Britain’s most expensive charging provider revealed, as UK average rapid charger price hits 53p per kWh

Britain’s most expensive charging provider revealed, as UK average rapid charger price hits 53p per kWh

• Drivers without off-street parking are being unfairly hit the hardest as cost of public charging soars
• Electric car owners could be charged more than £77 for a ‘full tank’ of electricity on the public network, over £1,250 a year more than those who can charge at home
• Experts call on government to lower VAT at public charging points to ease the financial burden being passed on to consumers

Huge disparities in the cost of charging an electric car on the public network is leading to added financial pressure on drivers without access to off-street parking, Founder and CEO of Electrifying.com Ginny Buckley is warning.

After collating pricing from the UK’s biggest public rapid charging providers, the electric car experts at Electrifying.com have calculated that the average cost of UK public rapid charging is now 53p per kWh. This means an average electric car such as a Volkswagen ID.3 with a 58kWh battery will cost £21.52 to charge from 10-80% - the typical charging session on a public rapid charger. 

This cost increases to £58 for drivers using an Osprey charging point, making them the UK’s most expensive public provider, while drivers ‘filling up’ using Pod Point units at Tesco and Lidl will be charged the least at £11.36. 

The news comes alongside research which found that a person driving a Volkswagen ID.3 for 10k miles per year would be charged £208.80 per year when charging at home on a cheap night rate, compared to £1,475.52 per year at a public charge point - a staggering £1,267 a year more than those who can charge at home.

As one third of UK drivers don’t have access to off-street parking, the difference in cost is driving a two-tier nation when it comes to electric car ownership, favouring homeowners with a driveway who, despite rising energy costs, can still take advantage of cheaper energy tariffs.  

Founder and CEO of Electrifying.com Ginny Buckley said:

“With dramatic increases in wholesale electricity costs, it’s no surprise that prices are rising across the charging network - Instavolt announced an increase of 15.7% to its prices, and Osprey has leapt more than 50% to top £1 per kWh."

“For drivers who are unable to take advantage of cheaper home energy tariffs, this is having a serious impact on running costs at a time when budgets are under unprecedented strain. It hits those living in towns and cities the hardest, the very place electric cars can have the most impact on air quality.

“Consumers are playing their part, with sales of electric cars increasing by 50% compared to last year, but it’s not up to the public to make sure that prices are fair; nor is it down to them to make sure that everyone has access to electric car ownership. It’s time for those in charge to get out of neutral and put the wheels in motion for fairer VAT on our public charging network. I want to see this reduced from 20% to 5% to bring it in line with the cost of charging at home.”

With such a huge difference between the highest and lowest prices, Electrifying.com is also advising drivers who want to manage their budgets to shop around for the best public charging rates. 

The prices shown for all brands show the highest price currently charged for pay-as-you-go customers. In some cases, having a membership or monthly subscription cost can work out cheaper as these customers will pay less per kWh. 

The chart is topped by Osprey, which has just shocked drivers with a 51% price rise. IONITY had been the most expensive provider in the UK since introducing its tariff of 69p per kWh in 2020. However, while the brand was once far and away the priciest option for drivers, recent increases now mean it can seem reasonable value.

At the other end of the chart is Pod Point at Tesco and Lidl, which charges just 28p per kWh to charge at one of its 50kWh rapid chargers. Other charging providers offering cheaper rates include EB Charging, which currently charges 44p per kWh at its 31 locations around the UK. Offering more choice geographically are Raw, bp pulse, PodPoint, and ESB, all of whom charge a maximum of 45p per kWh for rapid charging. Gridserve Electric Forecourts in Braintree and Ipswich also charge just 45p per kWh to access its 350kW rapid chargers. 

Ends

Notes to editors

Electrifying.com has collated all current DC rapid charging prices and ranked providers from the cheapest to the most expensive. As some charge point providers have different tariffs for different charging speeds and, in some cases, locations, we have itemised these according to speed available. 

Some operators, such as Pod Point and Mer, have different pricing according to location. Where possible, we have found the highest charges. Drivers may be able to charge at lower prices on these networks. For example, PodPoint rapid chargers at Tesco locations can be as little as 28p per kWh. Some networks may also offer subscriptions which may lower the cost per kWh.

To ‘fill’ a 58kWh Volkswagen ID.3 on a cheap rate (7.5p Octopus Go) tariff, it will cost £4.35. To fully charge at a DC rapid charge point, the average cost is £30.47.

For a driver doing 10k miles a year with a range of 210 miles per charge (real world figure), this works out at 48 full charges a year (2,784kWh).

48 charges at 7.5p per kWh = £208.80

48 charges at 53p per kWh = £1,475.52

About Electrifying.com  

As we head towards the 2030 ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars, Electrifying.com clears the air for consumers to make choosing, buying and owning an electric car easy.

Comprising a team of electric experts, the brand is led by Founder and CEO Ginny Buckley. With 25 years' experience in broadcasting, journalism and the automotive industry, Buckley is here to demystify the electric car and give trusted, independent advice to the mainstream car buyer, enabling them to make the switch with confidence.

She is joined by Nicki Shields, the face of Formula E, host of the CNN tech and electric racing show ‘Supercharged’; tech, gadget and car expert Tomi Adebayo (better known as @gadgetsboy) and Tom Ford, the former host of BBC Top Gear America, Fifth Gear and electric car advocate.”

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