Some hotels and shopping centres offer free charging to customers. The widespread use of smartphone apps for all providers makes it easy to see where the charging points are, how much they cost to use and whether they’re free, so you can easily tap into a provider that suits your needs and budget.
Many car manufacturers offer simplified charging by enabling access to numerous providers under their own charging schemes. For instance, Audi’s E-tron Charging Service account gives access to nearly 20 different energy firms and 75% of the UK’s public charging points, while new E-tron models come with the choice of £500 worth of free charging or a free Ohme home charger or £500 off the vehicle’s price.
Tesla owners get their own dedicated rapid-charging Supercharger network of more than 1400 chargers plus a number of Destination fast chargers at locations such as hotels. Owners of a Tesla Model S or Tesla Model X registered before 2017 are eligible for free charging, while some owners received 6000 miles of free charging if they bought their cars between 15 December 2022 and 12 January 2023.
Non-Tesla owners can also use the Supercharger network and in April 2024 the company reduced its prices for these people and allowed them to take out Tesla membership for £8.99 per month or £90 a year. With membership, non-Tesla owners pay as much for Supercharger power as Tesla owners. Tariffs change according to location and time of day but they range from 54p to 67p per kWh.
Tesla also charges ‘idle fees’ if you remain parked up once you have a full battery, to reduce how long it takes for others to get connected. If the Supercharger station is more than 50% full, you will be charged 50p for every minute you’re parked in a fully charged car, rising to £1 if the station is completely full.
How much does motorway charging cost?
You will pay a little more to charge at a motorway service station, largely because most of the chargers there are fast or rapid units. Costs typically range from 60p-85p pkWh.
And remember, there will often be an activation fee to pay ahead. This is refundable, and typically ranges from £1-£40.
