Is an EV actually cheaper than petrol or diesel?
Usually, yes, if you can charge at home overnight. If you rely on public rapid chargers, an electric car can cost more per mile than a petrol one. Here is what each way of fuelling costs in the UK right now. The bars below show the cost of driving one mile with each option, so the shortest bar is the cheapest way to fuel your car.
General information only, not financial advice. See our full disclaimer.
Pence per mile, fuel or electricity only. Each gridline is 5p. Assumes an EV doing 3.5 miles per kWh, a 45mpg petrol car and a 55mpg diesel car. Prices: petrol 167p and diesel 189p per litre (RAC Fuel Watch, 9 September 2026); electricity 26.3p per kWh (Ofgem price cap, October to December 2026); overnight EV tariff 7p; public charging 54p and 80p per kWh (Zapmap, July 2026). You can change every figure in the calculator below.
What decides the answer
- Where you charge
- The gap between overnight home charging and a rapid charger is far bigger than the gap between petrol and diesel.
- How much you drive
- The more miles you cover, the more a low cost per mile saves, which helps pay back a higher purchase price.
- What else changes
- Depreciation, insurance and, from April 2028, a 3p-per-mile EV road charge all sit outside the fuel bill.
Work out what an EV would cost you
Enter your yearly mileage and how you would charge. The calculator compares your running cost with a petrol and a diesel car, using UK prices from September 2026.
Not sure? Check the mileage on your last two MOT certificates. Use the arrows to go up or down in thousands.
This assumes 90% of your charging is at home overnight, and 10% at public rapid chargers for longer trips.
The four figures should add up to 100%. If they do not, we scale them to fit.
Measured from the wall socket, so it includes charging losses. Most EVs manage 3 to 4.
Chargers up to 49kW.
Chargers of 50kW and above.
This covers fuel and electricity only. Purchase price, depreciation, insurance, servicing and finance are not included. To compare the finance side, try our car finance comparison calculator. Petrol and diesel cost per mile = price per litre x 4.546 litres per gallon / mpg. EV cost per mile = price per kWh / miles per kWh. Prices are averages and change often. This tool is general information, not financial advice or a personal recommendation, and we are not authorised by the FCA. See our full disclaimer.
Will an EV cover your week on one charge?
The official range is measured in ideal conditions. Enter what your car really manages on a full charge and how far you drive, and we will show how often you would need to plug in.
Example: a car that manages 168 miles on a full charge, driven 40 miles a day, needs plugging in about twice a week.
Use what your car actually gets, not the brochure figure.
Enter 5 for a weekday commute.
Your safety margin at the end of a day.
Total miles for the outing, there and back.
Cold weather cuts real-world range. Cold winter days assume a cautious 20% drop.
Bars show the battery level at the end of each day's driving, assuming you start Monday at the charge level you set above. The dashed line is your reserve. "Plug in" marks the nights you would need to charge to stay above it.
Next, see what those charges cost in the cost calculator or how fast different chargers are in the home charging guide. This is a planning guide. Real range varies with speed, temperature, load and how the car is driven.
Charging at home: tariffs, speeds and the 3-pin plug
Cheaper electricity overnight
Home charging is where an EV gets cheap. Several suppliers sell EV tariffs with a low overnight rate, typically between 5p and 9p per kWh for a window of about four to six hours, often starting between 11pm and midnight. Outside that window the price is usually at or above the standard rate, which averages 26.3p per kWh under the Ofgem price cap for October to December 2026.
Most EV tariffs need a smart meter, and some only work with certain cars or chargers. Some give the cheap rate to the whole house, others only to the car. Compare the daytime rate and standing charge as well as the headline overnight price. Examples at the time of writing include Intelligent Octopus Go, EDF GoElectric, E.ON Next Drive and British Gas EV Power. Rates change often, so check each supplier's current offer before switching.
Charge time and cost by charger
Enter your battery and tariff to see how each type of home charger copes with your overnight window.
Check the handbook or the manufacturer's website.
Look for "AC charging rate" or "onboard charger" in the handbook.
Charged for anything outside the window.
Can I charge from a normal 3-pin socket?
Yes. Many cars come with, or can use, a portable cable that plugs into a standard UK socket. It is slow: up to about 2.3kW, and often limited to around 2kW. That adds roughly 8 miles of range per hour plugged in, at 3.5 miles per kWh. It is fine for a small daily top-up and a useful back-up.
A socket has to deliver that power for hours on end, which is a much harder job than boiling a kettle. Use a socket on a modern circuit, do not use an extension lead, and ask an electrician to check the socket and wiring first if you plan to do it regularly. As the comparison above shows, a 3-pin charge often will not finish inside a cheap overnight window.
7kW or 22kW at home?
A 7kW charger (7.4kW at full power) is the standard home choice. It is about the most a normal single-phase home supply can deliver to a car, and it adds roughly 25 miles of range per hour, enough to refill most cars overnight.
A 22kW charger needs a three-phase electricity supply, which most UK homes do not have, and it can cost several thousand pounds if your supply needs upgrading. Many cars only accept 7.4kW or 11kW on AC anyway, so a 22kW charger would charge them no faster. Check your car's AC charging rate before paying for more speed. Next: getting a charger fitted.
Getting a home charger fitted
A fitted 7kW smart charger is the usual choice for a UK home with off-street parking. Here is how the process works, what it costs and whether it pays for itself.
- Check where you will parkWork out where the charger would go and how far that is from your fuse box (consumer unit). A longer cable run costs more.
- Choose a smart chargerNew home chargers sold in the UK must have smart features such as scheduling, which lets you charge in the cheap overnight window. You will also need to choose between a tethered or untethered unit. Tethered: the cable is permanently wired into the wall unit, so you just pull it out and plug it straight into your car. Untethered: the wall unit is just a socket, and you use a separate cable, usually a Type 2 cable, which often comes included with your car, to connect the two. Untethered is a little less convenient day to day, but the cable is easier and cheaper to replace if it is ever damaged.
- Get a survey and a written quoteAsk for hardware and installation to be listed separately. If you are claiming a grant, use an installer that is approved for it.
- Have it installedA qualified electrician fits the charger, usually in a few hours to a day, and handles the paperwork such as notifying your network operator and certifying the work.
- Switch to an EV tariffSet your charging schedule in the charger or car app so the car charges inside the cheap window. It is worth checking the EV tariffs available from different suppliers, since rates and the length of the cheap window vary, and switching is usually quick to do online.
What it costs
| Job | Typical cost in 2026 | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 7kW smart charger, fitted | £800 to £1,200 | The standard choice. Unit and standard installation included. |
| Consumer unit upgrade | £400 to £800 extra | Only if your fuse box cannot support the charger. |
| Long cable run or groundworks | Quoted per job | Trenching across a drive or a long run from the fuse box adds cost. |
| 22kW three-phase charger | £2,500 to £5,000+ | Needs a three-phase supply. Rarely worth it at home. |
Costs are typical UK installer figures for 2026 and vary by region and property. Get at least two quotes.
Is there a grant?
From 1 April 2026 the government's chargepoint grant is up to £500 for renters, flat owners, landlords and households with on-street parking, available until 31 March 2027. Homeowners with their own driveway generally do not qualify. Rules change, so check the current eligibility on GOV.UK before you order.
Does a charger pay for itself?
A charger itself does not cut your electricity price. The saving comes from charging overnight on a cheap tariff instead of paying public prices or the standard rate, and the charger makes that quick and convenient.
A blend of 30% slow or fast (54p) and 70% rapid (80p).
You can also use an overnight tariff with a 3-pin socket, but a wallbox charges much faster and is designed for hours of continuous use. Figures are estimates for general guidance, not financial advice, and grant rules can change — check GOV.UK and your installer for current terms. See plugs and charging speeds next, or read our full disclaimer.
EV plugs and charging speeds explained
Almost every car sold in the UK today uses the same two connectors, one for slower AC charging and one for rapid DC charging. Check the charge port on your car, usually behind a flap on the front wing or nose.
Connector types
| Connector | Type of charging | Where you will use it |
|---|---|---|
| Type 2 | AC, slow to fast (up to 22kW) | Home chargers and most public slow and fast points. The standard AC socket on cars sold in the UK. |
| CCS2 | DC, rapid (50kW and above) | Rapid and ultra-rapid points. It is a Type 2 socket with two extra pins underneath, and it fits nearly all newer cars. |
| CHAdeMO | DC, rapid | Older cars, such as some Nissan Leaf and Mitsubishi models. Fewer new sites are being fitted with it. |
| Type 1 | AC | Some older cars. Public points use Type 2, so you need a cable with a Type 1 end. |
| 3-pin plug | AC, very slow (about 2.3kW) | A portable cable from a normal UK socket to the car's Type 2 or Type 1 port. Many cars are supplied with one. |
Charging speeds
Speed depends on the charger and on what your car can accept, and the car sets the limit. Miles added per hour assume 3.5 miles per kWh.
| Charger | Power | Miles added per hour | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3-pin socket | Up to 2.3kW | About 8 | Back-up or a small daily top-up |
| Home wallbox | 7.4kW | About 26 | Overnight home charging |
| Three-phase AC | 11kW to 22kW | About 38 to 77, if the car accepts it | Workplaces and destination chargers |
| Rapid DC | 50kW to 149kW | About 175 or more | Longer journeys |
| Ultra-rapid DC | 150kW and above | Limited by your car | Longer journeys |
Rapid charging slows down as the battery fills, and most cars cannot sustain their peak rate. Rapid charging is usually quickest from a low level up to about 80%.
A 7kW charger running for eight hours delivers roughly 55kWh, which is enough for around 190 miles in most cars. That is why 7kW is plenty for overnight home charging. Public prices are higher: the average pay-as-you-go price in July 2026 was about 54p per kWh for chargers up to 49kW and about 80p for rapid and ultra-rapid chargers. Work out what that means for you in the cost calculator.
Electric car cost questions
Is an electric car cheaper to run than petrol or diesel in the UK?
Usually, yes, if most of your charging is done at home. Relying mainly on public rapid chargers narrows that gap, and can even work out more expensive than petrol or diesel. Use the calculator above to see how it works out for your own charging habits.
Which charging cable do I need?
It depends on the charging port on your car.
- Type 2 car → Type 2 cable, the most common setup for newer UK EVs.
- Type 1 car → Type 2 cable, found on some older EVs.
- CCS car → CCS cable, used for rapid charging. The cable is usually attached to the rapid charger, so you normally do not need to buy one.
- CHAdeMO car → CHAdeMO cable, also usually attached to the rapid charger.
- 3-pin cable, plugs into a normal household socket and is a slow way to charge.
The important bit: check your car's charging port before buying a cable. The car's handbook or manufacturer's website will tell you which connector it uses.
Do electric cars pay road tax?
Yes. Since April 2025 electric cars pay vehicle excise duty, including a low first-year rate and then a flat standard rate, and an extra supplement applies to electric cars above £50,000. From April 2028 a pay-per-mile charge called eVED will add 3p per mile for electric cars. Check GOV.UK for the current rate for your car.
Where the figures come from
- Public charging prices: Zapmap charging price index, July 2026.
- Home electricity rate: Ofgem energy price cap, October to December 2026 average.
- Petrol and diesel prices: RAC Fuel Watch, 9 September 2026.
- Pay-per-mile charge: GOV.UK policy paper on eVED, published 13 July 2026.
- Charger installation costs and grant rules: UK installer guides for 2026. Check GOV.UK for current grant eligibility.
Prices last checked on 19 September 2026. Figures are averages and change often. This page is general information, not financial advice or a personal recommendation, and we are not authorised by the FCA. It covers fuel and electricity only. Read our full disclaimer and privacy policy.