The charging cost gap
How much more public EV charging costs than charging at home, per mile, using HMRC's split advisory electric rate.
Public EV charging costs 15p per mile against 7p at home under HMRC's advisory electric rate — 2.1× more, a 8p-per-mile gap (THRIVE, from HMRC).
Cite this
THRIVE Charging Cost Gap, from HMRC advisory electric rates. thrivefleet.co.uk/data/charging-cost-gap (accessed 1 September 2026).
Public vs home
Times more expensive
| Category | Value (×) |
|---|---|
| Public vs home | 2.1× |
Pence per mile
Home vs public rate
| Category | Value (p) |
|---|---|
| Home | 7p |
| Public | 15p |
For a fleet, where a van charges decides much of its running cost. A driver who plugs in at a depot or at home pays the home rate; one who relies on public rapid chargers pays the public rate — 2.1× as much per mile. Over a working year that difference dwarfs most other variables in the electrification sum.
It is the single biggest reason depot and home charging access, not the vehicle price, tends to make or break an electric-van business case. See how it feeds the break-even mileage.
Both figures are HMRC's advisory electric rate, split since June 2026 into a home and a public rate. The gap is the public rate minus the home rate; the ratio is public ÷ home. Values read live from our rates API.
Figures checked against GOV.UK on 1 September 2026.
Free JSON API — no key, open CORS, cache-friendly:
curl https://www.thrivefleet.co.uk/api/v1/charging-cost-gap{ "gap": { "home": …, "public": …, "gap_ppm": …, "gap_ratio": … } }Attribution is requested, never required — see the data terms and the API guide.
How much more does public EV charging cost than home charging?
Under HMRC's advisory electric rate it is 15p per mile public versus 7p at home — 2.1× more, a gap of 8p per mile.