2026-27 rates are live. DMO, VDO and solar feed-in tariffs updated for July 2026. See what changed

Electric vehicles

How Much an Electric Car Adds to Your Household Power Bill

An EV can be one of the biggest loads in a home. Here is what it adds to a typical bill in each capital and how to keep that extra cost low.

Checked against regulator sources, October 2026

What an EV adds to a household bill

Two-person household with and without an EV, regulated flat rate
CityWithout EVWith EVExtra a year
Melbourne$1,827$2,452$625
Brisbane$2,135$2,755$620
Sydney$2,342$3,076$734
Canberra$2,747$3,566$819
Adelaide$2,772$3,701$929
Hobart$2,838$3,387$548
EV adds 2,216 kWh a year. Household usage from AER 2020 benchmarks. Cost includes supply on 2026-27 regulated prices.

These figures assume all charging at home on a flat rate. Charging in cheap hours or from solar brings the extra cost down a lot. Our EV charging calculator prices your own car and driving.

Charging at the right time

2,216 kWh of charging a year in the AusNet Services area
When you chargeRateA year
Evening peak47.64c$1,056
Overnight off-peak22.6c$501
Solar soak17.59c$390
Victorian Default Offer time-of-use prices including GST.

On the Solar Sharer Offer, free usage from 11am to 2pm in NSW and south-east Queensland, and 12pm to 3pm in SA, is capped at 24 kWh a day, which covers most daily driving if the car is home and plugged in.

Choosing a plan as an EV owner

  1. Work out your charging pattern

    Is the car home overnight, during the day, or both?

  2. Compare EV plans with the whole picture

    A cheap overnight rate can come with a higher peak rate or supply charge. Price your full year of usage. See our comparison guide.

  3. Use your smart meter data

    It shows how much of your use falls in each window. See reading smart meter data.

  4. Schedule the charging

    Set the car or charger to start in the cheap window automatically.

Solar and EVs

With rooftop solar, daytime charging uses power you would otherwise export for a few cents. See our bills with solar guide.

Questions about EVs and electricity bills

A mid-size EV driven 250 km a week adds about 2,216 kWh a year. On regulated flat rates that is several hundred dollars a year, less if you charge off-peak, from solar or in a free midday window.

The free midday window on plans that have one, then the midday solar soak or overnight off-peak on time-of-use plans. Avoid the evening peak.

They can be if you charge overnight, but compare the full plan. A cheap overnight rate can come with a higher peak rate or supply charge.

Sources

Every rate on this page comes from the regulator or the regulated retailer. Last checked October 2026. Prices include GST unless we say otherwise.