How Much Does It Cost to Charge an Electric Car in Ireland?

As electric cars increase in popularity around Ireland, many of us are curious about the logistics of owning an electric vehicle. How can we charge them, how can we maintain them, and making sure they’re insured? With Aviva, we offer, breakdown assist and cover for charging cable theft with our standard car insurance, so enjoy the same cover features for your electric vehicle, and know you are in good hands. We now also pay up to €600 for accidental damage to your electric vehicle charging point if installed within the boundaries of your home, provided it isn’t already covered by your home insurance.

Recent studies show that replacing petrol or diesel cars with electric models can save money, when it comes to charging, some of us are still confused about how it works and how expensive it is. Our guide is here to explain the difference in costs between charging at home and at a public chargepoint, the different options available, and the grants that you can avail of if you choose to buy an electric car.

How many kwh does it take to charge an electric car?

Before we dive into the different charging options, let’s start by understanding how electric cars charge in the first place. A kwh is the unit of measurement by which an electric car battery capacity is measured, and it stands for kilowatt hour i.e. how many kilowatts are used by the car’s battery in an hour. 

Electric car chargers are also measured in terms of kilowatts and kilowatt hour. For example, if a car’s battery size is 100kWh and a house’s electric charger has a power of 10kW, it would take 10 hours to fully charge the car’s battery. 

So, if we are considering how many kWh it takes to charge an electric car, it all depends on the size of the car’s battery and the power capacity of the charger. It’s also important to note that, once a car battery is charged, the speed at which it uses up the power can vary depending on driving conditions. For example, driving in cold weather with the heaters on can drain the battery much quicker than driving in mild weather.

How much does it cost to charge an electric car at home?

Charging your electric vehicle at home will cost significantly less than choosing a public charging station. But the cost of charging at home can also depend on the time of day you choose to plug in your car.

For a house with a normal 24hr electric meter, unit rates for electricity cost about 35.83c per kwh based on Electric Ireland’s prices as at September 2024. But if you have a day/night meter installed, you can save even more by charging your car overnight, when the average cost is around 19c per kwh as at September 2024. Top it up during the day if you really need to but save the bigger charge for overnight when you’re not using it.

According to myenergi.com, based on an example of a 54kWh battery, the average cost to fully charge an electric car from empty to full at home is around €9.10. This gives an average monthly cost to keep an electric vehicle charged of around €36.00, if you charged your car once a week at home.

How much does it cost to charge an electric car at a public charging station?

There are new companies and new types of electric chargers cropping up all the time around the country, but for this guide, we’ll focus on the ESB’s nationwide network of charging points. There are over 700 ESB charging points around Ireland, and drivers need to sign up for an ESB membership or a pay-as-you-go account to use the charge points.

There are currently three types of charging stations on the ESB’s network. These are:

• Standard AC (up to 22kW)
• Fast Chargers (<kW to 100kW DC)
• High Power (up to 150Kwh)

As of Oct 2024*

For pay-as-you-go users of ESB charge points, the costs per unit are:

• Standard - €0.52 /kWh
• Fast - €0.57 /kWh
• High Power - €0.59 /kWh

As of Oct 2024*

On average, it costs about €10 – €20 to fully charge an electric car battery at a charge point. 

What are the grants available to electric car drivers in Ireland?

To help offset the costs of purchasing and charging an electric car, the Irish government offers several grants and incentives. These include:

• SEAI Electric Vehicle Grant: This grant provides up to €3,500 towards the purchase of a new electric vehicle.
• SEAI Home Charger Grant: This grant provides up to €300 towards the purchase and installation of a home charger.
• VRT Relief: Electric vehicles are eligible for relief from VRT up to a maximum amount of €5,000.

By taking advantage of these grants, electric vehicle drivers in Ireland can significantly reduce the overall cost of owning an electric car. Also, when you take into account the low cost of charging drivers can hope to save significantly on running costs when compared to driving a petrol or diesel car.

No matter which car you choose as your next investment, making sure you’re protected. Aviva offers a 15% discount for new car insurance policies bought online.¹ You don’t need specialist insurance. Our standard car insurance will cover your electric vehicle and give you the type of specific protection you need.