Charging an electric car at home is still CHEAPER than filling up with petrol
Updated:
EV charging at home still saves motorists a significant amount of money per mile compared to filling up a conventional car with petrol, despite the Ofgem energy price cap rise coming in.
The AA's latest EV Recharge Report for March shows that electric car owners who charge at home pay just 5.6p/mile for standard rate domestic charging.
This compares to 11.8p/mile running a petrol car costs due to stubborn pump prices.
It continues to highlight the low running costs benefits of EVs for those with access to home charging.
And while there was a lot of noise made around a predicted fall in petrol prices, retailers ripping motorists off at the pumps by failing to pass on savings means they're still paying far more per mile than EV drivers.
This is despite the Ofgem energy price cap increase from 1 April - a 6.4 per cent hike compared to the end of March. But those powering their EVs from home still only pay 5.6p a mile on the worst case tariff, the AA says.
Charging at home is still around 6p/mile cheaper than filling up with petrol despite touted pump price drops and the rise in the Ofgem energy price cap
The Recharge Report found that the average price of petrol was down to 134.7p a litre last week - just 0.4p a litre below the low-point in March - even though a £3-a-tank saving at the petrol pumps was forecasted a fortnight before.
The cost of per mile petrol driving was left at 11.8p a mile. Even after the weekend, the average petrol price was only down to 134.3p a litre.
Home charging on the most expensive standard rate cost just 5.65p a mile; it means expensive variable rate kerbside charging still provides a saving of nearly 2p a mile over petrol.
While there's still a 'driveway divide', with EV owners without off-street parking who are therefore reliant on the pricier public charging network, there are still promising savings compared to petrol, the AA reports.
Jack Cousens, head of roads policy, said: 'The drop in peak rate slow charging is good news for EV owners without a driveway.
'Closing the gap on the so-called ‘pavement tax’ is a positive step, but the government missed the chance to take bold action by retaining the 20 per cent VAT rate on public charging at the Spring Statement.'
Even the most expensive unplanned charge on the public network has seen a drop in average costs of 5.8 per cent to leave the price per miles of ultra-rapid peak less than 3p a mile more than petrol, closing that gap.
Off-peak rapid charging though is still beating petrol per mile, now at 10.62p a mile compared to 11.86p per mile for petrol.
Calculations are based on adding 80 per cent charge to a Vauxhall e-Corsa, 50kW, with a WLTP range of 221 miles - this equates to 178 miles of range - and filling a Vauxhall Corsa 1.2-litre petrol's 40-litre tank to 80 per cent full (32 litres).
| Charge Type | Speed | Mar Ave (p/kWh) | Feb Ave (p/kWh) | Difference (p/kWh) | Cost to add 80% charge | Pence per mile (p/mile) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Domestic | Up to 7kW | 25 | 25 | 0 | £10.00 | 5.65 |
| Slow | Up to 8kW | 50 | 50 | 0 | £20.00 | 11.3 |
| Fast | 8-49kW | 60 | 59 | 1 | £24.00 | 13.56 |
| Rapid | 50-149kW | 74 | 74 | 0 | £29.60 | 16.72 |
| Ultra-rapid | +150kW | 78 | 78 | 0 | £31.20 | 17.63 |
| PETROL | 135.60 ppl | 139.80 ppl | -4.20 ppl | £43.39 | 11.86 | |
| Source - AA EV Recharge Report March |
| Charge Type | Speed | Mar Ave (p/kWh) | Feb Ave (p/kWh) | Difference (p/kWh) | Cost to add 80% charge | Pence per mile (p/mile) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Slow Off-Peak | Up to 8kW | 44 | 44 | 0 | £17.60 | 9.94 |
| Slow Peak | Up to 8kW | 65 | 69 | -4 | £26.00 | 14.69 |
| Fast Off-Peak | 8-49kW | 54 | 54 | 0 | £21.60 | 12.2 |
| Fast Peak | 8-49kW | 85 | 85 | 0 | £34.00 | 19.21 |
| Rapid Off-Peak | 50-149kW | 54 | 54 | 0 | £21.60 | 12.2 |
| Rapid Peak | 50-149kW | 85 | 85 | 0 | £34.00 | 19.21 |
| Ultra-rapid Off-Peak | +150KW | 47 | 47 | 0 | £18.80 | 10.62 |
| Ultra-rapid Peak | +150kW | 65 | 65 | 0 | £26.00 | 14.69 |
| PETROL | 135.60 ppl | 139.80 ppl | -4.20 ppl | £43.39 | 11.86 | |
| Source - AA EV Recharge Report March |
The report coincides with new charging updates from the Department for Transport Electric vehicle public charging infrastructure statistics: April 2025 that show there's been a 28 per cent increase in publicly available chargepoints over the last 12 months.
There are a total of 76,507 charging devices, of which a fifth are classified as rapid or ultra-rapid, meaning drivers can stop and recharge their car quickly.
There's also been a 25 per cent increase in the number of on-street electric vehicle chargers compared to April 2024, and an eight per cent increase compared to January 2025.
New DfT charging stats show there are now 76,507 charging devices across the UK, of which a fifth are classified as rapid or ultra-rapid, meaning drivers can stop and recharge their car quickly
However, Vauxhall - which works with councils and leading charge point providers through its Electric Streets of Britain campaign - has highlighted that the figures show there's has been a drop in the number of public charge points in some regions of the UK, with the North East and Northern Ireland reporting lower levels in April compared to January.
In response to this regional irregularity, Vauxhall's Electric Streets Director, Phil Douglas, said that the 'encouraging' rise in on-street chargers needs to be managed with the 'importance' of the 'devices being installed in the right place' in mind.
'The fact that public charging device figures have actually fallen in the North East and Northern Ireland since the start of the year is surprising', he commented.
'Through Electric Streets of Britain, over 1,000 residents in the North East and Northern Ireland have registered the need for on-street charging near them.
'It is important that local authorities continue to consider the needs of drivers nationwide to make sure no part of the country is left behind on the electrification journey.'
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