months | Review → |
| Sync Energy Wall Charger 2 Sync Energy | £362 | £450 | £812 | 5 months | Review → |
| VCHRGD Seven Pro VCHRGD | £432 | £500 | £932 | 5 months | Review → |
| Rolec EVO Rolec | £449 | £500 | £949 | 5 months | Review → |
| Ohme Home Pro Ohme | £535 | £450 | £985 | 6 months | Review → |
| myenergi Zappi GLO myenergi | £599 | £500 | £1,099 | 6 months | Review → |
| Wallbox Pulsar Max Wallbox | £496 | £500 | £996 | 6 months | Review → |
| GivEnergy EV Charger GivEnergy | £478 | £500 | £978 | 6 months | Review → |
| EO Mini Pro 3 EO Charging | £550 | £500 | £1,050 | 6 months | Review → |
| Indra Smart PRO Indra | £599 | £500 | £1,099 | 6 months | Review → |
| Pod Point Solo 3S Pod Point | £999 | Included | £999 | 6 months | Review → |
| Indra Smart LUX Indra | £615 | £400 | £1,015 | 6 months | Review → |
| Cord Zero Cord | £555 | £450 | £1,005 | 6 months | Review → |
| NexBlue Point 2 NexBlue | £530 | £500 | £1,030 | 6 months | Review → |
| EcoFlow PowerPulse 2 EcoFlow | £545 | £500 | £1,045 | 6 months | Review → |
| Hypervolt Home 3 Pro Hypervolt | £690 | £500 | £1,190 | 7 months | Review → |
| Zaptec Go 2 Zaptec | £707 | £500 | £1,207 | 7 months | Review → |
| Simpson & Partners Home 7 Simpson & Partners | £649 | £500 | £1,149 | 7 months | Review → |
| Andersen A3 Andersen EV | £995 | £500 | £1,495 | 8 months | Review → |
Payback calculated against public rapid charging (79p/kWh) using the cheapest EV tariff off-peak rate for 10,000 miles/year at 3.5 mi/kWh.
How much you can pocket when HMRC reimburses 7p/mile but your actual cost is lower.
Since December 2025, HMRC's advisory electricity rate allows employers to reimburse 7p per mile for company EVs charged at home, and 14p per mile for public charging. If your actual charging cost is lower than 7p — which it is on every EV tariff below — the surplus is yours to keep, tax-free.
Since December 2025, HMRC allows employers to reimburse employees 7p per mile for business travel in a company EV charged at home, and 14p per mile for public charging. If your actual charging cost is lower than the advisory rate, the difference is yours to keep — tax-free.
| Tariff | Actual cost/mile | HMRC rate | Annual surplus (10,000 mi) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.4p | 7p | +£557 | |
| 2.0p | 7p | +£500 | |
| 2.1p | 7p | +£494 | |
| 2.1p | 7p | +£486 | |
| 2.4p | 7p | +£457 | |
| 2.6p | 7p | +£443 | |
| 2.6p | 7p | +£443 | |
| 4.0p | 7p | +£300 |
On Octopus Agile, you spend 1.4p/mile. HMRC reimburses 7p/mile — that's £557/year surplus on 10,000 business miles.
HMRC advisory electricity rate for company cars: 7p/mile (home charging), 14p/mile (public charging). Effective from 1 December 2025. Surplus is the difference between HMRC reimbursement and actual charging cost.
What 10,000 miles costs per year across different charging and fuelling methods.
Percentage of annual EV charging offset by solar panels. A typical 4 kWp UK system covers ~30%.
Based on 10,000 miles/year, 3.5 mi/kWh efficiency. Solar offset assumes 30% of annual charging from solar panels.
At what mileage does each EV tariff beat the standard variable rate, including standing charges?
EV-specific tariffs often have a higher daily standing charge than standard tariffs. This calculator shows how many miles you need to drive each year for the cheaper per-kWh rate to offset that standing charge premium. For most drivers, the break-even point is well below average UK mileage.
EV tariffs often have a higher standing charge than a standard variable tariff (currently ~28p/day). The cheap off-peak rate saves you money per mile, but the standing charge premium costs you every day regardless of usage. This calculator shows how many miles you need to drive per year for each tariff's per-mile savings to outweigh its standing charge premium.
| Tariff | Off-peak rate | Standing charge | Premium/day | Break-even miles | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5p/kWh | 46.4p/day | +18.4p | 1,203 mi/yr | Worth it for almost everyone | |
| 7p/kWh | 47.7p/day | +19.7p | 1,438 mi/yr | Worth it for almost everyone | |
| 7.2p/kWh | 48.6p/day | +20.6p | 1,524 mi/yr | Worth it for almost everyone | |
| 8.5p/kWh | 47.7p/day | +19.7p | 1,573 mi/yr | Worth it for almost everyone | |
| 8.99p/kWh | 49.7p/day | +21.7p | 1,791 mi/yr | Worth it for almost everyone | |
| 9p/kWh | 54.8p/day | +26.8p | 2,212 mi/yr | Worth it for almost everyone | |
| 7.5p/kWh | 60.0p/day | +32.0p | 2,405 mi/yr | Worth it for almost everyone | |
| 14p/kWh | 48.1p/day | +20.1p | 2,442 mi/yr | Worth it for almost everyone |
Break-even = annual miles where EV tariff per-mile savings offset its standing charge premium vs standard variable tariff (~28p/day standing charge, 24.5p/kWh). Lower is better. Calculated at 3.5 mi/kWh.
Key figures on the state of electric vehicle adoption in the UK.
How we calculate these numbers, and where the data comes from.
Last updated: ·Reviewed and updated monthly·TeslaCharger.co.uk editorial team
Spot an error? Let us knowOn the cheapest EV tariff, home charging costs around 2p per mile. On a standard electricity rate (24.5p/kWh), it costs around 7p per mile. Both are dramatically cheaper than petrol at 18p per mile.
Octopus Agile offers the cheapest typical overnight rate at around 5p/kWh, though rates vary by half-hour. Fixed-rate EV tariffs like Octopus Intelligent Go (7p/kWh off-peak) offer more predictable pricing.
Most home chargers pay for themselves in 4 to 8 months when comparing home charging costs to public rapid charging at 79p/kWh. The cheapest chargers can pay back in as little as 4 months.
A typical UK driver covering 10,000 miles per year saves over £1,000 compared to petrol and over £2,000 compared to public rapid charging by charging at home on an EV tariff.
Since December 2025, HMRC allows employers to reimburse 7p per mile for business travel in a company EV charged at home, and 14p per mile for public charging. If your actual cost is lower, the difference is yours to keep tax-free.
On the cheapest EV tariff (7p/kWh off-peak), a full charge of the Tesla Model 3 Long Range (82 kWh battery) costs around £5.74. At 3.5 miles per kWh, that gives roughly 287 miles of range for under £6 — around 2p per mile.
Home charging is roughly 5–10x cheaper. On an off-peak EV tariff at 7p/kWh, you pay around 2p per mile. Public rapid chargers average 79p/kWh, which works out to roughly 23p per mile. Even on a standard home tariff (24.5p/kWh), home charging is still roughly a third of the cost of public rapid charging.
Most EV tariffs offer their cheapest rates overnight, typically between midnight and 5–6am. Octopus Intelligent Go runs 23:30 to 05:30, Octopus Go runs 00:30 to 05:30, and most other EV tariffs cover midnight to 5am. Set your car or charger to schedule charging during these hours.
It depends on the tariff. Octopus Intelligent Go requires a compatible smart charger (like the Ohme Home Pro) or a Tesla with API access. Other tariffs like Octopus Go, EDF GoElectric, and E.ON Next Drive simply offer a cheap time window — any charger with a timer or scheduling feature works.
A typical EV driver covering 10,000 miles per year uses roughly 2,850 kWh. On a standard tariff at 24.5p/kWh, that adds about £700/year to your bill. On a dedicated EV tariff with 7p/kWh off-peak, the same mileage adds only about £200/year.
Yes — almost always. A home wallbox costs £800–1,400 installed but saves you roughly £150–200 per month compared to relying on public rapid chargers. Most chargers pay for themselves within 4 to 8 months. They also charge faster than a 3-pin plug (7kW vs 2.3kW) and are safer for regular use.
The cheapest method is home charging on a dedicated EV tariff during off-peak hours. Octopus Agile can drop to 5p/kWh or less overnight, while fixed-rate tariffs like Octopus Intelligent Go offer a guaranteed 7p/kWh. If you have solar panels, charging from surplus solar energy can be effectively free.
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