EV home charging costs to increase from April

The cost of charging an electric or plug-in hybrid vehicle at home is set to rise in April as energy prices increase.

Ofgem, the energy company regulator, has confirmed new energy price cap rates for April 2025.

The current rate (Jan – Mar) is set at 24.86p per kWh, but from April it will increase to 27.06p per kWh.

For users on a standard variable tariff, the cost of charging a typical EV (60kWh battery) will rise from £14.90 to £16.20.

Plug-in hybrid drivers will also spend more. With a typical model requiring around 15kWh of energy per charge, the cost will increase from £3.70 to more than £4.

Aidan Rushby, founder and CEO of Carmoola, said: “Ofgem’s price cap adjustments affect households across the UK, and while warmer months are ahead and that will help with the costs of heating and lighting homes, rising energy costs will continue to drive up monthly bills for electric vehicle owners.

“With Ofgem announcing a 6.4% increase in the next price cap, EV drivers nationwide can expect a significant rise in their energy bills.”

In contrast, ultra-rapid peak and off-peak charging bucked the trend of rising charging costs by chopping a penny off the price in January, according to the latest AA EV Recharge Report.

The average price per kWh for an ultra rapid (150kW+) charger during peak times fell from 66p to 65p in January. The off-peak rate dropped from 48p to 47p.

Flat rates for rapid and ultra rapid chargers, on average, were up by 1p per kWh, however.

Jack Cousens, head of roads policy for The AA, said; “Once again, prices remain fairly static, with the bonus that charging at the fastest speed at off-peak hours fell even further in January.

“The continued scrutiny about the reliability of the public network is only to be expected and EV drivers will be honest and admit that it isn’t perfect. However, most queries and faults can be resolved remotely, with 95% of cases fixed on the phone.

“As the government are now capturing the reliability of the network, including how frequently devices are out of order, chargepoint operators will be desperate to top the charts for their units being ready to use.”