EVs are sold on the promise of cheap running costs. And they can deliver — if you charge at home on a cheap tariff. But a growing number of drivers are discovering that public rapid charging costs more per mile than filling up with petrol. This is the EV charging price trap.
The Numbers Nobody Mentions
The UK now has over 87,000 public charge points. The infrastructure is growing fast. But so are the prices. Here’s what charging actually costs in 2026, broken down by method:
For comparison, a typical petrol car averaging 40–50 mpg at current pump prices costs roughly 14–19p per mile, or around £1,400–£1,900 per year at 10,000 miles.
That’s not a typo. At pay-as-you-go rapid charging rates, you are paying more per mile than a petrol driver. The supposed running cost advantage of an EV disappears entirely — and then some.
The Full Charge Cost
To put it in terms most drivers think about: how much does it cost to fill up? For a typical 60 kWh EV battery:
- Home off-peak (7p/kWh) — £4.20 per full charge
- Home standard (24p/kWh) — £14.40 per full charge
- Public slow/fast (54p/kWh) — £32.40 per full charge
- Public rapid (76p/kWh) — £45.60 per full charge
A £4 charge at home versus £46 at a motorway rapid charger. That’s an eleven-fold difference for the same amount of energy. No other fuel type has this kind of pricing disparity.
Who Wins and Who Loses
The economics of EV ownership split cleanly into two camps. Your housing situation matters more than almost any other factor.
- Charges overnight on off-peak tariff (7p/kWh)
- Costs 2–5p per mile, or £200–£500/year
- Saves £600–£1,000/year vs petrol
- Public charging used only on long trips
- Full charge costs £2–£7
- Relies on public chargers for most or all charging
- Costs 16–24p per mile, or £1,600–£2,400/year
- Pays more than petrol at rapid rates
- No access to cheap off-peak electricity
- Full charge costs £32–£46
This is the core of the charging price trap. Around 36% of UK households don’t have off-street parking. For these drivers, the EV cost advantage simply does not exist at current public charging rates.
The Hidden Costs Piling Up
The charging trap isn’t the only additional cost catching EV owners off guard:
- Insurance — EV policies average £707 compared to £558 for petrol, roughly 25% more expensive. Higher repair costs and specialist parts push premiums up.
- Road tax — EVs lost their zero-rate VED exemption. A new pay-per-mile road tax system for electric vehicles is on the way, which will add further to running costs.
- Depreciation — Battery degradation concerns still weigh on EV resale values, particularly for early models.
- Tyre costs — EVs are heavier and chew through tyres faster. Specialist EV tyres cost 10–20% more.
Can Subscription Services Help?
Subscription Charging Services
Services like The Charge Scheme and network-specific memberships can significantly reduce public charging costs. Instead of paying 76p/kWh at the rapid charger, subscribers typically pay between 27p and 45p per kWh — a substantial saving.
- The Charge Scheme — flat monthly fee, reduced rates across multiple networks
- Osprey — subscription drops rapid rates by 10–15p/kWh
- BP Pulse — membership pricing vs PAYG rates
- Tesla Supercharger — already competitive for Tesla owners at ~50p/kWh
At 35p/kWh via a subscription, rapid charging drops to about 10p per mile — finally competitive with petrol. But it requires planning, commitment, and the right networks being available on your routes.
7 Ways to Avoid the Charging Price Trap
If you own or are considering an EV, here’s how to keep costs under control:
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Switch to an off-peak EV tariff — Tariffs like Octopus Go or OVO Charge Anytime offer rates as low as 7p/kWh overnight. This is the single biggest saving you can make.
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Schedule charging for off-peak hours — Set your car or wallbox to charge between midnight and 5am. Most EVs have built-in scheduling.
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Subscribe to a charging network — Monthly subscriptions from The Charge Scheme and others bring rapid rates down to 27–45p/kWh. Worth it if you use public chargers regularly.
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Use slow chargers over rapid when time allows — Destination chargers at supermarkets and car parks are cheaper than rapid hubs. A 7kW charger at 40p/kWh still beats a 150kW rapid at 76p/kWh.
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Plan long journeys around cheaper networks — Apps like Zapmap show live prices. A 5-minute detour can save £10+ on a single charge.
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Use free workplace and destination charging — Many employers and retail parks still offer free or subsidised charging. Take advantage while it lasts.
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Avoid pay-as-you-go rapid charging whenever possible — PAYG rapid rates of 76p/kWh should be treated as the emergency option, not the default. Plan ahead.
The Bottom Line
EVs can be remarkably cheap to run. Charging at home on an off-peak tariff genuinely costs a fraction of petrol — as little as £4 for a full charge. Drivers with driveways and wallboxes can realistically save £600–£1,000 a year compared to petrol.
But the marketing rarely mentions the other side. If you live in a flat, rely on public chargers, and pay PAYG rapid rates, you could easily spend more on electricity than a petrol driver spends on fuel. Add in higher insurance premiums and incoming road tax changes, and the total cost of EV ownership starts to look far less attractive than the brochure suggests.
The honest answer? Your home charging situation determines everything. If you can plug in at home overnight, an EV is a no-brainer financially. If you can’t, do the maths very carefully before making the switch.
And while you’re still running on petrol or diesel, use Fuelwise to make sure you’re paying the lowest price at the pump. Every penny per litre counts.