Charge at home for a fraction of the cost of petrol.

At an average 7,100 miles a year, charging at home saves about £1,020 a year over a petrol car on an off-peak EV tariff, or about £645 a year if you pay the standard price cap rate for every unit — so "thousands" only applies to high-mileage drivers.

Assumptions:

• Petrol price: 164.4p per litre, the UK average for the week of 7 September 2026 (DESNZ weekly road fuel prices).
• Petrol car economy: 45 miles per gallon, an assumed typical real-world figure (1 gallon = 4.546 litres).
• Electric car efficiency: 3.5 miles per kWh — an assumption towards the lower end of typical real-world figures, to allow for winter driving, motorway use and charging losses.
• Standard electricity price: 26.32p per kWh, the Ofgem price cap for 1 October to 31 December 2026, which assumes no VAT on electricity until 31 March 2027.
• Off-peak price: 8p per kWh, the Intelligent Octopus Go rate checked in September 2026, which needs a compatible car and charger.
• Mileage: 7,100 miles a year, the average for all cars in England in 2025 (Department for Transport, National Travel Survey).

The arithmetic:

• Petrol: 164.4p × 4.546 ÷ 45 = 16.6p per mile → £1,179 a year
• Home charging, off-peak: 8p ÷ 3.5 = 2.3p per mile → £162 a year (saving about £1,020)
• Home charging, price cap rate: 26.32p ÷ 3.5 = 7.5p per mile → £534 a year (saving about £645)

On off-peak charging the saving reaches £2,000 a year at about 14,000 miles; at the price cap rate it takes about 22,000 miles. The National Travel Survey puts the average for battery electric cars at 9,400 miles, which would save about £1,350 a year off-peak. These figures cover energy only — not public charging, servicing, insurance or tax.