EV Charging vs Petrol Costs
The cost per mile is the fairest comparison between EVs and petrol cars:
| Fuel Type | Cost/Unit | Efficiency | Cost/Mile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Home charging (overnight) | 7-12p/kWh | 3.5 mi/kWh | 2-3p/mile |
| Standard public (7-22kW) | 40-55p/kWh | 3.5 mi/kWh | 11-16p/mile |
| Rapid public (50kW) | 60-79p/kWh | 3.5 mi/kWh | 17-23p/mile |
| Petrol car | ~145p/litre | ~40mpg | 16-20p/mile |
Even at the most expensive public rapid charger rates, EV running costs are comparable to petrol — and home charging is 5-10x cheaper per mile.
How to Reduce Charging Costs
- Charge at home on an overnight tariff. Octopus Intelligent Go and similar tariffs offer 7-12p/kWh rates between midnight and 6am.
- Use free chargers at Tesco/Lidl. A weekly shop with free Pod Point charging saves £15-25/month. See our free charging guide.
- Get a network subscription. BP Pulse subscription (£7.85/mo) saves up to 10% on every charge.
- Charge to 80%, not 100%. The last 20% takes as long as the first 80% and costs proportionally more in time.
- Use Bonnet or Octopus Electroverse. Roaming apps can sometimes offer better rates than going direct to the network.
Monthly Cost Comparison
For a typical EV driver covering 800 miles per month:
- Home charging only: £16-24/month
- Mix of home and public: £40-60/month
- Public rapid charging only: £136-184/month
- Equivalent petrol car: £128-160/month