UK government announces plans to save EV drivers £150 per year
Car changing is a big deal
The 2026 Autumn Budget reveals plans to lower the cost of low-powered EV charging points to cut costs for electric car drivers with no access to off-street parking.
The government has announced proposals to make public electric car charging cheaper, making EVs more appealing for people with no access to home charging.
Access to a charging point at home is one of the most important things to consider when buying an electric car, because home EV energy tariffs cost a lot less than public charging stations.
Here’s how these new measures could save you money.
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Home v public charging: the price difference
Charging an electric car at home is a lot cheaper than using a public charge point, as proven by some Carwow research earlier in the year.
A home electric car energy tariff can cost as little as £0.08 per kWh, whereas slow AC public chargers cost £0.54 on average. Over 10,000 miles, we found this equates to between £400 and £500 at home, versus £3,000 to £3,500 using public chargers.
So it’s roughly seven times more expensive to charge publicly than it is to charge at home, which is a huge consideration for anyone thinking of buying an EV with no access to home charging. New government proposals should take some of the sting out, though.
What’s the government doing to help?
In the Autumn Budget statement, Chancellor of the Exchequer John Healey announced that the government is looking into a scheme which could allow EV drivers to use their home energy tariffs at low-powered local charging stations.
That is some way off, though, so in the meantime the government is planning to cut the cost of public charging.
It has announced that £100 million will be provided over two years, starting in April 2027, to lower prices for motorists using low-powered charging stations near their homes. These are typically the sort you find on the pavement, where you can leave your car for a few hours or overnight.
This will save EV drivers with no home charging around £150 per year according to the government, so while it doesn’t come close to offsetting the price difference between home and public charging, it does narrow the gap.
Car change? Carwow!
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