6 top tips for cheaper EV charging

When it comes to saving the pennies, every little helps!

Use these tips to slash your EV charging bill, then reinvest that money into something more interesting. More date nights? Fun holiday with the kids? Sensible high-interest savings account? The choice is yours.

Starting with the simplest and easiest of our cheaper charging tips: it is much, much cheaper to charge your EV at home than out on the road – especially with the right energy tariff.

With a specialist EV tariff like Intelligent Octopus Go, you could pay as little as 2p per mile of charge when using a home charging point. You could be paying around 20p per mile when you charge with an ultra-rapid public charger, so that’s a huge saving – and it just requires a little extra planning.

Simply schedule your EV charge overnight, then wake up to a full battery in the morning.

Don’t have a driveway for a home charger? Looking for a cheap and easy way to charge while away from home?

Community charging apps like Co Charger allow you to rent someone else’s home charger. You’ll pay for the electricity you use, plus a small fee for renting the spot. Outside of home charging, this is one of the most affordable ways to charge.

It’s often overlooked when it comes to EV charging, but the humble three-pin plug can really help you out in a pinch. Keep it in the boot, just in case.

In particular, it’s super handy when you’re staying with loved ones for a couple of days. If they don’t have a home charger, use a three-pin cable (often supplied with your car) to charge your EV overnight. It won’t be fast, but whilst you might not manage a full charge, you’ll at least get a decent boost.

Offer to pay your nearest and dearest for the electricity you use, obviously – though there’s a chance doting parents or grandparents might let it slide once or twice, for a welcome free charge.

Find yourself low on battery whilst out and about? Public charging will cost you more than charging at home – but there are still savings to be had! Try:

1. Using ‘fast’ or ‘slow’ public chargers for a cheaper charge. These won’t charge your car as quickly as ultra-rapid chargers – leave your EV plugged in whilst you do the big shop, take the kids to the cinema, or run those errands you’ve been putting off.
2. Did you know that some supermarkets offer 15 minutes of free charging whilst you shop – and that hotels, shopping centres, and workplaces sometimes offer free charging perks? It all adds up, so it’s always worth looking around for deals.
3. On the motorway? Use ultra-rapid chargers for a quick boost, not a full charge – then top your battery up in a more affordable way once you’ve reached your destination.
4. Use the Octopus Electroverse app to optimise your route for your EV’s model and range (and minimise public charging), and view up-to-date pricing info for chargers along your route.

If you’re an Octopus EV customer, you’ll save 10% on all public charging via Electroverse – and with one-tap access to thousands of chargers in the UK and Europe, it couldn’t be simpler to use.

Vehicle-to-grid (V2G) is an on-the-horizon EV technology that could save you a chunk of cash on your energy bills.

Here’s how it works, in a nutshell:

1. You charge your EV on off-peak rates, when energy is cheapest and most likely to come from green energy sources
2. You store this energy in your EV’s battery, then sell it back to the Grid during peak times, when energy is most expensive and least likely to come from green energy sources
3. Profit! You power you and your neighbours’ homes with greener energy, and use the money you make on the energy to reduce your bills significantly

V2G is only just starting to gain traction in the UK, so if you’re interested, now’s definitely the time to get ahead of the game. Take a look at Octopus EV’s Power Pack Bundle – the first V2G leasing scheme in the UK – to see where it could take you.

If you’re in a position to invest upfront to save money in the long run, a good solar panel setup could allow you to charge your EV at home, absolutely free.

Solar panels convert sunlight to clean energy – and best of all, you don’t have to pay for it. Using a specialist untethered charger like the brand new Octopus Charge (coming soon to Intelligent EV) allows you to channel all this sunlight directly into charging your EV, for some major cost savings.

And, if you lease with Octopus EV, you’ll get £500 off solar panel installation to help you get set up.

Intelligent EV is about more than leasing a great car (though that’s pretty important too).

Our personal leasing bundle helps you save money on your everyday EV running costs, with a bundle of deals and discounts in one handy package. You’ll get:

• A choice of the latest, smartest EVs, as picked by our experts
• Cheap home charging and energy savings with EV Saver
• A 10% discount on all public charging via the Electroverse
• Servicing and maintenance are included in your monthly payment
• A host of other goodies – including £500 off green home tech via Octopus Energy