Guide
How much does it cost to charge an electric car?
Public and home charging prices in the US, UK, Canada and Australia, per kWh and per 100 miles, plus the fees that catch people out.
“How much is a full charge?” is the first question anyone asks about going electric, and the honest answer is that it depends far more on where you charge than on how much. Between an overnight charge at home and a highway fast charger the cost per mile can differ by a factor of three or four. Here are the numbers, indicative for September 2026.
You pay per kilowatt-hour
Most networks bill the energy delivered, in local currency per kWh. A few US states and networks still bill per minute, and many add an idle fee after charging stops. A typical EV uses 25 to 33 kWh per 100 miles (15 to 20 kWh per 100 km), so any tariff converts to a cost per mile.
Public charging price bands
| Charging type | Power | US | UK | Canada | Australia |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Level 2 / AC | 7-22 kW | $0.20-0.45/kWh | 45-65p/kWh | C$0.15-0.40/kWh | A$0.30-0.50/kWh |
| DC fast | 50-150 kW | $0.40-0.56/kWh | 65-85p/kWh | C$0.50-0.65/kWh | A$0.55-0.70/kWh |
| Ultra-fast | 150-350 kW | $0.48-0.64/kWh | 75-89p/kWh | C$0.55-0.75/kWh | A$0.60-0.80/kWh |
| Home, standard tariff | 7 kW | $0.14-0.20/kWh | 22-27p/kWh | C$0.10-0.18/kWh | A$0.25-0.35/kWh |
At 30 kWh per 100 miles, a US road-trip fast charge at $0.50/kWh costs about $15 per 100 miles, close to a 35 mpg petrol car at $3.50 a gallon. Home charging at $0.16/kWh costs under $5 for the same distance. The UK gap is wider: 80p/kWh rapid charging is roughly petrol parity, 25p at home is about a third of it.
Memberships and subscriptions
Every large network sells a monthly plan that knocks 20 to 30 percent off the per-kWh rate. It pays if you use that network for more than roughly 60 to 80 kWh a month, about 250 miles. Prepaid bundles with expiry dates suit commuters and punish occasional users.
The fees you do not see coming
- Idle fees. After charging ends, or after a session time limit on fast chargers, 0.40 to 1.00 per minute. An hour of forgetting costs more than the charge.
- Roaming premiums. Using one network’s app on another’s chargers usually adds 10 to 30 percent.
- Tap-to-pay pricing. The contactless “guest” rate is normally the highest on the board.
- Pre-authorisation holds. Card payments block 30 to 60 units of currency, refunded within days. Not a cost, but a surprise on a low limit.
- Per-minute billing. Where it survives, a slow-charging car pays much more per kWh than a fast one.
Paying less
- Use Level 2 whenever the car is parked for hours anyway: work, the supermarket, the gym.
- Save DC for trips and stop at 80 percent: above that the power drops and you pay the same rate for slower kWh.
- Before buying a plan, add up your public kWh from the last three months of receipts.
- Compare the networks in your area: the map filters by network and power, and each city page lists who runs the most chargers.
- If you have a driveway or garage, home charging wins every time.
Free chargers
They still exist at malls, dealerships, hotels and some council car parks, usually Level 2 with time limits. Use them when they appear; do not plan around them.
Prices shown are observed averages and change often. The exact rate is always displayed in the app or on the charger before you start.