Cost of Charging an Electric Car at Home
The cost of charging an electric car at home will typically cost significantly less than using public charging points.
For example – someone with a day/night meter, charging a car at home overnight will pay about 18.3c per kwh . (January 2025)
That would work out at about €3.06 for a 100km drive. (based on the average energy consumption of VW ID4).
On a normal 24-hour electric meter – unit rates are about 34.75c per kwh. Therefore a charge to do 100km would cost about €5.80.
Smart Tariffs
Since smart meters have been introduced there are several “smart tariffs” available now. Some of these smart tariffs have a few hours of very low off-peak electricity rates aimed at people who charge electric vehicles at home.
For example – Bord Gais Energy charges just 7.45c per Kwh from 2 am to 5 am on their “Smart Drive ” plan. This will bring the cost of charging an EV right down if you make sure you set a timer to charge during the cheapest rates.
You can compare some of the available Smart Electricity Tariffs on the useful Switcher website
How Long Does it Take to Charge an EV at Home?
Depending on your EVs battery size, it can take a few hours to fully charge your battery at home.
If you have the most common type of home charger, they usually provide around 7 kW and you will typically get about 38 km for every hour the car is on charge. (Based on VW Id4).
Using the cheapest rate from 2am to 5am (3 hours) would give you enough charge for about 80 miles or 130km .
Figures are correct as of January 2025
Cost estimates based on VW ID 4 52Kwh
More information here on The Price of Home Chargers for Electric Cars in Ireland
ESB Public Car Charging Network Prices
Electric cars can be charged on ESB’s nationwide network of publicly accessible charge points. They are located in various places all over Ireland such as on-street, motorway service stations, shopping centres and car parks.
There are currently three types of charging stations on the ESB ecars network:
- Standard AC (up to 22kW)
- Fast Chargers ( up to 50kW)
- High Power (upto 150Kwh)
Standard chargers (up to 22kwH) could take anything from an hour to 7 hours to charge a car to 80% , depending on the type of car and battery size.
For example – a 2016 Nissan LEAF can only take 3.6kW speeds from these points – which equates to around 30km of driving per hour of charging. However, some cars such as the Tesla Model S and the Renault Zoe can take the full 22kW, enough to cover 150km in an hour of charging in most cases.
These type of chargers are typically found on streets or in car parks.
Fast (or rapid) chargers (up to 50kwh) are generally found in motorway service stations. These charging points can charge a car up to 80% in approximately 30 minutes depending on car type and battery size.
High Power Charge Hubs with a power output up to 150kwh . These are located on motorways and national road sites. These hubs can charge between two and eight vehicles simultaneously and can provide up to 100 km of electric driving range in as little as six minutes.
Comparison of Electric Car Charging Prices in Ireland.
(Based on 100km drive in a VW ID 4 52kwh
Figures checked early 2025
| Type Of Charger | AV Price per Kwh | Fuel Cost to Drive100km |
|---|---|---|
| Home Charger (Smart EV Tariff) | 8c | €1.34 |
| Home Charge (Night Rate) | 18.3c | €3.06 |
| Home Charge (Standard Rates) | 34.85c | €5.80 |
| ESB Standard Charger PAYG | 52c | €8.52 |
| ESB Fast Charger PAYG | 57c | €9.34 |
| ESB High Power PAYG | 59c | €9.67 |
| Average Petrol Car | 6l per 100k (@ €1.75 per litre) | €10.50 |
Variation in EV Electricity Consumption
It is important to know that electricity consumption figures for an EV can vary quite a lot depending on the driving conditions and the weather.
For example : For the VW Id4 – we have used a consumption figure of 167 Wh/km – (as used by the SEAI).
In cold weather , at higher speeds and with heaters on, usage could rise to as much as 260 Wh/Km.
Driving 100km at this usage would cost €4.76 using a home charger on night rates .
In milder weather and at lower speeds , usage could be as low as 124 Wh/km. This would bring the cost of 100km down to €2.27 based on night rate home charging.
You can compare some of the available Smart Electricity Tariffs on the useful Switcher website
ESB – How to Charge Your Electric Car
More Information about Electric Cars in Ireland
Switch and Save on Electricity Bills