Public vs Home EV Charging: The Cost of Charging an Electric Car
Electric car ownership in the UK is on the rise. According to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), one fully-electric car is registered in the UK every 60 seconds. There is clearly an appetite in the domestic transport market for electric vehicles (EVs). But, there are also questions likely to arise when thinking about whether an electric vehicle is the right choice for you.
In this article, we get to grips with the costs associated with charging an electric car and provide you with up-to-date information that will help you make an educated decision on whether to go EV or not.
Key Takeaways
The option to charge your electric vehicle from home can save you a considerable amount of money
Some public EV charging options are more expensive than filling your car with petrol/diesel
Options are available for you to benefit from home EV charging and the favourable rates that come along with it even if you don’t have a driveway
The growing popularity of electric cars
There is a real hunger for EVs in the UK domestic market and it is growing. When we take a look at the figures, there has been a 35.8% increase in registrations of fully electric vehicles in 2023 between January and September compared to 2022 (175,614 to 238,544).
Source:(Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders)
The importance of understanding the costs associated with running an electric car
Before taking the plunge into the world of EV ownership, it helps to have a clear understanding of the costs involved, such as how much it costs to charge your vehicle.
At this very moment in time, there are two main options when it comes to charging your vehicle, either at home or in public. There can be quite a stark contrast in price between the two options. Therefore, we’ve done the legwork for you, so you can easily compare the price difference of charging your car at home off-peak (Octopus Energy), at a standard public charger that allows slow or fast charging, at a rapid public charger or sticking with a petrol/diesel powered vehicle.
For this example we are going to be comparing the Volkswagen ID 4 (77kWh version) with the Volkswagen Golf R, a vehicle that gets roughly 30 mpg. The reason these two have been chosen specifically is because they both have roughly the same range capability for the amount of fuel used whether that be electricity or petrol. We also tapped into the statistics from Field Dynamics where millions of Class 4 MOT records were analysed from the past four years to get an average vehicle mileage across England, Scotland, and Wales (105 miles per week / 5460 miles per year).
(source):Field Dynamics
(source):Global Petrol Prices
(source):Parker - Volkswagen ID 4 (77kWh version) information
(source):Parker - Volkswagen R information
Cost of electricity to travel 105 miles (in GBP)
There is no doubt that if the option is available to you, home charging is the way to go if you’re looking to save money. As can be seen above, when comparing an off-peak home charging rate of 10p kWh (Octopus Energy) vs a public charging station at 55p kWh (Slow/Fast charging average price) there is a 450% increase in cost. The difference grows significantly when comparing home EV charging to a rapid public charging station, with a difference of 690%.
If you have concerns regarding charging your car at home due to not having a driveway, that is something we can help you with. By notifying us about your interest to have our pavement EV charging solution installed, we can ensure you’re able to charge your EV from home in the near future.
Cost of fuel to travel 105 miles (in GBP)
Learning that EV charging can cost more than filling a standard tank with petrol or diesel can be surprising. That is why it is essential that you are aware of your charging options prior to purchasing your electric vehicle. It is also important to note that public chargers tend to charge at different rates depending on the type of charger it is, so be sure to find out what rates are available on your public chargers if home charging isn’t currently an option for you.
Other considerations to bear in mind when considering home vs public EV charging
EV Blocking fee at public charging stations
Recently there have been fines brought in that are handed out when you leave your EV plugged in past the point of it being fully charged. For many, public EV charging is the only option to refill their car. Therefore, it means that many EV owners are now having to be extra vigilant to ensure they don’t get hit with a penalty that would further widen the divide between the costs of home and public charging.
Octopus Energy Power-Ups
If the off-peak tariffs mentioned above seemed good, the power-ups offered by Octopus Energy are even better. Only available at certain times in specific areas, Power-Ups essentially allow you to charge your EV for free. Why would they be offering that? Well it is actually helping them out. By charging your EV at home at the specified time you’re helping take excess amounts of renewable energy off the grid to help with grid stabilisation.
Installing an EV charging gully
It is possible to charge your car at home even if you don’t have a driveway. However, if you were to simply run the cable across the pavement to plug it into your car you would be causing a trip hazard that may end up costing you in legal fees if an accident occurs. While there are a few different types of solutions on the market, charging gullies are considered to be one of the safest as they ensure that the pavement remains level.
You can learn more about what an EV gully is in our definitive guide here
Conclusion
The future is most certainly electric, however performing your due diligence regarding your charging options will ensure that the transition into the world of EV is a smooth one. At Kerbo Charge we are dedicated to making home EV charging accessible to as many people as possible. Through working with local councils across the country and collaborating with partners abroad we are bringing the benefits of home EV charging to those that do not have a driveway but want to benefit from home charging.
