How much does it cost to charge my electric car?
Enter your reg, or pick a make and model, and we'll show your car's battery size, charging speed, real charging costs at home and in public, and what you'd save against petrol.
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Free · no sign-up · covers every EV and plug-in hybrid sold in the UK
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Or pick your make and model. Works for every EV and plug-in hybrid sold in the UK.
See your real costs
Battery size, charging times, and cost per mile at home, off-peak and on public chargers.
Compare vs petrol
See what the same miles would cost in a petrol car, and what you'd save every year.
Four things decide what you pay
Charging costs vary, but they come down to four things. The good news: for most drivers, home charging costs far less than you'd expect.
Your energy tariff
The biggest one. On a standard tariff you'll pay around 26p/kWh. Switch to a dedicated EV tariff and overnight charging drops to around 7p/kWh: hundreds of pounds saved every year.
Your biggest savingYour battery size
A bigger battery holds more electricity. A Renault 5 has a 52kWh battery; a Kia EV3 Long Range holds around 81kWh. Bigger battery, bigger fill-up, longer range.
Shown in our checkerYour car's efficiency
Efficient EVs go further on the same electricity. The best manage 4 to 5 miles per kWh; heavier or older models nearer 2.5 to 3. Our checker shows the figure for your exact car.
Shown in our checkerWhere you charge
Home charging is almost always cheapest. Public rapid chargers are brilliant for long journeys but can cost 10x more per mile than off-peak home charging. Save them for the motorway.
Charge at home when you canHow does home charging compare with petrol?
Here's the cost per mile as of September 2026, and what that means over a typical 10,000 miles a year.
Based on UK average prices, September 2026. Your figures depend on your car's efficiency: check it with our lookup above.
The bottom line: charging at home on the right tariff saves a typical driver around £1,600 a year vs petrol. Even on a standard tariff, you'd save around £1,000.
Our top tip: set your Cord charger to start charging automatically in your tariff's off-peak window. You wake up to a full battery at the cheapest possible rate, without lifting a finger.The Cord team
What about charging away from home?
On longer journeys you'll sometimes top up on the road. Costs vary a lot by network and charger speed:
| Charger type | Typical price | Cost per mile* | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Home, off-peak EV tariff | from 7p/kWh | ~2p | Everyday charging |
| Home, standard tariff | ~26p/kWh | 7 to 9p | Everyday charging without a tariff switch |
| Public fast (7−49kW) | 40 to 55p/kWh | 11 to 16p | Longer stops: hotels, retail parks, gyms |
| Rapid and ultra-rapid (50kW+) | 65 to 89p/kWh | 19 to 25p | Quick top-ups on long journeys |
*At a typical 3.5 miles per kWh. Public prices: UK network averages, checked September 2026.
Being honest with you: at today's prices, rapid motorway charging costs about the same per mile as petrol, sometimes a little more. The savings of an EV come from home charging, so use rapid chargers for the journey, not the routine.
For long journeys: plan stops at hubs with several chargers using an app like Zap-Map, and charge to 80% rather than 100%: the last 20% is slower and costs more time than it saves. And carrying your own Type 2 cable means untethered public chargers are never a problem.The Cord team
What do popular EVs cost to charge?
The UK's most popular electric cars, based on a 7p/kWh off-peak home tariff.
| Car | Battery (approx) | Full charge at 7p/kWh | Real-world range | Cost per mile | Saving vs petrol per year* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Renault 5 E-TechSee full details in our database | 52kWh | £3.64 | ~200 miles | ~1.8p | ~£1,620 |
| Kia EV3 Long RangeSee full details in our database | 81kWh | £5.67 | ~290 miles | ~2.0p | ~£1,600 |
| Tesla Model YSee full details in our database | 60kWh | £4.20 | ~250 miles | ~1.8p | ~£1,620 |
| Skoda Enyaq 85See full details in our database | 77kWh | £5.39 | ~250 miles | ~2.1p | ~£1,590 |
| Volkswagen ID.3 PureSee full details in our database | 52kWh | £3.64 | ~185 miles | ~2.0p | ~£1,600 |
| Mini Countryman ESee full details in our database | 65kWh | £4.55 | ~230 miles | ~2.0p | ~£1,600 |
| Hyundai Ioniq 5See full details in our database | 77kWh | £5.39 | ~260 miles | ~2.1p | ~£1,590 |
| Nissan LeafSee full details in our database | 39kWh | £2.73 | ~145 miles | ~1.9p | ~£1,610 |
*Vs a petrol car at 18p per mile over 10,000 miles a year. Home charging at 7p/kWh off-peak. Figures are estimates; real costs vary with trim, driving style, weather and tariff.
Your car not here? Get the exact figures for your model, including the petrol comparison.
Check my car's costsSwitch to an EV tariff and save even more
The single biggest thing you can do to cut charging costs is switch to a dedicated off-peak EV tariff, with overnight rates from around 7p/kWh. Every major EV tariff works with your Cord charger: some connect directly, the rest take two minutes to schedule in the Cord app.
Octopus Intelligent Go
Connect your Cord charger directly and it automatically picks the cheapest charging slots for you, including bonus cheap rates when the grid is green.
OVO Charge Anytime
Keep your existing energy tariff and pay a low EV rate for smart-scheduled charging at any time of day, not just overnight.
EDF Go Electric Overnight
7p/kWh for seven hours every night (11pm to 6am). Schedule your Cord charger once in the app and every charge lands in the cheap window.
Charging cost questions, answered
Yes, if you charge at home. On an off-peak EV tariff a typical EV costs around 2p per mile against around 18p for petrol. Public rapid charging is the exception: it currently costs about the same as petrol per mile, so save it for long journeys.
Your battery size multiplied by your electricity rate. A 60kWh battery costs around £15.70 on a standard tariff (26p/kWh) or around £4.20 on a 7p off-peak EV tariff. Enter your reg in the checker above for your car's exact figure.
No. A portable (granny) charger on a 3-pin socket uses exactly the same electricity rate. A wallbox charges around 3x faster and is the better everyday option if you charge several times a week.
Yes, with a proper portable EV charger. Ours are capped at 10A in line with UK electrical regulations for safe, continuous charging, and add roughly 8 to 10 miles of range per hour: ideal for plug-in hybrids and overnight top-ups.
Very little: most plug-in hybrid batteries are 10 to 15kWh, so a full charge is around £1 on an off-peak tariff. If most of your trips are short, you'll do almost all your miles on cheap electricity.
Yes, but by far less than it cuts your fuel bill: around £200 a year off-peak for 10,000 miles, replacing around £1,800 of petrol. Switching to an EV tariff also gives your whole home cheap overnight electricity on most tariffs: see our full EV tariff guide.
Ready to charge for less?
Whatever you drive, Cord has the charging kit to match: designed in the UK, built to last, delivered next working day.
3 year warranty
EV charging cables
Type 2 cables from 5m to 30m, straight or coiled, 7kW and 22kW.
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Great for hybrids
Portable (granny) chargers
Charge from any 3-pin socket, no installation, carry bag included. Ideal for plug-in hybrids.
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5 year warranty
Cord Zero home chargers
7.4kW wallbox with scheduled off-peak charging, tethered or untethered, professionally installed.
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