Buyer's guide

How much will an EV add to my electricity bill?

Your bill goes up, your fuel bill goes away. Here's how much, by how far you drive and what you pay per kWh.

The short answer

At 28c/kWh, driving 200 km a week adds about $43 a month (about $129 a quarter) to your electricity bill. On a 10c overnight EV plan, about $15 a month. The same driving in a petrol car using 7 L/100 km costs about $115 a month in fuel.

  • Formula: km per month × 0.18 kWh/km × your c/kWh ÷ 100.
  • Biggest lever: when you charge. Off-peak or solar can cut it by two-thirds.
  • No new hardware needed: the SEVR 10A portable charger on a schedule does it.
  • Per 100 km: $4.98 at 28c vs $13.30 in petrol.
By distance and rate

Extra on your bill per month

Driving35c/kWh28c/kWh18c/kWh10c/kWh
100 km a week (433 km a month)$26.96$21.57$13.87$7.70
200 km a week (867 km a month)$53.93$43.14$27.73$15.41
300 km a week (1,300 km a month)$80.89$64.71$41.60$23.11
400 km a week (1,733 km a month)$107.85$86.28$55.47$30.81
600 km a week (2,600 km a month)$161.78$129.42$83.20$46.22
Includes about 10% charging losses: 17.8 kWh per 100 km from the wall at 16 kWh/100 km. A quarterly bill is about three months of these figures. Check your rate on your bill.
Keep it down

Four ways to shrink the increase

  1. Charge off-peak. Set a schedule in the car.
  2. Charge from solar in the middle of the day. How.
  3. Compare EV plans. Several retailers offer cheap overnight rates for EV owners.
  4. Drive smoothly. Highway speed and hard acceleration raise kWh per km.
Our pick

Chargers we recommend

No install needed

SEVR EV Portable Charger (10A)

Type 210 A max2.3 kW~13 km/h4.5 mIP66

Plug in on a timer and your car charges in the cheap hours.

$183.99Lowest price in Australia · free shipping · 3-year warranty
Add to cart
Questions

Frequently asked

How much does an electric car add to an electricity bill?

About $43 a month for 200 km a week at 28c/kWh, or about $15 on a 10c overnight plan.

Will charging an EV double my power bill?

Usually not. A typical household uses 15–20 kWh a day; an average commute adds about 6–8 kWh a day.

Is it cheaper to charge an EV at night?

On a time-of-use or EV plan, yes, often by half or more. On a flat rate, it costs the same any time.

How do I see how much my EV uses?

Most EVs show kWh added in the app or on the dash. Multiply by your rate. Some retailers' apps show hourly usage too.

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