The electricity standing charge is a daily amount for being connected to the supply. It is not a per-mile EV fee, and buying an EV does not duplicate it on the same meter. Home charging costs rise mainly through additional unit-rate kWh. Time-of-use products can change unit prices a lot while leaving standing charges on their own line. When comparing tariffs, look at both standing charge and unit rates against your household and EV consumption. Guides that hide standing charges or invent a special EV standing charge are misleading.
Myth: EVs double the standing charge
On a normal single domestic supply, you pay one standing charge regardless of whether a wallbox is installed. The EV adds consumption, billed through unit rates for those kWh.
A rare exception is a separately metered supply with its own agreement. That is uncommon for ordinary driveway chargers and would be explicit in paperwork.
Myth: standing charge is part of pence per mile
Pence per mile energy cost should use kWh and unit rates. Folding the entire standing charge into EV miles overstates the car if the household would pay that standing charge anyway for lights, cooking and heating.
Whole-bill comparisons are still useful. Just label them as whole-bill, not EV pence per mile.
Myth: a low standing charge always beats a low night rate
High-mileage EV homes can prefer a tariff with a strong overnight unit rate even if the standing charge is not the lowest on the market. Low-mileage homes with lots of daytime consumption may prefer a different balance.
Illustrative examples help intuition. Your half-hourly or daily profile decides the winner.
- List standing charge in pence per day.
- List unit rates by period.
- Estimate EV kWh by period separately from house kWh.
How the price cap conversation fits
Ofgem communications about the energy price cap discuss limits that apply to certain default tariff arrangements, including standing charge and unit rate elements in that context. Many fixed or specialised EV tariffs need reading on their own terms.
Check current Ofgem material rather than assuming a social media summary applies to your deal.
Practical bill hygiene for EV homes
After installing a charger, watch the first two bills for unexpected tariff migrations, incorrect times on schedules, or public charging wrongly blamed on home rates.
Keep installation paperwork separate from energy supply contracts so disputes have a clear owner.
Frequently asked questions
Why did my bill rise after EV installation if standing charge is unchanged?
Because you are buying more kWh. Check whether those kWh landed in expensive periods.
Can I remove the standing charge by charging only at night?
No. Standing charges generally accrue while the supply remains connected, independent of overnight scheduling.
Do public chargers include a standing charge?
Public networks use their own pricing, often per kWh with possible connection or idle fees. That is unrelated to your home standing charge.
Should landlords pass standing charges to tenants with EVs?
Tenancy and metering arrangements vary. Incremental EV kWh need a fair measurement basis. Legal and contractual advice may be required for shared supplies.
Core buying guides
Start with these high-intent guides, then dig into the rest of the library.
Related guides
Sources and further reading
How this guide was prepared
This guide was written by the Local EV Installers Editorial Team. We compare official guidance, legislation and established consumer information, separate general information from project-specific advice, and show publication dates and sources. We do not accept installer accreditation claims at face value.