How Much Does It Cost to Charge an EV at Home in Australia?
- Tim Bond
- May 5
- 5 min read
Key Takeaways:
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The short answer: a lot less than you think. And a lot less than the alternative.
At petrol fluctuatating from$1.80 to $2.50+ a litre, filling a standard petrol car costs somewhere north of $100 a tank.
Topping up an EV at home? You're looking at anywhere from $7 to $17 for a full battery. That gap - which was already uncomfortable - is now starting to feel like the punchline to a very expensive joke.
Here's everything you need to know about the real cost of charging an electric vehicle at home in Australia in 2026.
What Does Electricity Actually Cost in Australia?
Electricity pricing varies by state and retailer, but the national averages give a clear enough picture to work with.
On a standard tariff, most Australian households are paying around $0.28 per kilowatt-hour (kWh). That sounds like a small number, but it's the benchmark we'll use to calculate your actual charging costs below.
The smarter play is an off-peak tariff - typically available overnight between 10pm and 7am. Off-peak rates generally sit between 8 and 15 cents per kWh depending on your retailer and state. In practical terms, that's the difference between paying $16 for a full charge and paying $7. Same car. Same battery. Half the cost.
And if you have rooftop solar? The equation shifts dramatically. According to Amber Electric's real-world data, customers using solar self-consumption for EV charging paid an average of around 8 cents per kWh across all hours - and that includes periods of grid draw. Charge during peak solar hours and the rate approaches zero.
The Real Numbers: What Does a Full Charge Cost?
Let's run the actual numbers across the three most common charging scenarios for a typical EV with a 60kWh battery - enough for 350-450km of real-world range.
Charging Scenario | Rate per kWh | Cost for Full Charge (60kWh) |
Standard home tariff | $0.28 | ~$16.80 |
Off-peak overnight | $0.12 | ~$7.20 |
Solar (daytime) | ~$0.05 | ~$3.00 |
Public DC fast charger | $0.50+ | $30+ |
The takeaway is obvious: charge at home, charge overnight, ideally with solar - in roughly that order of priority.
Cost Per 100km: EV vs Petrol
This is the comparison that matters most, because it puts both technologies on an equal footing.
A typical mid-size petrol SUV uses around 10 litres per 100km. At $2.50/L, that's $25 every 100km. Every single time.
A comparable electric SUV uses approximately 18kWh per 100km in real-world driving conditions.
Driver Type | Rate | Cost per 100km |
EV on standard tariff | $0.28/kWh | $5.04 |
EV on off-peak tariff | $0.12/kWh | $2.16 |
EV with solar | ~$0.05/kWh | ~$0.90 |
Petrol SUV at $2.50/L | - | $25.00 |
Even on a bog-standard electricity plan with no optimisation, you're paying one fifth of the petrol cost per kilometre.
Off-peak charging cuts that to less than one tenth.
According to National Cover's 2026 running cost analysis, EV drivers in Australia are spending 55-65% less on fuel costs than equivalent petrol drivers over a full year.
Annual Savings: What Does This Mean for Your Wallet?
The average Australian drives approximately 15,000km per year. Here's what that looks like in real annual fuel costs.
Vehicle Type | Annual Fuel Cost (15,000km) |
Petrol SUV at $2.50/L | ~$3,750 |
EV on standard tariff | ~$756 |
EV on off-peak tariff | ~$324 |
EV with solar | ~$135 |
That's a real-world saving of between $3,000 and $3,600 per year - every year - for the average driver making no changes to their routine except plugging in at night instead of queuing at a servo.
Over five years? You're talking $15,000 to $18,000 back in your pocket. And that's before you factor in the reduction in servicing costs, which drops significantly when you remove the oil changes, exhaust systems, timing belts, and all the other mechanical complexity of a combustion engine.
The Off-Peak Advantage: A Simple Setup That Changes Everything
If there's one action that makes the biggest single difference to your EV running costs, it's this: get on a time-of-use electricity tariff and set your car to charge overnight.
Every major EV sold in Australia allows you to schedule charging via the car's infotainment system or its companion app. You set a departure time - say, 7am - and the car works backwards to ensure it's fully charged by then, drawing power during the cheapest window of the night.
It takes about five minutes to set up once and then runs automatically every night. You go to bed, the car charges itself on cheap power, and you wake up to a full battery. It's the closest thing to a free lunch that exists in modern transport.
What About Home Charger Installation Costs?
This is a question that deserves its own article - and we've written it. But briefly: a dedicated 7kW AC home charging unit (also called an EVSE or wallbox) typically costs between $800 and $2,000 installed, depending on your existing switchboard capacity and how far the unit needs to be run from the meter board.
Most EV manufacturers include a standard 10-amp granny charger (a cable that plugs into a regular power point) in the purchase price. That works fine for overnight top-ups if you're not driving high daily distances, but a dedicated charger delivers roughly four times the charge speed and is the recommended long-term solution for daily use.
Does the ATO Recognise Home Charging?
Yes - and this matters if you're running your EV under a novated lease or claiming a business deduction.
From April 2026, the ATO updated its claimable EV home charging rate, reflecting the real cost of domestic electricity for business-use vehicle charging. If your EV is partly used for work purposes, you may be able to claim a portion of your home charging costs. Speak to your accountant or novated lease provider about what applies to your specific situation.
The Bottom Line
Charging an electric vehicle at home in Australia in 2026 costs between $324 and $756 per year for the average driver, depending on your electricity plan. Compare that to $3,750 for a petrol equivalent and the conversation becomes less about "is it cheaper?" and more about "why did I wait this long?"
The petrol car is the expensive habit. The EV is just... a car. One that costs almost nothing to run.
Drive Electric has published over 100 articles on EV ownership in Australia. Subscribe Now Download our Free EV Buyer's Chart to compare the top models by range, price and charging speed. Grab our Strata EV Charging Template if you're in an apartment building. And before your first test drive, check our Test Drive Checklist so you ask the right questions.
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