EV charging cost calculator: what it costs to charge at home

Work out your EV charging cost

Pick your car, your state and how you charge. We use each state's published power rate and your car's battery size to show the cost per 100 km, per charge, and per year. Type in your own rate straight off your bill for an exact number.

How we work out the cost

We use the simplest honest method: energy needed, times the price of energy. For a full charge, that's your car's usable battery (in kWh) times your rate (in cents per kWh). For running cost, it's your car's energy use (kWh per 100 km) times the same rate.1greenvehicleguide.gov.auView source The battery sizes come from EV Database. The rates are each state's published reference plan. You can also type your own rate straight off your bill.

One honest catch: off-peak windows vary by retailer and state, and the cheapest window for your plan is shown on the calculator and on your bill. Electricity prices differ by retailer, plan and location, so comparing plans on Energy Made Easy gives you the most accurate picture for your postcode.3energymadeeasy.gov.auView source A licensed electrician sets up any charger or off-peak timer. We just show the numbers.

Your rate moves the cost far more than your car

The rate you pay does most of the work. Electricity prices vary significantly by retailer, plan, and when you charge, with off-peak tariffs often much lower than a standard flat rate.3energymadeeasy.gov.auView source The Electric Vehicle Council estimates that EV drivers with access to solar or off-peak tariffs can reduce their annual home charging cost to as little as $200 a year for 12,000 km, compared with the typical $500 a year on a standard plan.2electricvehiclecouncil.com.auView source That is a big gap for the same driving.

Your car's energy use matters too, but less. A heavier EV that uses more kWh per 100 km costs more to run than an efficient one on the same plan. But for most drivers, the biggest lever is finding the right tariff and charging at the right time. Get your rate and your charging window right first: that is where the saving is.

Home charging beats public charging and petrol

Home is the cheapest place to charge. Public fast chargers cost more than home, and the Electric Vehicle Council notes it generally costs more to charge at public fast chargers due to the extra convenience, though even fast charging is still around 20% cheaper than buying petrol.4electricvehiclecouncil.com.auView source Home charging on a good tariff is far cheaper again. The Australian Government's home charging calculator shows your own cost per charge based on your car's battery and your tariff (the home rate comes from your electricity plan).1greenvehicleguide.gov.auView source

Against petrol the gap is wide. The Electric Vehicle Council estimates a typical EV driver spends around $500 a year on home charging at 12,000 km, compared with around $2,500 a year for petrol over the same driving.2electricvehiclecouncil.com.auView source With solar or off-peak access, the EV cost can drop to as little as $200 a year. The calculator shows your own yearly number, and a petrol line to compare it against. For most homes, charging at home is where the running-cost saving of an EV actually shows up.

Is a dedicated EV plan worth it?

An EV-specific plan can be a great deal. Check the whole bill, not just the headline off-peak rate. Some plans give you a very low rate in an off-peak window, then charge more for power you use at other times.3energymadeeasy.gov.auView source If most of your home's power use falls outside the cheap window, the higher standard rate can cancel out the saving. The fix is simple: compare your full yearly cost on each plan, using your real usage, not just the cheapest number on the page.

The calculator above gives you the charging side of that picture. To run it for your own plan, type your real off-peak and standard rates from your bill and compare the two. A licensed electrician can fit an off-peak timer so your car charges inside the cheap window automatically.