Fuel vs electric car cost calculator
Compare what you'd pay per mile and per year to run a petrol, diesel or electric car – based on your mileage, how you'd charge, and today's UK prices. Includes the 3p-per-mile EV road charge from April 2028.
Petrol
22.1p per mile
£1,771 a year
Electric – today
2.3p per mile
£184 a year
Electric – from April 2028
5.3p per mile
£424 a year
Going electric could save you about £1,587 a year today (£1,347 a year from April 2028).
Annual cost comparison
An EV is cheaper to run than your car as long as you pay less than 73.0p per kWh today (63.1p from 2028).
Compares energy and pay-per-mile costs only – excludes purchase price, insurance, servicing, standard road tax and depreciation. Real-world EV efficiency falls in cold weather. General guidance, not financial advice.
Prices used and sources
| Setting | Value | Effective from | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Default diesel car efficiency | 45 mpg | RAC worked example (opens in a new tab) | |
| Default EV consumption | 0.301 kWh per mile | Octopus Energy – UK average EV consumption (Oct 2026) (opens in a new tab) | |
| Default petrol car efficiency | 36 mpg | Which? (based on government data) (opens in a new tab) | |
| eVED rate – battery electric cars | 3 pence per mile | 1 April 2028 | GOV.UK – Electric Vehicle Excise Duty (eVED) (opens in a new tab) |
| eVED rate – plug-in hybrid cars | 1.5 pence per mile | 1 April 2028 | GOV.UK – Electric Vehicle Excise Duty (eVED) (opens in a new tab) |
| Home electricity – Ofgem price cap unit rate (Direct Debit) | 26.32 pence per kWh | 1 October 2026 | Ofgem price cap Oct–Dec 2026 (via MoneySavingExpert) (opens in a new tab) |
| Home electricity – typical EV off-peak rate | 7.6 pence per kWh | 1 October 2026 | Octopus Energy – Intelligent Octopus Go (opens in a new tab) |
| Public charging – rapid/ultra-rapid (50kW+) average PAYG | 79 pence per kWh | 1 September 2026 | Zapmap Price Index (Sept 2026) (opens in a new tab) |
| Public charging – standard/standard plus (3–49kW) average PAYG | 54 pence per kWh | 1 September 2026 | Zapmap Price Index (Sept 2026) (opens in a new tab) |
| UK average diesel price | 200.04 pence per litre | 12 October 2026 | UK Government weekly road fuel prices (via PetrolPrices.co.uk Fuel Price Index) (opens in a new tab) |
| UK average petrol (unleaded) price | 175.28 pence per litre | 12 October 2026 | UK Government weekly road fuel prices (via PetrolPrices.co.uk Fuel Price Index) (opens in a new tab) |
Prices last checked: 16 October 2026