Is the UK's Public EV Charging Rip-Off Finally About to End?

The government has launched a formal review into the cost of public electric vehicle charging — and for the millions of drivers who've stood at a motorway forecourt watching the pence tick up faster than their battery fills, it cannot come soon enough.

What's Actually Happening

The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero has initiated a wide-ranging review into how much drivers pay to charge their electric vehicles at public charge points across the UK. Reported by Auto Express, the review is specifically focused on the long-term affordability of public charging, the wild inconsistency in pricing between different networks, and whether the current market is doing enough to support consumer confidence in EV ownership.

This isn't a vague aspiration. The government is actively gathering evidence on pricing structures, how tariffs are communicated to drivers, and whether the existing regulatory framework — or lack thereof — is fit for purpose. The review sits alongside the broader ambition to end the sale of new petrol and diesel cars by 2035, a target that makes affordable, accessible public charging not merely convenient but structurally essential.

What's notable here is the timing. EV uptake is growing, but it's doing so against a backdrop of genuine anxiety about running costs — and that anxiety is well-founded.

Why This Review Is Long Overdue

To understand why this matters, you need to appreciate just how chaotic the public charging landscape currently is.

A driver topping up at a rapid charger on a motorway service station can pay anywhere between 50p and 85p per kilowatt-hour (kWh), depending on the network, the charger speed, and whether they hold a membership. Compare that to the typical home charging rate of around 7p to 24p per kWh (depending on your energy tariff), and the disparity becomes stark. For drivers without off-street parking — disproportionately those in urban areas, renters, and lower-income households — that gap isn't a minor inconvenience. It's a fundamental barrier.

The pricing inconsistency goes beyond just the rate per kWh. Some networks charge by the minute rather than by energy consumed, which disadvantages drivers with slower-charging vehicles. Others require membership fees or apps that don't work reliably. Roaming agreements between networks remain patchy, meaning a driver might find their preferred payment method rejected entirely at a charger they've specifically driven to.

There's also the VAT disparity that has long infuriated EV advocates. Home electricity used for charging attracts 5% VAT, while public charging points are subject to the standard 20% VAT rate. That's a structural tax disadvantage baked into the system for those who have no choice but to charge publicly. The government has previously resisted calls to equalise this — HMRC has even appealed against a tribunal ruling that found in favour of a reduced rate — so the review's outcome in this area will be closely watched.

The Legal and Regulatory Framework

The current regulatory picture is fragmented, and that fragmentation is part of the problem.

The Public Charge Point Regulations 2023 came into force in November of that year and introduced some important baseline requirements. Networks operating rapid and ultra-rapid chargers (50kW and above) must now:

• Accept contactless payment — no more mandatory app sign-ups just to charge
• Display pricing clearly before a session begins
• Achieve a 99% reliability rate (though enforcement of this has been inconsistent)
• Provide a 24/7 helpline for drivers experiencing problems

These regulations were a step forward, but they don't cap prices, don't address the VAT imbalance, and don't compel networks to standardise how pricing is communicated. A charger can technically comply with the 2023 regulations while still displaying its tariff in a format that makes direct comparison with competitors effectively impossible.

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has also been active in this space. Its 2023 study into the EV charging market identified significant issues with competition, particularly at motorway locations where drivers have little or no choice of provider. The CMA stopped short of recommending price controls but called for greater transparency and interoperability — recommendations that fed into the 2023 regulations but haven't yet translated into meaningful price pressure.

The current review could, if it leads to legislative action, go further. Price regulation of a kind similar to that applied to other essential utilities is not off the table — and given that the government has effectively mandated the transition to EVs through the 2035 ban, there's a credible legal and policy argument that public charging infrastructure should be treated as a public utility rather than a purely commercial market.

What Drivers Should Know Right Now

While the review runs its course, there are practical steps EV drivers can take today to reduce what they pay at public charge points.

1. Use comparison tools before you travel Apps such as Zap-Map allow you to compare charger availability, network, speed, and — increasingly — price per kWh before you set off. Planning your charging stops around cost as well as location can make a material difference.

2. Understand the difference between per-kWh and per-minute pricing If you drive a vehicle that charges at a slower rate, a per-minute tariff will cost you proportionally more than a per-kWh rate. Check the pricing structure before plugging in, not after.

3. Network memberships can pay off — but run the numbers first Several networks offer monthly subscription plans that reduce the per-kWh rate significantly. If you regularly use a particular network, the maths often favours membership. But if you only charge publicly occasionally, the subscription fee may outweigh the saving.

4. Contactless is now your right on rapid chargers Under the 2023 regulations, any rapid charger (50kW+) must accept contactless payment. If a charger refuses contactless and demands an app or RFID card, that is a potential breach of the regulations. You can report non-compliant chargers to the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV), which has oversight responsibilities in this area.

5. Keep records of failed charging sessions If a charger fails mid-session or refuses to initiate, document it — screenshot the screen, note the time and location, and contact the network's mandatory 24/7 helpline. Under consumer protection law, you may be entitled to a refund if you've been charged for energy you didn't receive.

6. Check whether your energy supplier offers an EV tariff Several suppliers — including Octopus Energy with its Intelligent Octopus Go tariff — offer overnight rates as low as 7p per kWh for home charging. If you have off-street parking, this remains by far the cheapest way to charge, and optimising your home tariff can offset the cost of occasional expensive public top-ups.

What This Review Could Change

The review's outcomes are not yet defined, but there are several directions it could credibly take.

A price cap or transparency framework for public charging is the most likely near-term outcome. This wouldn't necessarily fix the per-kWh rate, but it might mandate a standardised pricing display format — something analogous to the unit pricing rules that apply to supermarket shelves — so that drivers can make genuine like-for-like comparisons.

VAT equalisation remains the single most impactful change that could be made quickly. Reducing public charging VAT from 20% to 5% would, at current average rates, save a driver using public chargers regularly somewhere in the region of £150 to £300 per year. It would also remove a policy contradiction that actively penalises those with the least ability to charge at home.

There is also growing pressure for regulated access pricing at motorway service stations, where the CMA identified the most acute lack of competition. If the review recommends treating motorway charging locations as regulated infrastructure — similar to how airport landing slots or rail access is treated — it could fundamentally alter the economics of the sector.

What's clear is that the government cannot credibly pursue a 2035 petrol and diesel ban while leaving the public charging market to operate as it currently does. The review is an acknowledgement of that contradiction. Whether it leads to meaningful action — or becomes another well-intentioned consultation that produces modest tweaks — will depend on the political will to follow through.

For now, drivers are right to be frustrated. But they are also, for the first time in a while, being listened to.

Source: Auto Express — "Electric car charging costs review launched by government"