Public Charging Tariffs

Tariff indices

The Zapmap Price Index and the AA Monthly Recharge Report are both excellent sources for national information on charging tariffs, broken down by speed. Similar indices will be coming to this website soon. A further goal is to break down charging costs on a local level. In the meantime, please find some more general information on tariffs.

Factors affecting tariff

Adrian Fielden-Gray of chargepoint operator Be.EV has summarised the reasons public charging costs so much: "Public EV charging prices reflect the realities of building a reliable, future-proof network — not profiteering."

But chargepoint operators are bound to argue their prices are good. The following factors need to be considered when forming a judgement on tariff levels:

Capital expenditure

You might be able to get a home charger for under £1000, but the reality is very different for public chargepoints, which have got to be durable, comply with regulations, carry enough energy from distribution cables which may be a long way away, and fit requirements by the landowner, which may include works on other infrastructure such as a base for the chargepoint and signage.

While the government may contribute to this outlay, the chargepoint operators have got to make their money back again from what you pay when you charge.

Energy costs

While the electricity itself is only part of the total price at a public chargepoint, it goes without saying that chargepoint operators have to pass on higher energy costs to their customers.

Value added tax

VAT is 20% on public charging. Campaigns like Fair Charge aim to change this.

Power rating

Energy from higher power chargers costs more than energy from lower power chargers because higher power chargers cost so much more to install in the first place. You pay a premium for ultra-rapid charging.

Cable theft

Higher power chargers also require thicker cables which contain more copper and are targeted more often for theft.

Chargepoint companies cannot replace all the stolen cables or implement all the best deterrents for nothing. The worse the costs to the chargepoint operator, the greater the effect on price.

This excellent piece by the Fast Charge covers the prevalence of cable theft, and why organised criminals are so hard to stop.

Competition between substitutes

If you are a captive consumer, for example because you don't want to leave your car far from home when charging overnight, or you don't want to detour from a motorway when charging en-route somewhere, then the chargepoint operator can set higher prices.

The Competition and Markets Authority investigated motorway charging, and found that GRIDSERVE's long-term exclusive contracts with motorway service station operators problematic for price competition.

As a consumer, there are a couple of ways to fight this. Firstly, vote with your feet and go out of your way for cheaper tariffs if you can. Secondly, encourage public bodies to enter contracts with multiple operators.

Chargepoint operator commercial model

While some CPOs are standalone businesses, others are arms of larger corporations, which may allow them to make a greater loss on charging (note that all CPOs run at a loss as of 2025).

Tesla's Superchargers offer comparatively cheap ultra-rapid charging (e.g. peak non-member rate of 55p/kWh for power up to 250kW). They may be able to do this because other parts of the business are making money, or they may have a strategy where the charging arm encourages sales in the car manufacturing arm.

Time-of-use and smart tariffs

Some chargepoint operators allow you charge cheaper during off-peak hours, usually at night.

For example, Connected Kerb offer tariffs which can be 10p/kWh lower from 12am-6am. You don't have to stay up until midnight to take advantage, as you can plug in any time after 7 and use smart charging to schedule your charge during off-peak hours.