How much does it cost to run an EV home charger? (2026–27)
At typical draw · official state tariffs
Typical household use (2 h/day, 365 days a year at 7,000 W) runs $1,404–$2,142 a year depending on your state's tariff.
Wattage basis: The three common home charging levels; 7 kW single-phase covers most owners (~30% of AU homes have three-phase).
| State | Model | Per hour | Per day | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New South Wales33.1c/kWh · Ausgrid | Efficient (2,400 W) | $0.80 | $1.59 | $48.35 | $581 |
| Typical (7,000 W) | $2.32 | $4.64 | $141.03 | $1,693 | |
| High (22,000 W) | $7.29 | $14.58 | $443.24 | $5,322 | |
| Victoria27.5c/kWh · Jemena | Efficient (2,400 W) | $0.66 | $1.32 | $40.08 | $481 |
| Typical (7,000 W) | $1.92 | $3.85 | $116.91 | $1,404 | |
| High (22,000 W) | $6.04 | $12.09 | $367.44 | $4,412 | |
| Queensland28.0c/kWh · Energex | Efficient (2,400 W) | $0.67 | $1.34 | $40.82 | $490 |
| Typical (7,000 W) | $1.96 | $3.92 | $119.06 | $1,429 | |
| High (22,000 W) | $6.15 | $12.31 | $374.19 | $4,493 | |
| South Australia41.9c/kWh · SA Power Networks | Efficient (2,400 W) | $1.01 | $2.01 | $61.16 | $734 |
| Typical (7,000 W) | $2.93 | $5.87 | $178.37 | $2,142 | |
| High (22,000 W) | $9.22 | $18.44 | $560.59 | $6,731 | |
| Western Australia33.3c/kWh · Western Power (SWIS) | Efficient (2,400 W) | $0.80 | $1.60 | $48.54 | $583 |
| Typical (7,000 W) | $2.33 | $4.66 | $141.56 | $1,700 | |
| High (22,000 W) | $7.32 | $14.64 | $444.91 | $5,342 | |
| Tasmania28.0c/kWh · TasNetworks | Efficient (2,400 W) | $0.67 | $1.34 | $40.79 | $490 |
| Typical (7,000 W) | $1.96 | $3.91 | $118.97 | $1,428 | |
| High (22,000 W) | $6.15 | $12.30 | $373.91 | $4,489 | |
| Australian Capital Territory37.0c/kWh · Evoenergy | Efficient (2,400 W) | $0.89 | $1.77 | $53.92 | $647 |
| Typical (7,000 W) | $2.59 | $5.17 | $157.27 | $1,888 | |
| High (22,000 W) | $8.13 | $16.26 | $494.29 | $5,935 | |
| Northern Territory31.7c/kWh · Power and Water | Efficient (2,400 W) | $0.76 | $1.52 | $46.23 | $555 |
| Typical (7,000 W) | $2.22 | $4.44 | $134.82 | $1,619 | |
| High (22,000 W) | $6.97 | $13.94 | $423.74 | $5,088 |
Where an EV home charger costs more
- South Australia is the dearest state to run one: $2.93 an hour at 7,000 W on its 41.9c/kWh rate, against $1.92 in Victoria. Over a year of typical use that gap is $738 (52.6% more).
- By yearly running cost at typical use it ranks 1st of the 26 appliances costed on this site (1st costs the most): $1,693 a year at the NSW rate.
- An efficient 2,400 W model costs $1,407 a year less than a typical 7,000 W one in SA at 2 hours a day for 365 days ($922 less in VIC); a high-draw 22,000 W model uses 9.2 times the power of the efficient one.
- At the 1 July 2026 price reset, typical-use cost fell $115 in VIC (Jemena usage rate 29.7c to 27.5c/kWh) and rose $45 in WA (Western Power (SWIS) usage rate 32.4c to 33.3c/kWh).
| Rank | State | Usage rate | Typical year | Above the cheapest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Victoria | 27.5c | $1,404 | — |
| 2 | Tasmania | 28.0c | $1,428 | +$25 |
| 3 | Queensland | 28.0c | $1,429 | +$26 |
| 4 | Northern Territory | 31.7c | $1,619 | +$215 |
| 5 | New South Wales | 33.1c | $1,693 | +$290 |
| 6 | Western Australia | 33.3c | $1,700 | +$296 |
| 7 | Australian Capital Territory | 37.0c | $1,888 | +$485 |
| 8 | South Australia | 41.9c | $2,142 | +$738 |
Rates by state (each state's capital-city network): NSW: AER Default Market Offer 2026–27 (DMO 8); VIC: ESC Victorian Default Offer 2026–27; QLD: AER Default Market Offer 2026–27 (DMO 8); SA: AER Default Market Offer 2026–27 (DMO 8); WA: WA Government Standard Electricity Prices 2026–27 (Synergy Home Plan A1); TAS: OTTER-approved Aurora Energy Standing Offer 2026–27 (approved 25 June 2026) — Tariff 31; ACT: ICRC retail electricity price recalibration 2026–27 (ActewAGL standing offer); NT: NT Electricity Pricing Order 2026–27 (Jacana Energy standard residential). All effective 1 July 2026.
Appliance running-cost calculator
NSWEV charger: 2,400–22,000 W typical range.
Low/typical/high are charger power levels — 2.4 kW portable lead, 7 kW single-phase wallbox, 22 kW three-phase — not duty cycles; a home session runs 4–10 h overnight.
- Per day (2 h)
- $4.64
- Per month
- $141.03
- Per year (365 days)
- $1,693.31
Tariff: 33.1c/kWh — AER Default Market Offer 2026–27 (DMO 8) for the Ausgrid network, effective 1 July 2026. Wattage basis: SolarQuotes — EV charger guide. Full ev charger costs in NSW →
Cutting the cost
Charge overnight on an off-peak or dedicated EV tariff, or during the day if your solar is exporting anyway. You rarely need a full charge every night, so top up to your usual daily range instead of filling to the top each time. Set a scheduled start so the car waits for the cheap window, and steer clear of charging through the early-evening peak.
Frequently asked questions
- How is the running cost calculated?
- Watts ÷ 1,000 × the electricity rate = cost per hour. An EV home charger drawing 7,000 W on NSW's 33.1c/kWh rate costs $2.32 an hour; the calculator below lets you change every input.
- Does a higher star rating cut the cost?
- Yes. The star rating compresses the power draw or energy per use, which scales these figures directly. The low–high band in the table (2,400–22,000 W) roughly spans efficient to inefficient models.
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Costs use each state's representative-zone reference usage rate, effective 1 July 2026. Low/typical/high are charger power levels — 2.4 kW portable lead, 7 kW single-phase wallbox, 22 kW three-phase — not duty cycles; a home session runs 4–10 h overnight.