Energy Tariffs for EV

Frequently cited motivations for installing domestic solar pv and batteries are to reduce carbon footprint (lessening climate & environmental impact) and save money (reduce energy bills). As for the latter, there are further steps that can be taken to reduce your bills … change your supplier and ditch poor tariffs (encourage others to do the same!).

A number of energy companies have created ‘special’ EV tariffs which are worth considering if you have not switched supplier since acquiring your EV. These EV tariffs offer discounts in various forms compared to the other standard tariffs on offer but I would recommend that you do a comparison including standard tariffs (just because they say it is cheaper doesn’t mean it is for your circumstances). Whichever tariff / energy supplier you choose, don’t forget to share any referral codes as these can genuinely make some tariffs worthwhile but also remember to regularly review and keep switching & ditching if no longer competitive. I would recommend that you review your tariff at least once a year.

I’ve compiled a list of EV tariffs below as a starting guide on what is available right now from Energy Suppliers to cater for EV drivers. To help you assess the relative costs of being on these tariffs, the usage scenarios below will hopefully help you get an idea of how much it would cost on each, albeit for a heavy user electricity user! At 13,000kWh per year the household in this scenario has two EVs and do up 15,000 miles per year (if you have one EV in your household then just halve the numbers below to get approximate costs for you).

Make sure the tariff you are on is appropriate for your circumstances! Please visit individual providers websites to see full terms and conditions for any of the EV-tailored tariffs.

1. Scenario 1: Flat usage at 13,000kWh/yr (applying the single rate only)
2. Scenario 2: 13,000kWh/yr under the following conditions: a) 20hrs day time @ 8kWh (day rate) b) 4hr night time EV charge @ 28kWh (night rate)

The tariffs below were correct as checked at 01April2020.

If you are not sure how to check you energy costs, here is a quick start guide.

How to get a competitive energy tariff:

1. Understand what your annual energy consumption is in kWh (kilo-Watt-hours). Look for this in your bill, this should say what your consumption for the last year was or if you have been with your current supplier for less than a year it should say what your estimated annual usage is.
2. Note how much you are paying for your energy the rate (£X /kWh) including the standing charge fee. This information can also be found on your bill.
3. Navigate to an energy comparison site: uswitch, Moneysavingexpert Cheap Energy Club
4. Comparison sites will either estimate your usage based on statements you make about appliances you have and how you use them. In this case, use your annual energy consumption (the figure you obtained in step 1) this is more accurate.
5. If you have appliances (washing machine, Electric Vehicle etc) that you can set a timer to run at night then tariffs that have lower off-peak costs can help reduce your costs.
6. Once you’ve decided to switch the process is generally straightforward. You tell your new supplier that you wan’t to switch to them and they do the rest. All this can be done online in most cases and you’ll be told when to submit a final meter reading. I recommend you take a photograph of your final meter reading just in case it needs to be followed up later.