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EV Home Charging Cost Calculator

How much does it cost to charge your electric car at home? Enter your battery size, weekly driving distance and electricity tariff to see your annual charging cost, cost per km and savings versus petrol or diesel.

Quick Start

Step 1. Your EV
battery size, range and weekly km/miles
Step 2. Electricity tariff
home rate, charger type, solar %
Step 3. Compare to fuel
fuel type, price and efficiency (optional)
Step 4. See results
annual cost, cost per km and net saving

Tip: Check your EV's WLTP range and battery size in your vehicle handbook or manufacturer website. Use real-world range (typically 80% of WLTP) for accurate results.

Settings

Your Electric Vehicle

Usable battery capacity — check your vehicle handbook.
Typically 75–85% of the official WLTP figure.
Average weekly total. Check your car's trip computer or odometer.

Home Charging Setup

Check your energy bill. Night / EV tariffs can be 0.08–0.15.
Enter 0 if already installed or using a standard socket.
Marginal cost of solar electricity (maintenance etc). Use 0 if truly free.

Fuel Comparison (optional)

Fill in your previous or equivalent petrol/diesel car to see the annual saving from switching to electric.

Check your car's official combined consumption or actual average.

Multi-year Projection

Home EV charging explained: costs, chargers and savings

How much does home EV charging actually cost?

The cost of charging an electric car at home depends on three things: your electricity tariff, how far you drive and your charger's efficiency. At a typical home rate of €0.28/kWh, charging a 60 kWh battery from empty costs around €17. A driver covering 15,000 km per year with a car using 18 kWh/100km will draw around 2,700 kWh annually, costing about €756 per year — compared to €1,800–€2,400 for the same distance in a petrol car.

EV night tariffs: the biggest lever on charging cost

Many energy suppliers offer dedicated EV or off-peak tariffs with rates as low as €0.08–€0.15/kWh between midnight and 6am. A smart wallbox with a timer schedule can cut your annual charging cost by 40–60% compared to charging at the standard daytime rate. Always check whether your supplier offers this before assuming you'll pay your standard unit rate for EV charging.

Charger types and efficiency

  • Standard 3-pin socket (2.3 kW): No installation cost, but slow. Fine for topping up overnight if you drive less than 50–60 km per day. Higher energy loss (~15%) from slower AC charging.
  • Home wallbox (7 kW): The most common home charger. Charges a typical EV overnight from near-empty. Installed cost typically €500–€1,200 including electrician work. Most wallboxes are smart and can be scheduled or controlled by app.
  • 22 kW three-phase wallbox: Only useful if your property has three-phase electricity supply. Charges most EVs in 3–4 hours.

Solar charging: how much can you self-generate?

A 4 kWp solar system generates 3,200–4,800 kWh per year depending on location. If you charge during the day (or use a solar-aware smart charger), you can divert surplus generation directly to the car. In summer months, 50–80% of charging can come from solar. Over a year, a realistic figure is 30–50% self-sufficiency for EV charging from a 4–6 kWp system.

EV vs petrol: the real cost comparison

The comparison depends heavily on fuel prices and your electricity tariff. A petrol car averaging 7.5 L/100km at €1.65/litre costs €1,856 per year to fuel for 15,000 km. The same distance in an EV costs €430–€850 per year depending on tariff. The saving is €1,000–€1,400 per year — and that gap widens as fuel prices rise.

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