Charging an electric car is surprisingly cheap. While the cost of a charging varies dramatically, depending on many things including where you live, who your electricity supplier is and where you choose to charge – one thing is for sure: the cost overall will be considerably less than the cost of refuelling a car with a petrol or diesel engine. Let’s take a closer look …

Most people opt to charge their electric vehicle at home. And the cheapest option when it comes to charging at home is usually with an overnight low rate of domestic electricity (depending on where you live). The costs here will vary depending on your provider’s tariff, so it may be worth you shopping around to see if you can save even more cash.

If you don’t already have one you may choose to install a home EV charge point, which comes in various forms and varying prices. Again, depending on where you live, you may well be able to claim a government grant to cover all or part of the installation costs. And then you’re ready to start saving!

If you need or wish to recharge when you’re driving out and about, charging prices also vary greatly – although you may sometimes find that charging stations near you are even free of charge.

It goes without saying that the free charging stations will be your preferable option wherever viable and convenient. EV owners who’ve just gone electric may also benefit from free charging packages offered by manufacturers for the first few years of ownership.

We recommend taking the time to research the charging station infrastructure in your local area and all the pricing schemes available. It may well be a good idea, as an electric car owner, to sign up to multiple charging station providers so you always have the most options available to you – both in terms of cost and need. Note that if you wish to save time by using a DC fast-charging station this will generally be higher in price than a standard charger – although it will still be considerably cheaper than the gasoline or diesel alternative. Many EV owners opt to plan an overnight charge at home and only use public charging at times when they are far away from their home.