How to make the most of public EV charging and save money

When it comes to EVs, charging can be confusing at first.

Charging is a key part of the entire electric vehicle experience. Whether it’s topping up at home or plugging in when you’re out and about, charging an electric vehicle will be something that all owners have to do regularly.

But if you’re on the road, then charging at home isn’t an option - you’ll need to use the public network instead. It’s here that being savvy about where and when you charge can make the most difference cost-wise and it’s what we’re going to explore in this article in order to save you money on charging.

Consider getting a membership with an EV provider

If you think you’re going to be using public chargers regularly, it’s worth considering a subscription to an electric car charging provider. One of the best is IONITY’s membership, giving you a discounted rate at one of the company’s 353 fast chargers dotted across the UK. For £10.50 per month, you’ll access charging for 43p/kWh, which is some way off the 74p/kWh you’ll pay as a non-member.

Whether you’re using a standard public charger or a rapid charger, you’ll always pay less for your electricity than a non-member, too. You may also want to consider the Octopus Electroverse membership as this provides a streamlined way of charging. With it, you’ll get instant access to thousands of chargers operated by different suppliers, including Osprey, Shell Recharge and Instavolt. Plus, you can even link your home and public charging bills, so you’ve got all of your charging costs in one centralised location.

Look for free chargers

Everyone loves a freebie, and that applies to EV charging, too, because there are various free charging points dotted across the UK.

Due to rising electricity rates, the number has dropped in recent years, but you’re still able to find free chargers, which are often found at shopping centres and workplaces to incentivise you to charge there and use their facilities.

Using these can help to bring your running costs down even further. You can find free chargers with electric car service Zap-Map’s free app. Many are located outside supermarkets, such as Tesco.

Avoid rapid chargers to save money

Rapid chargers help charge your car’s batteries the quickest, so they cost more to use than regular public chargers.

Electric car charging firms’ tariffs are typically based on the price per kilowatt (kWh). Take BP Pulse as an example again. Its regular chargers cost 65p per kWh (non-membership), but if you used one of its fastest 150kW chargers, it would cost 89p per kWh.

While it’s definitely convenient to charge more quickly, it’s worth finding a standard charger instead of a rapid charger – as long as you have the time to spare – as it really could help you save money.

Try charging at off peak times

A little like home energy, many charging providers offer lower costs during off-peak times. Of course, if you need to charge at a certain time then this isn’t an option, but if you’ve got some extra flexibility in your route, then this could be a great way of lowering your costs.

Instavolt offers some of the quickest charging speeds from its units, but recently introduced an off-peak pay period. Now, between 10pm and 6am, drivers can use rapid chargers at 54p/kWh, which represents a huge saving on the 85p/kWh price that it commands usually.

Remember that electric car charging with different firms brings different tariffs

Just like some fuel brands charge more for petrol and diesel than others, the same is true for electric car charging firms as well.

The firms with the quickest charging speeds – such as Instavolt – have the highest tariffs. It charges a steep 85p per kWh. BE EV chargers are some of the cheapest for rapid charging, being priced at 65p per kWh. Tesla’s Supercharger network is also considerably less expensive, costing 51p/kWh for rapid charging, providing you’re a Tesla owner. Non-Tesla owners can access some charging points, but they won’t get that rock-bottom rate.

On the plus side, unlike petrol stations, which raise and lower their prices regularly and vary costs depending on location, EV charging firms largely have standardised pricing.

Prices correct at time of publication [03/2025].