- Low off-peak and peak-hour rates dropped in June, making public charging cheaper
- Slow charging off-peak saves 3.3 pa-miles compared to equivalent gasoline costs
- The developments will benefit electric vehicle owners who rely on public charging.
Peak slow-charging rates fell by 12 per cent in just one month, according to the latest AA figures.
The AA’s June EV Charging Report found that on-street slow charging costs during peak period fell by 8p, while off-peak rates also fell by 3p.
This news will be welcomed by EV drivers who do not have access to charging at home and rely on using public chargers located on the sidewalk.
The AA EV Recharge report for June found that on-street slow charging costs during peak periods fell by 8p in a month, while off-peak rates also fell by 3p, making driving an EV cheaper per mile than refuelling.
In May, off-peak slow charging (up to 8kW) cost 45p/kWh, while in June it cost just 42p/kWh.
Similarly, for slow charging at peak times, during May customers were paying 67p/kWh, but in June they were paying only 59p/kWh.
AA’s figures are based on pay-as-you-go options with no connection fee, but if users have a subscription to a particular charging provider, they may be able to access even cheaper rates than this.
The June Charging Report highlighted the savings that slow-charging EV drivers can achieve compared to gasoline drivers by taking advantage of lower energy rates.
Slow charging, as the name suggests, is the lowest charging speed and takes the longest to charge an electric vehicle.
Slow charging points typically have a power output of around 3.6kW, but can go up to 8kW, which is ideal for overnight charging. This allows drivers to easily take advantage of off-peak energy rates, as they are likely to be using their vehicle overnight anyway.
Comparing a petrol Vauxhall Corsa to the equivalent electric e-Corsa, the AA calculated that a petrol driver paid 12.85p per mile, while an EV owner using off-peak slow charging near their home paid just 9.49p per mile.
EV owners who park on the street outside their homes and charge during off-peak times using local slow chargers now typically save 3.3 pa-miles compared to equivalent gasoline costs.
Comparing a petrol Vauxhall Corsa to an equivalent electric e-Corsa, the AA calculated that a petrol driver paid 12.85p per mile, while an EV owner using off-peak slow charging near their home paid just 9.49p per mile.
This is despite pump prices falling by 3.40p per litre in June.
Flat-rate slow charging costs EV drivers 11.53p per mile, again saving money on charging rather than refuelling.
In addition, EV owners with their own home supply can achieve additional savings of at least 7.4 pa-miles with a flat rate.
Jack Cousens, head of roads policy at The AA, said: “The drop in peak and off-peak slow charging prices is excellent news for EV drivers who don’t have off-street parking.”
The public charging tariff cuts will help level out the price disadvantages faced by owners of publicly charging EVs, compared to people who have access to wallbox home chargers.
Around 30 percent of EV owners cannot access cheaper home charging.
But This is Money recently revealed ways you can save money on public charging this summer, from joining discounted pricing events to making sure you take advantage of summer sale public charging prices.
Electric vehicle owners with their own home supply can achieve additional savings of at least 7.4 pa-miles with a flat rate.
Following these findings, the AA is calling on the new Labour government to boost charging infrastructure.
Labour pledged in its pre-election manifesto to set binding targets for the installation of charging points, tasking regions and local bodies with implementing them.
The previous Conservative government set a target of having 300,000 chargers available to the public by 2023, but Labour has yet to reveal the number it is aiming for.
Labour also promised it would release and redirect the existing £950m Fast-Track Fund, announced in 2020.
“The new government has a lot to do on the road to decarbonisation, but it can build on some early gains, such as cutting VAT on public charging to further reduce prices, while providing more localised support to build chargers in areas where the infrastructure gap is widening,” Cousins said.
