Card, app, subscription? How to pay (and save) when EV charging

Some networks also offer discounted rates if you register on the app. Ionity, for example, charges 79p/kWh for app users compared 83p/kWh for contactless payment users, and it’s one of several operators (alongside Be.EV, BP Pulse, Fastned, Gridserve and Tesla) offering even lower rates in exchange for a monthly membership fee.

Subscriptions can break even quickly if you’re regularly using the same networks. A Kia EV3 with the longer-range battery would more than cover Gridserve’s £7.99 monthly membership in a single 10-70% rapid charging session. The downside is that you will still be paying full whack if you plug in elsewhere.  

Roaming Apps

Not all apps limit you to a single network. There’s a growing choice of so-called ‘roaming’ providers (sometimes called electric mobility service providers, or eMSPs) that offer the same benefits across multiple operators.

These work similarly to networks’ own apps, including live maps, real-time data about the charging session and the ability to track your spending and download receipts under a single account.

However, you won’t necessarily be able to access to the nearest or cheapest chargers if they’re not partnering with that company.

Several roaming services also have membership options with discounted rates, although each works differently. Zapmap offers premium subscribers a 5% discount across its partner networks, while Octopus customers get up to 8% off charging through the Electroverse app, with options to pay directly out of their home energy account.

RFID Cards and Fobs

Membership cards and fobs might seem like an inflexible relic of the early days of EV charging, but they’re still useful fallbacks.

These offer some of the ease of contactless payments and selected membership discounts too. Simply tap the fob on the reader and it will start or stop the charging session, then bill your account. As a bonus, you won’t need to worry about poor coverage or your phone’s battery running flat.

For a driver, RFID cards and fobs offer access to chargers that haven’t been retrofitted with a contactless card reader and don’t work through an app. And yes, there are still a few really early chargers about that don’t have either.

Some RFID cards and fobs (such as Electroverse) work across multiple networks too.

How do you pay to charge an EV abroad?

If you’re heading further from home, rest assured that Europe has a fast-growing network of public chargers and paying for electrons abroad is similar to doing so in the UK.

The Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation (AFIR) has set out targets to deploy rapid charging hubs close to major routes and urban areas throughout the EU.

Each of these is legally required to offer ad-hoc access – either via a contactless card reader or a QR code linking drivers to a website for payment.

Beware, though: some banks restrict the amount you’re able to spend in one transaction when paying contactless or via your phone when abroad. Some countries will tax you slightly for using contactless too.  

The alternative is one of the international roaming providers. Signing up for an account with Octopus Electroverse, Plugsurfing or Shell Recharge opens up access to chargers across the Continent as well as in the UK, and they will help you locate somewhere convenient to plug in too.

How much does it cost to charge an electric car?

The cost of charging varies, but as a rule of thumb you will pay the most to use the fastest chargers.

For example, the priciest rapid chargers – the ones located close to motorways and A-roads – cost more than 90p/kWh, whereas the latest weighted average for slower AC units is 54p/kWh, according to Zapmap.

That’s not just a convenience tax. Powerful chargers are more expensive to buy and install than the slower AC units found in car parks.

If you’re planning a round trip that involves a long stop somewhere, it’s almost always cheaper to leave the car plugged in for a while when you get there than it is to top up en route. 

Just bear in mind that slower chargers are often located within paid-for car parks, and some add overstay fees if you hog the charging bays all day.

Shopping around can also help. Tesla has opened selected Supercharger sites to other EVs, including some located at service stations, and they’re usually much cheaper than other networks. The Tesla smartphone app shows which ones are available for this.

Believe it or not, there are also a surprising number of chargers (mostly slower units) that are still free to use. Zapmap has a filter to help you find local ones.

How can you cut the cost of charging an EV?

The most cost-effective way to drive an EV is by doing as much of your charging as possible at home.

Even on a flat-rate energy tariff, capped by industry regulator Ofgem, that should halve the price (26p/kWh) of plugging into a typical slow public charger. 

An EV can be plugged into any domestic three-pin socket, but the safest and most convenient way to take control of your charging costs is getting a dedicated wallbox.

Smart chargers are priced between £500 and £1500 (including installation), they save you dragging cables through open windows and most have a smartphone app for tracking what you’re spending on energy.

Financial support isn’t as generous as it once was. The governmental Office for Zero Emission Vehicles offers grant funding of up to £500 or 75% of the cost to buy and install a home charger. However, this is available only for flats, rented accommodation and properties without off-street parking.