Top tips for charging your EV in the most cost effective way

EV charging is still cheaper than driving a petrol or diesel car but with the general cost of energy increasing, although at a reduced level thanks to the governments new energy price guarantee, Tusker has produced some top tips on how to keep weekly charging costs at a minimum for EV drivers.

We have included advice on how to access free and reduced-price charging as well as helping you make sense of how the Government’s Energy Price Guarantee looks set to reduce charging both at home and at your workplace.

Typically, EV or hybrid drivers should adopt the same behaviour of petrol and diesel drivers who are constantly on the look-out for the cheapest fuel prices when out and about in their car.

But, instead of fuel stations EV drivers should be aware of the different charging prices that are on offer at different locations and at different times of the day to save money.

15% of all chargers are free to use – Zap Map surveyed its charging network in June 2022 and found that 5,340 of chargers out of 35,000 were free to use and 4,901 of those were either fast or rapid chargers. Scotland provided the most free chargers followed by the south east with supermarkets the source of the most free charging locations followed by car parks. Go to https://www.zap-map.com/free-ev-charging-points-where-are-they/ to discover more about these free charging opportunities.

Cheaper home charging day/night tariffs are available – Many energy companies are now offering a day/night tariff at home which means drivers get access to cheaper charging between midnight and 7am. You can also set your car’s app to charge between 12 midnight and 7am to make sure you always charge using cheaper electricity if your provider offers this.

Use council chargers where you can – the network of council funded chargers is beginning to increase with suppliers like Connected Kerb partnering with local authorities to increase the network of ‘on street’ chargers. In some cases, the energy is partly subsidised which means it can be cheaper than charging at home.

Charge your EV at work – with energy bills for UK businesses set to be cut this winter from 1 October under a government support package it may be cheaper to charge your EV at work if they have charge points. Check out the new charging rates, while some businesses also offer free ‘at work’ charging which is worth taking advantage of.

Smart chargers reduce energy costs – From July 1 this year, all home and workplace EV chargers must have smart charging capabilities which ensures chargers can measure and transmit records to enable drivers to view their charging history.

It aims to help the National Grid adapt to EV demands and encourages drivers to use smarter tariffs to avoid peak hours charging. Many smart charge points come pre-configured to avoid charging between 8am and 11am and 4pm and 10pm on weekdays which are considered peak hours. Make sure your home and workplace chargers already have this functionality in place.

You pay more for fast charging – Generally, the faster the charge the more expensive it is so check different charger rates whilst planning your journey and before using a charger.

Motorway chargers can be more pricey – Be aware that drivers generally pay more for motorway charging just as drivers at the wheel of a petrol or diesel car pay more money for their fuel.

How does the new Energy Price Guarantee affect my home charging costs?

Drivers are still trying to work out the impact of the Government’s recent change in the Energy Price Guarantee. On 9 September, the Government announced a new two-year energy price guarantee (EPG) of £2,500 for a ‘typical household’ paying their energy supplier by direct debit, replacing the £3,549 price cap that had been due to come into effect from 1 October.

According to Which Car? users will pay an average 34p per kWh rate for electricity instead of the previously announced 52p per kWh, which means EV drivers will continue to save large amounts of money on fuel bills when compared to cars running on petrol and diesel.

To find out more about the EPG and how your household bills will change Which Car has published a useful EPG guide and tool https://www.which.co.uk/news/article/liz-trusss-energy-guarantee-puts-price-cap-at-2500-for-a-typical-household-for-two-years-calculate-your-new-bills-aitQB9G0bkD5