What decides my EV charging cost?

The same charge can cost wildly different amounts: a dedicated overnight EV rate can be a fraction of the standard rate. Charge while you sleep and the cost tumbles.

What’s the catch with EV tariffs?

Those cheap night rates usually come with dearer daytime units — a great deal if most of your charging (and ideally other heavy use) happens overnight, a poor one if it doesn’t.

How do I work out my own cost per mile?

Divide by your range and you’ve got a cost per mile — usually a small fraction of petrol.

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📚 Guide

How much does it cost to charge an EV at home?

Charging at home is far cheaper than the public network — but the number that actually matters comes down to your tariff. Here’s how to work out yours, and why an EV tariff is the big lever.

A charge costs your unit rate × the kWh

Which is why the same car costs different amounts in different homes. Put in your postcode and I’ll show the real electricity rates in your area, including the cheap overnight ones.

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The simple maths. A full charge ≈ your battery size (kWh) × your unit rate (p/kWh). Divide by your range and you’ve got a cost per mile — usually a small fraction of petrol.
Your tariff dominates everything. The same charge can cost wildly different amounts: a dedicated overnight EV rate can be a fraction of the standard rate. Charge while you sleep and the cost tumbles.
The EV-tariff catch. Those cheap night rates usually come with dearer daytime units — a great deal if most of your charging (and ideally other heavy use) happens overnight, a poor one if it doesn’t. Same logic as Economy 7 →
How to know for sure. It depends on your real charging pattern, not an average. The only true answer comes from your own half-hourly usage. Choosing a tariff →

Connect your meter and Joulely prices the EV and time-of-use tariffs against your real usage — so you see the genuine cost (and the genuine saving) for your home, not a guess.

See your real EV-charging cost →

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Coming soon: I’ll connect your smart meters and check every bill for you — from £1.50 a month while a meter is connected (£1.50 for one meter, £2.50 for gas and electricity), and you won’t be charged again after the month you disconnect. That is what buying the meter data costs me, and I’m billed one meter at a time. I take £0 commission if you switch. The first 300 members get 20% off, forever — £1.20 a month for one meter, £2 for two. Add your email and I’ll tell you first.

⚡ Your real charging cost — and the tariff that winsSee what charging really costs you — and whether an EV tariff wins — on your own usage, free.

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