7 ways to bring down the cost of charging your electric car

How to reduce the cost of charging your electric lease car

With rising energy costs and variable rates of charge, charging your EV might seem like a complex job, especially if you’re looking to save a few pennies on your energy bills.

Although the upfront cost of an electric car (EV) can often be higher, the lower cost of electricity compared to petrol or diesel can make EVs cheaper to run.

Having an electric car lease is a great way to drive a new car as well as bring down the high upfront cost by having fixed, flexible monthly payments.

Many people assume that the cost of charging their electric car is out of their control, but it’s worth looking at all your different charging solutions if you’re looking at electric car leasing.

Whether you’re at home, at work or on the go, here are seven ways to reduce the cost of running your electric car.

The cheapest ways to charge your EV

Make use of free public chargers

It’s not unusual to see charging stations around the UK now but you’ll most likely have to pay to use these.

However, some places such as supermarkets or attractions like zoos and theme parks offer free charging stations for public use when on their premises.

So, it might be worth thinking ahead and tying in your weekly shop or a day out with your next EV charge.

Finding those free charging points is not a difficult task either, useful apps for electric car drivers or websites can help you locate the best options near you.

If you’re planning a long journey, it’s worth thinking ahead and searching for charge points that are on your route to stop and charge while you take a break.

Although free chargers are often slower and thus less convenient, you might be willing to go for a slower charge if that means you’ll be saving money.

Install a home charger

If you’re thinking of personal car leasing, one of the cheapest ways to charge your electric car is by installing a home charger and signing up to an EV tariff.

Some suppliers are now targeting those who need to charge their electric car by introducing an electric vehicle tariff.

However, with the ongoing UK cost-of-living crisis, many cheaper EV tariffs will either increase or be removed for new customers, so it’s important to check out all your options.

While you can use a regular UK socket to charge your car, it is a lot slower than a dedicated wall box charge point. It’s also not as safe as it can involve running charging cables from the inside of your home.

Also, if you don’t have off-street parking, charging your electric car at home can be more challenging.

Install solar panels

Although the price of installation can be pricey, charging at home with solar panels can be one of the cheapest ways to charge your electric car.

Solar panels produce clean and free energy that can power your car as well as other appliances in your home to help save on your energy bills.

Drive economically

You can extend the range of your electric car by watching your driving habits and adopting eco-driving techniques.

One of the easiest ways to do this is by watching your speed and avoiding harsh acceleration or braking.

Do you excessively use features like heating, air conditioning and heated seats? Using these features can consume a lot of energy and reduce your overall range.

It’s also worth making sure you know what innovative energy-saving features your vehicle has and making use of its eco-mode.

Charge during off-peak periods

Charging your car during off-peak times can be significantly cheaper. Off-peak periods mean you pay less at times when there is lower demand, such as at night.

You can often pre-set your chargers to prevent your EV from charging during peak times.

Avoid rapid charging

Rapid charging is the most convenient way of charging your car, but it can range from being free to one of the most expensive ways to charge your car.

If you’re looking at a Tesla Model Y lease, you may have heard that the Tesla Superchargers are often more powerful than regular rapid chargers.

A common misconception is that all Tesla owners can access the Supercharger network for free. Previously, the Supercharger network wasn’t very expensive to use but the cost to use them increased sharply during 2022.

Make use of government schemes

There are plenty of incentives to help ease the cost of switching to an electric car.

There’s a grant in place that provides funding of up to 75% towards the cost of installing a home wall box.

If you’re a business and want to offer your employees an electric business car lease, you may have access to grants for installing charging points on your work premises as well as tax breaks on your electricity.