Home Charging
Reduce home EV charging costs with the right energy tariff and charging schedule
Standard rate/kWh
Best overnight EV rates
Typical annual saving
Stop relying on a standard 3-pin socket for regular ev charging. A dedicated 7kW EV home charger is significantly faster, more convenient and designed for repeated charging. In typical conditions, a 7kW charger can add around 25–30 miles of driving range per hour, compared with roughly 6–8 miles per hour from a 3-pin socket, although the exact rate depends on your EV and charging conditions. A dedicated smart charger also makes scheduled and off-peak charging much easier. Installation typically costs around £500–£900, depending on the property, cable route and electrical work required.
Charging an EV at home can be one of the biggest additions to your household electricity usage, so the energy tariff you use for EV charging matters. At the current Ofgem average electricity price-cap rate of 26.11p/kWh, using 2,100kWh a year for charging would cost around £548. Charging that same amount at an overnight rate of 8p/kWh would cost about £168, saving roughly £380 a year on charging alone. The actual saving depends on your tariff, EV mileage and charging habits, but a suitable EV tariff or time-of-use tariff can make home charging substantially cheaper. (ofgem.gov.uk)
Most modern smart EV chargers and electric cars allow you to schedule charging for specific times. Set the charger to start during your tariff’s cheapest overnight period and finish before you need the car, rather than charging immediately when you plug in. For example, you could schedule charging to run between midnight and 5–6am where those are your off-peak hours. Set a departure time in the charger or vehicle app so the battery is ready when you need it, while avoiding unnecessary charging during more expensive peak periods.