An electric car or any appliance that draws electricity from your home supplier will increase your electricity bill. However, making the switch to an EV will reduce your costs over time, especially when it comes to charging it electrically rather than filling it with petrol or diesel.

Discover what you can expect from your electric car bill, and how you can make great savings charging your EV at home.

How much can I expect my electric car energy bill to increase by?

When you buy or lease an EV, it will increase your energy bill. By how much will depend entirely on the following factors:

  1. The range and efficiency of your EV model.
  2. How far you drive in a month.
  3. Your energy supplier’s KWh rate.
  4. How often you supplement your charging using public charging stations.

Take the popular Nissan Leaf. At a rate of 29.3 cents per kWh, it would cost $11.72 to charge the car’s 40kWh battery and replenish its range of 270km.

The average Australian drives 36.4km a day so a Nissan Leaf’s full range could last about a week. So, as an example, keeping the Nissan Leaf charged would add around $50 a month to your energy bill.

Electric car electricity bill vs fuel costs

Although you can expect your energy bill to increase, this is far outweighed by what you’ll be saving on fuel prices. Petrol costs around $1.90 a litre in the ACT, while electric cars cost the equivalent of 0.33c per litre to charge.

According to Australia’s Electric Vehicle Council, powering an EV works out around 70% cheaper than their fuel-powered counterparts. This is estimated to be saving EV drivers, on average, $1600 in fuel costs annually.

How to save money on electric car charging costs

All new EVs come with a Type 2 charger that can be plugged into a domestic socket at home, but these can be slow and less efficient. Investing in buying a rapid wall-mounted charger can also mean high upfront fees.

A cost-effective home charging solution like our evCharge plans offer fast, smart charging options. We manage the entire process for you, from charger selection and arranging installation, with ongoing support, and a lifetime warranty. What’s more, our smart chargers will choose the cheapest times to charge your EV when energy rates are at their lowest. 

For an electricity plan that will optimise your energy use, the evEnergy Saver Plan is a great choice.  ActewAGL customers who are based in the ACT and have a smart meter will receive 8%# less than the electricity reference price, plus benefit from free charging time windows.

Summary

  • Charging your EV at home will cause your energy bills to go up, but this will be offset by the savings you make by not buying petrol or diesel.
  • Charging an EV works out about 70% cheaper than regular cars, saving, on average, $1600 in fuel costs annually.
  • Our evCharge plans offer fast, smart charging options with ongoing support and a lifetime warranty.
  • Our evEnergy Saver Plan offers 8%# less than the electricity reference price, plus benefit from free charging time windows.

Do you need help choosing a home charging set-up that’s suited to your exact requirements? Browse our range of EV chargers and discover how ActewAGL can support your transition to sustainable driving today. Find out more here.

Sources

https://rac.com.au/car-motoring/info/electric-car-charge-cost

https://www.nissan.com.au/vehicles/browse-range/leaf.html

https://electricvehiclecouncil.com.au/

#Offer based on a residential customer using 6,100 kWh pa on the Evoenergy network. Lowest annual price is $1,896. Your bill will differ based on your actual usage.