Public charging can turn a cheap electric-car journey into an expensive one if you choose the wrong tariff. Prices vary between networks, locations and payment methods. A motorway stop can therefore cost much more than charging while you shop. Although you can see that you save a fortune using our EV fuel savings calculator if you switch to an EV, that’s only the case if you have home charging facilities.
The price per kWh tells you what the electricity costs. The final bill also depends on how much you buy and any separate parking or overstay charges.
What UK drivers currently pay
The August 2026 weighted average was 54p per kWh for standard public charging. Rapid and ultra-rapid charging averaged 77p. These pay-as-you-go figures reflect charging activity across the network, rather than a price every operator must offer.
A billed 40kWh session therefore costs £21.60 at 54p, or £30.80 at 77p. These figures cover electricity alone. They describe 40kWh on the receipt, which may exceed the energy the battery stores.
Prices checked on 3 October 2026 also show how individual networks differ. GRIDSERVE listed DC charging at 85p to 92p per kWh, depending on location. Buying 40kWh at those rates costs £34 to £36.80.
You can bet that it won’t be too long until some provider is brave enough to charge over £1 per kWh at their fast-charging stations. To be fair, where I live, the council-owned on-street chargers on the seafront are among the cheapest in the area at 48p per kWh. Supermarkets are usually pretty reasonable, too, but not always.
Slower charging can cost less
A lower-power charger can suit a long shopping visit or an overnight stay. Its lower energy price may matter more than speed when the car would remain parked anyway.
However, check the parking terms before connecting. A cheap electricity rate loses its appeal if you must pay several hours of parking. Some sites also impose time limits or overstay fees.
Check the exact connector and tariff, too. One site can offer different prices for different equipment. Never assume the cheapest advertised rate covers every charging point.
Work out whether a subscription pays
A monthly membership can reduce the unit price, but it only saves money if you use it enough. Divide the monthly fee by the saving per kWh to find the break-even point.
For example, an £8 subscription reducing electricity by 20p per kWh breaks even at 40kWh monthly. Buying less would leave you worse off. This is an illustration, rather than a named tariff offer.
Check which locations qualify and how you must start the session. A roaming app, bank card and network membership can give different prices at the same charger. Use the displayed price for your chosen payment method.
Translate the tariff into miles
Assume your car covers 3.6 miles per billed kWh, including energy lost after the charging meter. At 54p per kWh, electricity costs 15p per mile. At 77p, that rises to 21.39p.
A 200-mile journey would therefore use about £30 or £42.78 of electricity under those assumptions. Vehicle efficiency, weather and speed can change the result.
Public charging does not automatically make an EV expensive overall. Occasional rapid charging can form a small part of an otherwise cheap year of home charging. Regular reliance on expensive chargers needs a much closer calculation.
Avoid surprises at the charger
Check the live unit price, parking rules, and any minimum or connection charge before starting. Look at the expected energy purchase rather than the size of your entire battery.
A card pre-authorisation temporarily reserves money; it does not necessarily equal the final charging bill. Keep the session receipt and check the completed charge against it.
For regular journeys, compare the chargers you will actually use. A national average helps explain the market, but your local options determine your own costs. You can test a higher charging price in our EV fuel savings calculator by raising the charging rate to match what you pay.