EV charging cost · Tesla calculator · UK
How much will it cost to charge your electric car?
Enter your battery size, start and target charge, then compare the same session at home, on an EV tariff or at a public charger. Get £/charge, grid kWh and p/mile before reading any guide.
One charge · instant answer
Calculate this charge
Use your usable battery capacity and the price you actually pay. Presets are shortcuts, not whole-home tariff recommendations.
Battery
Electricity price
Public price is an editable example, not a live network quote. For Tesla Supercharging, enter the current site rate shown in the Tesla app or vehicle.
Preset rates checked 28 August 2026. See the EV tariff comparison for supplier links, eligibility details and the whole-home reality check. Ofgem's current benchmark is 26.11p/kWh for 1 July–30 September 2026.
Choosing an EV tariff? Use the UK EV tariff comparison calculator to compare current discounted rates against your mileage and charging flexibility.
Estimate your annual home-charging cost
Use annual mileage and your own tariff rates to compare charging-energy scenarios over a year.
2. Enter your tariff rates
Use the actual unit rates you pay, including VAT. This calculator isolates EV charging energy. It does not include standing charges or the rest of your home's electricity use.
26.11p/kWh is the Ofgem average capped electricity unit rate for Direct Debit customers in Great Britain for July–September 2026 and is only a benchmark. Ofgem benchmark checked 21 August 2026. Replace every field with rates relevant to your postcode and tariff.
New to EV charging? Start with the Tesla charging guide for home charging, Superchargers, charging time and public charging. This page answers the broader cost question first, then lets Tesla owners model their own mileage, efficiency and tariff.
How much does it cost to charge an electric car in the UK?
There is no single UK charging price. For home charging, the basic calculation is simple: multiply the electricity taken from the grid by the unit rate you actually pay. A 60 kWh session costs £15.67 at 26.11p/kWh, or £4.80 at 8p/kWh. The real bill depends on your tariff, energy added and charging losses.
The calculator above turns that same logic into an annual estimate. It uses mileage and efficiency to estimate driving energy, adds charging losses and then applies the share you expect to charge at home. Tesla owners can use the familiar Wh/mile inputs, while the underlying calculation is valid for any electric car.
| Example electricity rate | 60 kWh from the grid | What it illustrates |
|---|---|---|
| 8p/kWh | £4.80 | Low fixed off-peak EV-rate example |
| 10p/kWh | £6.00 | Low optimised-average example |
| 20p/kWh | £12.00 | Higher dynamic-average example |
| 26.11p/kWh | £15.67 | Ofgem GB default-tariff benchmark, July–September 2026 |
The 60 kWh figures are examples of energy taken from the grid, not claims about a particular Tesla battery size. The 26.11p/kWh benchmark is the Ofgem average electricity unit rate for Direct Debit customers on standard variable tariffs in England, Scotland and Wales for 1 July–30 September 2026. Your actual tariff may be very different.
Electric car charging cost formula
At its simplest, the calculation is:
For annual driving, convert miles and Wh/mile into battery energy, allow for charging losses, then apply the percentage of charging that happens at home. The calculator does those steps automatically and lets you compare several electricity-rate scenarios.
Example: 8,000 miles per year
Using the calculator defaults — 8,000 miles, 280 Wh/mile, 10% charging losses and 80% of charging at home — the estimate is about 1,991 kWh of home electricity per year. At 26.11p/kWh that is about £520 per year. At an 8p/kWh off-peak rate it is about £159 per year.
The difference is not caused by the car. It comes from when and at what price the same charging energy is bought. This is why tariff choice and charging schedule can matter as much as the Tesla's efficiency.
What does electric car charging cost per mile?
Cost per mile is useful when comparing electricity rates or estimating EV running costs. As a Tesla-style example, a car consuming 280 Wh/mile at the battery with a 10% charging-loss assumption needs about 0.311 kWh from the grid per mile.
| Electricity price | Approx. charging cost per mile | Approx. charging cost per 100 miles |
|---|---|---|
| 8p/kWh | 2.5p | £2.49 |
| 10p/kWh | 3.1p | £3.11 |
| 20p/kWh | 6.2p | £6.22 |
| 26.11p/kWh | 8.1p | £8.12 |
Change the Wh/mile and charging-loss fields to match your own Tesla and driving conditions. Cold weather, speed, wheels, heating and short journeys can all change energy consumption.
How much does a full electric car charge cost?
A “full charge” does not have one fixed UK price. EV battery capacities differ, drivers rarely arrive at exactly 0%, and the electricity drawn from the grid is not identical to the energy stored in the battery because charging losses vary.
A better estimate uses the kWh actually taken from the grid. For a 60 kWh session, the energy cost is £4.80 at 8p/kWh, £12.00 at 20p/kWh or £15.67 at 26.11p/kWh. Tesla owners can use Tesla charging history to put real sessions into context instead of assuming every charge is 0–100%.
Electric car charging cost: home, Supercharger or public charging?
Charging cost depends on where the energy comes from. Home electricity, Tesla Supercharging and other public networks have different pricing models, so they should not be collapsed into one national £/kWh figure.
Home charging
At home, the relevant charging price is usually the electricity unit rate for the time when the car charges. A fixed EV tariff may offer a cheap overnight window. A dynamic tariff can vary by settlement period. See the Tesla home charging guide for charger, power and installation considerations.
Tesla Supercharger
Supercharger prices can vary by site and time. Tesla shows current pricing for a selected Supercharger in the vehicle or Tesla app, so a generic web-page figure can become outdated quickly. For journey charging, use the price shown for the actual site and session.
Other public charging networks
Public-network prices are set by each operator and can depend on membership, roaming arrangements or payment method. If part of your annual mileage is charged away from home, reduce the “share charged at home” field rather than pretending all energy is bought at the home tariff.
EV charging rates: p/kWh price vs kW charging speed
EV charging rate can mean two different things. A rate in p/kWh is the electricity price and determines what the session costs. A rate in kW is charging power and influences how quickly energy can be added.
| “Charging rate” meaning | Unit | What it tells you | Use this page for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electricity price | p/kWh | How much each unit of charging energy costs | Charging cost |
| Charging power | kW | How quickly energy can be delivered | Charging time |
This calculator is about the price rate. For charging speed and time, see the Tesla charging time guide and the home charging guide.
Why use miles and Wh/mile?
Those are familiar UK driving units and match the efficiency format many Tesla drivers see. The calculator converts annual driving into battery energy, adds your charging-loss assumption and then applies the share you expect to charge at home.
Why compare a fixed EV tariff and a dynamic tariff?
They solve the problem differently. A fixed EV tariff can provide a predictable cheap overnight price without needing daily price optimisation. A dynamic tariff creates a second opportunity: the charging plan can select cheaper half-hours within the available charging window.
A low advertised EV rate is not automatically the cheapest whole-home tariff. Day rates, standing charges, eligibility rules and the rest of the household's electricity consumption can outweigh the EV-only saving. Use this calculator to compare charging energy, then compare the complete tariff separately.
Why is the standing charge excluded?
The standing charge is paid regardless of when the Tesla charges, so it does not belong in a pure charging-timing comparison. It can still differ between tariffs and therefore matters when you compare your complete household bill.
What does “dynamic without optimisation” mean?
It is your estimated average unit rate if the Tesla charges without deliberately selecting the cheapest half-hours. The difference between that figure and your optimised average isolates the additional value of automated timing.
Read the GB guide
Cheap tariff or smart schedule? They are separate decisions.
See how standard tariffs, fixed EV windows and half-hourly dynamic prices change the logic of Tesla charging in Great Britain.
Which Tesla charging cost view do you need?
The calculator is the best starting point when you want to estimate Tesla charging cost from mileage, efficiency and electricity rates. Once you have real charging history, the useful view depends on the question you are trying to answer.
| Question | Best DriveQuery page | What it focuses on |
|---|---|---|
| What should charging my Tesla cost? | This calculator | Estimated annual, per-mile and per-charge cost from your own rates. |
| What did charging cost this month? | Tesla charging cost per month | Monthly total across home, Supercharging and other public charging. |
| What did each charging session cost? | Tesla charging cost tracker | Session-level kWh, location, tariff and price basis. |
| When and where did I charge? | Tesla charging history | Charging sessions, energy, locations and the timeline behind the totals. |
This separation keeps the broad electric car charging cost question on the calculator while Tesla history pages answer narrower reporting questions with real charging data.
Frequently asked questions about electric car charging cost
How much does it cost to charge an electric car in the UK?
Multiply the electricity taken from the grid by the unit price you actually pay. For example, 60 kWh costs £15.67 at 26.11p/kWh or £4.80 at 8p/kWh. Your real cost depends on tariff, energy added and charging losses.
How do I calculate electric car charging cost?
For one session, multiply grid kWh by £/kWh. For annual charging, estimate driving energy, add charging losses, apply the share charged at home and multiply by the relevant electricity rate.
How much does a full electric car charge cost?
It depends on the energy actually drawn from the grid rather than a simple 0–100% battery assumption. For example, 60 kWh from the grid costs £15.67 at 26.11p/kWh or £4.80 at 8p/kWh.
How much does EV charging cost per mile?
With 280 Wh/mile consumption and 10% charging losses, grid energy is about 0.311 kWh per mile. That is about 8.1p/mile at 26.11p/kWh or 2.5p/mile at 8p/kWh.
How much does it cost to charge a Tesla?
The same formula applies to a Tesla: grid kWh multiplied by your electricity price. Model, efficiency, charging losses, energy added and whether you charge at home or publicly all affect the final cost.
Is home charging cheaper than public charging?
Home charging can be cheaper with a competitive off-peak or dynamic tariff, but prices vary. Compare your actual home rate with the live price for the public charger or Supercharger you plan to use.
Does this calculator include standing charges?
No. It isolates the electricity used to charge the EV. Standing charges and other household electricity use still matter when comparing complete tariffs.
Why include charging losses?
The grid normally supplies more energy than the battery stores. Charging and conversion losses therefore affect the bill, which is why the calculator lets you enter a loss percentage.
Sources for time-sensitive benchmarks: Ofgem energy price cap unit rates and Tesla UK Supercharging support. Always use the live rate shown by your supplier or charging network for a real cost decision.
Let the charging plan follow the tariff.
DriveQuery is being built to calculate a suitable charging schedule from the car requirement and the electricity prices that actually apply.