How Much Does It Cost to Charge a Tesla in the UK?

How much does it cost to charge a Tesla in the UK? (2026)

Charging a Tesla can cost anywhere from around £4 to over £70 for a full charge, depending on where you plug in, your battery size and your electricity tariff.

That’s a huge range, and it’s why so many people get confused about electric car running costs.

Here’s the reality in October 2026:

• Home charging on a cheap EV tariff: around £4–£7 for a full charge
• Standard home electricity: around £17–£24
• Tesla Superchargers: around £21–£29 at an illustrative 35p/kWh
• Public rapid chargers: around £51–£70 at 85p/kWh

Get your setup right, and a Tesla can cost a fraction of what you’d spend running a petrol car.

I’ve also created a handy calculator below so you can find out the exact costs based on your tariff.

Before we get started, yes, I’m a Tesla owner. And no, it wasn’t because I wanted to save the planet… I’m much more selfish than that. It was because I was having my mid-life crisis and I wanted a car that could go like sh*t off a shovel and didn’t require much in the way of servicing

And, I’ve had a lot of happy motoring from it. Apart from an issue with the suspension. But that’s another story.

👉 Pretend you didn’t just read that and check out my Tesla referral code if you’re looking at buying a new one, and you could get as much as £500 off.

Tesla Charging Costs (UK 2026)

The amount you’ll pay depends on where you charge.

Under the latest Ofgem energy price cap, covering 1 October to 31 December 2026, the average electricity unit rate is 26.32p per kWh for households paying by Direct Debit.

That’s up from 26.11p per kWh between July and September 2026.

The overall energy price cap is now £1,723 per year for a typical household, although that doesn’t mean there’s a limit on how much electricity you can use.

For these calculations, I’ve used the following rates:

The home electricity rate is based on Ofgem’s national average. The other rates are examples for comparison, not guaranteed prices.

Tesla Supercharger prices vary by location, demand and time of day. Public rapid chargers also have different prices depending on the network.

And remember, if you’re on a fixed electricity tariff, your actual home rate may be different.

Cost Per Full Charge

Battery sizes are approximate examples and vary by model year and variant. Figures are based on charging from empty to full, which isn’t how most drivers charge their cars.

One important point: most Tesla owners don’t regularly charge from 0% to 100%.

If you’re topping up from 20% to 80%, you’ll only be adding around 60% of the battery’s capacity, so the cost will be considerably lower.

For example, charging a 60kWh Tesla from 20% to 80% at 7p per kWh would cost approximately £2.77, including the 10% home-charging loss allowance.

Where You Charge Matters Most

1. Charging at home (usually the cheapest option)

If you can charge your Tesla at home, this is where the savings really start to add up.

Dedicated EV tariffs offer cheaper electricity during certain overnight hours.

For example, at 7p per kWh:

• Model 3 RWD: £4.62 for a full charge
• Model 3 Long Range: £6.31
• Model Y RWD: £4.62
• Model Y Long Range: £6.08

Compare that with the standard electricity rate of 26.32p per kWh, where the same charges would cost around £17–£24.

That’s a substantial saving.

I use Intelligent Octopus Go to charge my Tesla overnight, and it’s one of the reasons my running costs are so low.

If you’re considering switching, take a look at my Intelligent Octopus Go review to see how it works.

Just remember that cheaper EV tariffs usually come with higher daytime rates, restricted charging windows or other conditions. You need to look at your whole household’s electricity usage, not just your car.

2. Tesla Superchargers (a convenient public option)

Tesla’s Supercharger network is one of the biggest advantages of owning a Tesla.

They’re easy to use, the car can automatically plan charging stops on longer journeys, and you don’t usually have to mess around with different payment apps.

However, prices aren’t fixed nationally.

Some locations are considerably cheaper than others, and the price can change depending on the time of day or how busy a site is.

For illustration, at 35p per kWh:

• Model 3 RWD: £21 for a full 60kWh charge
• Model 3 Long Range: £28.70 for an 82kWh charge
• Model Y Long Range: £27.65 for a 79kWh charge

You’ll usually pay less for a typical partial charging stop.

For example, adding 40kWh at 35p per kWh costs £14.

Tesla Superchargers can also add a substantial amount of range in a relatively short time, although charging speed depends on your vehicle, battery temperature, state of charge and the charger itself.

My advice: Check the Tesla app or your car’s navigation system before charging. It shows the current price for individual Supercharger locations.

3. Public rapid chargers (often the most expensive)

Third-party rapid charging networks include:

• BP Pulse
• InstaVolt
• Osprey Charging

These are useful when you’re away from home, particularly if there isn’t a convenient Tesla Supercharger nearby.

However, they can be expensive.

At 85p per kWh, a 60kWh charge would cost £51, while an 82kWh charge would cost £69.70.

That’s getting into petrol-car territory, and sometimes beyond it.

But not every public rapid charger costs 85p per kWh. Some operators offer lower rates, especially through memberships, apps or promotions.

So I wouldn’t rule out public charging completely. I’d just compare the prices before plugging in.

4. Destination charging (sometimes free)

You’ll find destination chargers at places such as hotels, restaurants, supermarkets and workplaces.

Some are free for customers, although plenty now charge.

They’re generally slower than rapid chargers, but that’s not necessarily a problem if you’re going to be parked for several hours.

A typical 7kW charger could add roughly 20–30 miles of range per hour, depending on your Tesla’s efficiency.

My local Tesco used to offer free charging, but that stopped about the time I got my first EV.

What a surprise.

Cost Per Mile (What It Actually Costs to Drive)

A full charge is useful for comparison, but what really matters is how much it costs to drive.

For these calculations, I’ve assumed an average efficiency of 4 miles per kWh.

That’s a reasonable illustrative figure for an efficient Tesla, although your actual consumption will depend on the model, weather, driving speed and road conditions.

Tesla (average 4 miles per kWh)

Home charging figures include 10% additional electricity consumption for charging losses. Public charging figures are illustrative.

Petrol Comparison

Let’s take a petrol car averaging 40mpg, with petrol costing £1.50 per litre.

A UK gallon contains approximately 4.546 litres.

That means a gallon of petrol costs £6.82.

Divide that by 40 miles, and you’re paying approximately 17p per mile.

Compare that with a Tesla charging overnight at 7p per kWh, which costs around 1.9p per mile.

That’s nearly nine times cheaper per mile.

Of course, that’s only comparing energy costs. It doesn’t include insurance, depreciation, servicing, tyres or vehicle tax.

And if you’re relying on expensive public rapid chargers, the Tesla could actually cost more per mile in energy than the petrol car.

Hidden Tesla charging costs to watch out for

There are a few additional costs worth considering.

Home charger installation

If you don’t already have a suitable charger, installation can cost several hundred pounds or more. Around £800–£1,200 is a useful starting budget for a straightforward installation, although more complicated jobs can cost considerably more.

Charging losses

Not all the electricity taken from your home supply ends up stored in your battery. Some is lost during the charging process.

That’s why I’ve included a 10% allowance in the home-charging calculations.

Supercharger congestion fees

Tesla can charge additional fees if your car remains connected or occupies a charging bay under certain busy-site conditions. The rules and amounts depend on the location, so check the information shown in the Tesla app.

Regional electricity prices

Ofgem publishes national averages, but your actual electricity unit rate depends on your region, supplier, payment method and tariff.

Daytime EV tariff costs

A cheap overnight charging rate doesn’t automatically mean the tariff is the cheapest for your household.

If you’re paying considerably more for electricity during the day, some of your EV charging savings could disappear.

Is charging a Tesla worth it?

For me, yes.

Being able to charge at home overnight makes a massive difference.

At 7p per kWh, driving 10,000 miles a year in a Tesla averaging 4 miles per kWh would cost approximately £193 in electricity, including estimated charging losses.

At the standard home rate of 26.32p, the same mileage would cost around £724.

And at 85p per kWh on public rapid chargers, it would cost approximately £2,125.

That’s an enormous difference for exactly the same mileage.

The biggest factor isn’t necessarily which Tesla you buy. It’s where and when you charge it.

If you can regularly charge at home on a cheap EV tariff, the running costs can be very low.

If you depend entirely on expensive public chargers, the savings are much less convincing.

Quick summary: Tesla charging costs in 2026

Here’s what you can expect to pay for a full charge using the illustrative rates in this guide.

The figures are based on the example 60–82kWh batteries used earlier, with a 10% charging-loss allowance for home charging.

My rule of thumb is simple:

Charge at home on a cheap tariff whenever possible, and compare public charging prices before plugging in.

Further reading

If you’re interested in energy costs, take a look at the running costs of some of the most popular items around your home.

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