UK Tesla calculator
Tesla Home Charger Cost & Payback Calculator (UK)
A 7kW home charger is where Tesla running costs really drop. Estimate the install cost, apply the £350 EV chargepoint grant if you're eligible, and see how quickly it pays for itself versus public charging.
Your figures
All figures are editable estimates, checked 2026-07-13. We never present a rate as fixed fact — see our sources.
Result
Estimate only — confirm live figures with Tesla and your suppliers.
How this is worked out
Net install = quote − grant (if eligible). Annual saving = your yearly kWh × the gap between public and home rates. Payback = net install ÷ annual saving. The EV chargepoint grant is up to £350; homeowner eligibility largely ended, so check whether the renter/flat-owner scheme applies to you. Checked 2026-07-13. Source: GOV.UK EV chargepoint grants.
How the 2.8 years payback figure above is calculated
Using this page's default inputs — a £1,000 install quote, not grant-eligible, a Model Y (RWD) doing 8,000 miles/year — here is every step.
- Work out the net install cost.
net = quote − grant= £1,000 − £0 (not eligible) = £1,000. - Find annual energy use.
kWh = annual miles ÷ mi/kWh= 8000 ÷ 3.7 = 2162 kWh/yr. - Price the rate gap.
gap = public p/kWh − home p/kWh= 41p − 24.5p = 16.5p/kWh. - Turn that into an annual saving.
saving = kWh × gap ÷ 100= 2162 × 16.5 ÷ 100 = £357 / yr versus charging publicly for the same energy. - Divide install cost by the saving.
payback = net install ÷ annual saving= £1,000 ÷ £357 = 2.8 years.
Change the install quote, grant eligibility, mileage or either rate above and the same five steps recompute live. Grant source: GOV.UK EV chargepoint grants. Full list: Methodology & sources.
What actually drives the install quote
The calculator takes your quote as an input, which raises the obvious question: why do quotes for the same charger vary so much? Almost none of it is the unit. It is the work around it.
| What moves the price | Why |
|---|---|
| Cable run length | The distance from your consumer unit to the parking space, and whether it goes through walls, under a drive or along an exterior. This is usually the biggest single variable. |
| Consumer unit headroom | If your board has no spare capacity or needs upgrading to accept the circuit, that is a separate job on top. |
| Main fuse rating and load | Older properties may need load management so the charger backs off when the house draws heavily, rather than a supply upgrade. |
| Earthing arrangement | Some installations need additional protective devices depending on the property's earthing, which is a materials and labour cost. |
| Tethered vs untethered | A modest unit-price difference and a real convenience one — untethered is tidier and lets you swap cables; tethered is quicker day to day. |
Which is why a single quote tells you very little. Get two or three, and ask each one to itemise the work rather than just the total, so you can see which of the rows above is driving the difference.
Notification, not permission
A point that causes unnecessary worry: a home charger installation is normally notified to the network operator by your installer, rather than requiring you to seek approval first. A competent installer handles this as routine. What it means for you is that you should use an installer who treats it as routine — if notification and the relevant wiring regulations are not part of their standard process, that is a reason to get another quote rather than a detail to negotiate.
Where it does become a genuine constraint is flats, shared parking and leasehold properties, because the question shifts from electrical to permission-based: who owns the parking space, who owns the wall, and what the lease says. That conversation is worth starting well before you order a car.
Why the payback figure above is conservative
The calculator compares your home rate against a public rate, which understates the benefit in two ways worth knowing.
- It ignores the tariff you unlock. A home charger is what makes a dedicated overnight EV tariff worth having, and those price overnight hours far below standard domestic rates. The saving is not just home-versus-public; it is cheap-home-versus-public.
- It ignores convenience, which is the reason most owners actually cite. Never planning a charging stop for daily driving has a value the arithmetic can't capture — and conversely, if you have no off-street parking, no payback figure makes a home charger the right answer.
Grant eligibility narrowed substantially for homeowners, so check whether the renter or flat-owner scheme applies to you before assuming a grant reduces your net cost. Confirm current terms on GOV.UK rather than relying on any figure here.
Questions
Can I still get a grant for a home Tesla charger in the UK?
The original homeowner grant (OZEV/EVHS) closed. The current EV chargepoint grant of up to £350 is mainly for people who rent, or who own a flat. Check the GOV.UK eligibility list before assuming you qualify.
How long does a home charger take to pay for itself?
It depends on the gap between your home rate and what you'd otherwise pay to charge publicly, and how many miles you drive. For an average driver switching from public charging, a few years is typical — the tool gives your own number.