United Kingdom
Country / Language
United Kingdom English
Understanding the cost of charging an electric vehicle is essential for anyone looking to switch to electric driving, as well as for EV drivers who are interested in finding out how much they’re saving overall in travel costs.
Various factors influence the cost of charging an electric car, including whether charging at home or a public charging point. We’ll analyse the cost of charging electric cars and find out whether it’s cheaper than filling your tank with petrol or diesel.
Electric cars are charged by plugging them into an external charger. While this is the main difference between electric cars and cars that run on petrol and diesel, you’ll still need to pay for the electricity you use when charging.
The cost of charging an electric car differs depending on where and when you charge it. The price of charging your electric car at home will vary from charging at a public charging station, like a supermarket or motorway service station. Another factor to consider is free charging. We’ll look at each of these factors in more detail below.
Charging your car to full at home will cost around £17. This is based on an electric car with a 60kWh battery charging with the average cost of electricity in the UK. This figure will vary depending on the type of electric car you have and the capacity of the EV battery. For example:
Charging at home is the most cost-effective way of charging your electric car. It means you can plug in when you arrive home from work and wake up the next morning with the range to get you where you need to be.
There are ways you can reduce how much it’ll cost you to charge your car at home, including switching to a dual-electricity tariff specifically for EV drivers that can reduce this figure even further.
Public charging stations are found in supermarkets, shopping centre car parks and service stations. There are two main types of public charging: AC and DC.
AC chargers are slower, typically charging at between 7kW and 22 kW. They are generally found at supermarkets, multi-storey car parks and on-street parking. Because they charge more slowly, they are typically cheaper to use than DC charging stations.
DC chargers charge faster than AC chargers, but as a result, they generally cost more to use. They charge between 50kW and 350kW, and are usually found at motorway service stations.
In March 2025, BYD unveiled Super e-Platform, an upgraded platform that slashes recharging times. It’s capable of 1000 kW of charging power, so you can gain 400km of range in just 5 minutes. The Han L and Tang L are the first models to benefit from this platform, but they are currently unavailable in the UK.
However, every BYD electric car has built-in navigation with nearby public charging points clearly mapped so you can better plan your route. You'll find info on whether the charging station is AC or DC, its charging speed, and even how many points are available.
Find out more about how public charging stations work in our guide.
The cost of charging an electric car can vary depending on various factors, but it almost always works out cheaper than filling your car with petrol or diesel.
Remember that before you can start charging, you’ll need to install an electric-car charger at home, which costs around £500-£1,000, including installation as a one-off payment.
On average, a petrol or diesel car costs around 19-21p per mile, compared with charging an electric car, which costs as little as 3p per mile for home charging and 18p per mile for rapid public charging.
For example, the BYD DOLPHIN charged to 100% will cost £10.81, which works out at 5.7p per mile.
To put that into perspective, the UK’s average commute length is 19.5 miles each way. Travelling 195 miles to work and back in the BYD DOLPHIN would cost you around £3.95 per week, based on charging for a reduced rate overnight.
The amount you save depends on your chosen charging method, but even rapid charging — the most expensive option — works out to be more affordable than fuel.
The cost of charging an electric car can vary depending on various factors, but it almost always works out cheaper than filling your car with petrol or diesel.
Remember that before you can start charging, you’ll need to install an electric-car charger at home, which costs around £500-£1,000, including installation as a one-off payment.
On average, a petrol or diesel car costs around 19-21p per mile, compared with charging an electric car, which costs as little as 3p per mile for home charging and 18p per mile for rapid public charging.
For example, the BYD DOLPHIN charged to 100% will cost £10.81, which works out at 5.7p per mile.
To put that into perspective, the UK’s average commute length is 19.5 miles each way. Travelling 195 miles to work and back in the BYD DOLPHIN would cost you around £3.95 per week, based on charging for a reduced rate overnight.
The amount you save depends on your chosen charging method, but even rapid charging — the most expensive option — works out to be more affordable than fuel.
Most electric car chargers come with a price per kWh, but there are still a few free charging points available in the UK. As of February 2025, 1,827 out of more than 75,000 charging stations provide free charging for EVs — making up around 2.5% of the total charging stations.
So, which type of chargers are free to use? 68.9% of free chargers are slow chargers. Fast chargers make up 27.5%, with only 67 free rapid chargers nationwide.
Most of these free chargers are found in public car parks, hotels, retail, and workplace car parks. With free electric-car charging at many supermarkets, you can charge while you shop for convenience on the go.
Charging your electric car will cost less than filling up a petrol or diesel vehicle. If you already own an electric car or are looking to make the switch, you will have to pay to charge your electric car at home or in public, but you’ll make overall savings compared with paying for traditional fuel. Plus, EV drivers can make significant savings compared with petrol or diesel by signing up for an EV tariff, which helps to further reduce the cost of charging.
Learn more about how you can save with a BYD all-electric vehicle, the benefits of an electric car and electric car charging speeds in our comprehensive guides.
