Costs
Home EV charging costs in Australia
What actually drives the cost of charging an EV at home in Australia — electricity tariffs, efficiency, solar, and how it compares with fuel.
8 min read · Updated 16 September 2026
The cost of charging at home depends on your electricity plan, your car's efficiency and how much of your charging comes from solar. There's no single national figure — but the drivers are consistent, so you can estimate your own. For Adelaide households, the two that move the number most are your retailer's overnight window and whether you have rooftop solar the car can use.
What determines your cost per charge
Cost per kilometre comes down to two numbers: your electricity price (c/kWh) and your car's efficiency (kWh per 100km). Multiply them together and divide by 100.
- Your retail electricity rate — flat, time-of-use or an EV-specific tariff
- Whether charging happens off-peak, on solar, or at peak rates
- Your vehicle's real-world efficiency, which varies with driving style, climate control and terrain
- Charging losses, typically a small percentage on top of energy delivered to the battery
South Australia tariffs and what to check on your bill
South Australian retailers offer time-of-use and other EV-friendly plans, and some connections may be eligible for a controlled-load or off-peak circuit through SA Power Networks. Eligibility and rates vary by retailer and connection type, so the only reliable source is your own bill and plan documents. Whether switching is worth it depends on your whole household usage, not just the EV — compare the full bill.
- Find your current rate, and any off-peak or controlled load rate, on a recent bill
- Check whether your plan has a separate EV or overnight window and what hours it covers
- Ask your retailer whether a controlled load circuit is available on your connection
- Re-run the comparison across your whole bill, including supply charges, before switching
Solar charging
Charging from self-consumed solar avoids the retail import rate entirely and is worth more than a feed-in tariff. Rooftop solar uptake across Adelaide is among the highest in the world, so for households where the car is parked during the day this is often the cheapest energy available. Solar-aware chargers can automatically use surplus generation rather than exporting it.
Comparing to a petrol or diesel car
EV charging is consistently cheaper per kilometre than fuel for most Australian households, particularly with off-peak or solar charging — but the exact saving depends on your specific tariff, vehicle efficiency and fuel comparison, so we avoid quoting a single national number.
How to estimate your own cost
A simple way to work out your running cost:
- Find your electricity rate in c/kWh from a recent bill
- Find your vehicle's real-world efficiency in kWh/100km (check your car's app or trip computer)
- Cost per 100km = rate × efficiency ÷ 100
- Repeat for off-peak and solar rates to see the range
- Use the free Charging Cost Calculator and Charge Time Calculator on this site (linked in the sidebar) to do the arithmetic
Frequently asked questions
Is charging at home always cheaper than public charging?
Almost always yes, especially compared with DC fast charging, which carries a premium for speed and infrastructure cost.
Do I need a special EV electricity plan?
Not necessarily — it depends on whether an EV or time-of-use tariff beats your current plan across your whole household usage, not just charging.
Does a South Australia rebate reduce my charging costs?
No. As at 16 September 2026 no South Australia government home charger rebate is open, so your electricity plan and solar self-consumption are the levers that actually change your running cost. See our South Australia rebates guide for the current scheme status.
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