Charging

Home vs public charging costs in Victoria

Last checked: 19 October 2026 · 5 min read · By The EV Insider

Short answer: charging at home in Victoria usually costs a fraction of public fast charging. Take an EV using 16 kWh per 100 km (our example) on the 2026–27 Victorian Default Offer flat rate in the United Energy zone (27.35c/kWh). Charging at home costs about A$4.81 per 100 km. On a published overnight EV rate of 8c/kWh, it's about A$1.41. In the new Midday Power Saver free window, the energy itself costs nothing. A public fast charger at an example price of 60c/kWh costs about A$9.60 per 100 km, roughly double the flat home rate.

These are general figures, not advice. Your car, your plan and the charger you use will change the numbers.

General information, not tax advice. Rules change and your circumstances differ. Check the ATO sources linked here and speak to a registered tax agent or your employer's payroll team before you decide.

How we worked it out

Cost per 100 km = kWh used per 100 km × price per kWh.

Our assumptions (examples, not measured data):

• Efficiency: 16 kWh per 100 km. Check your car's own figure.
• Home charging losses: we've added 10%, so 17.6 kWh per 100 km comes from the wall. Real losses vary with the car, the charger and the weather.
• Distance: the Victorian Government says the average Victorian drives about 38 km a day. That's about 13,870 km a year.
• Supply charges are left out, because you pay the daily supply charge whether you charge the car or not. Do check it when you compare plans, though.

Home charging: real published Victorian prices

The Essential Services Commission sets the Victorian Default Offer (VDO), the regulated standing offer, for 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027. Most households are on market offers instead. But retailers must compare their offers against the VDO, which makes it a useful benchmark.

Usage charges per kWh, rounded to two decimals. Source: Essential Services Commission.

Since 1 October 2026, households with a smart meter can also opt in to the Midday Power Saver through most retailers. It gives up to 24 kWh of electricity at no cost between 11am and 2pm every day. Rates outside that window are regulated but higher. In the United Energy zone, for example, they're 24.27c off-peak, 19.39c from 2pm to 4pm and 42.45c in the 4pm–9pm peak.

Some retailers sell EV-specific plans. We name these factually, not as recommendations:

• AGL Night Saver EV: 8c/kWh from 12am to 6am. You need an EV and a digital meter.
• OVO Energy, The EV Plan: OVO's pricing page lists an "EV Off-peak rate" of 4.5c/kWh. Check the hours and whether it's offered in your area.

Rates outside the cheap window, and the supply charge, can be higher than on other plans. Use the government's free Victorian Energy Compare site to check your whole bill.

Public charging in Victoria

Public networks don't publish one fixed price. Tesla uses dynamic pricing by site and time, and can add congestion fees. Evie and bp pulse show prices per site in their apps, and bp pulse uses peak and off-peak pricing at some sites. Chargefox sites are priced by the site host. Chargefox's own fee schedule also lists a 6% "end user transaction fee" per session.

There are discounts too. RACV members get 10% off at participating Chargefox ultra-rapid RACV sites. AGL customers who register can get 6c/kWh off at bp pulse until 31 December 2026 (terms apply).

Because prices vary so much, the public figures below are clearly labelled examples. They aren't quotes. Always check the live price in the app before you plug in.

Side by side: cost per 100 km and per year

Home rows include our 10% loss assumption. Public rows use 16 kWh per 100 km, because you pay for the energy the charger delivers. Annual figures assume all charging happens the same way.

Most people mix the two. For example, 90% at home on the 22.14c off-peak rate and 10% at a 60c public charger works out to about A$619 a year in this example.

Where a novated lease fits

If your EV is on a novated lease, the ATO's shortcut rate for home charging is 5.47 cents per km for FBT years from 1 April 2026. At 13,870 km that's about A$759 a year. Some providers use this rate to reimburse home charging. Ask yours how it works, and keep records of public charging. Our charging costs page has a calculator, and the novated lease and FBT guide explains the tax side.

Tips to pay less

1. Find your distribution zone on your bill, and check your plan's time-of-use windows.
2. Schedule charging in the car's app or a smart charger, so it starts after 9pm or inside a free or cheap window.
3. Avoid the 4pm–9pm peak at home.
4. Use public fast chargers for trips, not daily top-ups, unless you've found a cheap site.
5. Compare plans on Victorian Energy Compare before you switch.

For more on timing, read the best time to charge your EV at home. For dated offers, see our deals page.

FAQ

Is public charging ever cheaper than home?

Sometimes. Some destination chargers are free or cheap, and network discounts help. For everyday driving, though, home charging on an off-peak, EV or midday-free rate usually costs less.

Do I need a wall charger to use cheap overnight or midday rates?

No. AGL says its EV plan works with a portable cable in a standard socket. A standard socket adds about 14 to 21 km of range an hour, according to the Victorian Government, so a 3-hour window adds roughly 42 to 63 km.

Does the Midday Power Saver cap include my other appliances?

The 24 kWh cap covers your household's usage in the window, not just the car. Ask your retailer how they apply it.

Are these prices for my suburb?

The VDO prices depend on your distribution zone, and market offers differ by retailer. Check your bill and compare plans.

Sources

• Essential Services Commission, Victorian Default Offer 2026–27 prices: https://www.esc.vic.gov.au/electricity-and-gas/prices-tariffs-and-benchmarks/victorian-default-offer/victorian-default-offer-price-review-2026-27
• Victorian Government, Midday Power Saver: https://www.energy.vic.gov.au/households/save-energy-and-money/victorian-midday-power-saver
• Victorian Government, Charging your electric vehicle (38 km a day; Level 1 and 2 range per hour): https://www.energy.vic.gov.au/renewable-energy/zero-emission-vehicles/charging-your-electric-vehicle
• Victorian Energy Compare: https://compare.energy.vic.gov.au/
• AGL, Night Saver EV plan: https://www.agl.com.au/residential/energy/compare-plans/night-saver-ev-plan
• OVO Energy, pricing page: https://pages.ovoenergy.com.au/pricing
• Tesla, Supercharging (pricing and congestion fees): https://www.tesla.com/en_au/support/charging/supercharging
• Evie Networks, How much does it cost to charge: https://evie.com.au/faq/how-much-does-it-cost-to-charge/
• bp pulse, Pricing: https://www.bppulse.com/en-au/public-ev-charging/pricing
• Chargefox, Site host services and fees: https://www.chargefox.com/pricing
• RACV, Chargefox member discount: https://www.racv.com.au/membership/member-discounts/motoring/chargefox.html
• ATO, PCG 2024/2 (EV home charging rate): https://www.ato.gov.au/law/view/document?docid=COG%2FPCG20242%2FNAT%2FATO%2F00001

Last checked: 19 October 2026. General information only, not tax, financial, legal or credit advice. We don’t recommend any provider; where businesses are named, it’s for information. See our affiliate disclosure.