Fuel prices in the UK have jumped sharply in early 2026, with petrol now averaging around £1.49 per litre and diesel close behind. For most drivers, that means spending well over £1,000 a year on fuel. If you are looking at electric vehicle savings in 2026, the maths has never been more compelling.
If you are charging your EV with char.gy's Night Saver tariff, the picture looks very different.
Here’s how the two compare, using real UK averages to answer one of the biggest questions drivers ask: "How much can I save switching to an EV?"
First, the basics
The average UK driver covers 7,100 miles per year. That's around 137 miles a week, a typical mix of commuting, errands and the occasional longer trip.
When looking at public EV charging tariffs in the UK, char.gy's Night Saver tariff stands out at 39p per kWh, available every night from midnight until 7am. Most modern electric vehicles EVs travel around 3.5 miles per kWh, so we'll use 3.5 miles per kWh as a realistic mid-range figure.
The petrol driver
A typical petrol car averaging 40 MPG costs around 18p per mile to run at current pump prices.
Over 7,100 miles, that adds up to:
£1,279 per year
on fuel
Around
£107 per month
Around
£24.60 per week
And that’s before factoring in price volatility. Fuel prices have risen 12p per litre since February alone, driven by oil supply disruptions.
Every time you fill up, you are at the mercy of whatever is happening in global energy markets that week.
The char.gy Night Saver driver
By taking advantage of off-peak charging at 39p per kWh, and assuming 3.5 miles per kWh efficiency, the Night Saver tariff delivers a per-mile cost of around 11.1p.
Over 7,100 miles, that adds up to:
£791 per year
on charging
Around
£66 per month
Around
£15.20 per week
What that difference looks like
That's a saving of around £488 a year roughly £41 a month, just on fuel. When comparing EV vs petrol running costs in the UK, the electric option clearly pulls ahead.
How does EV charging work?
It’s simple.
char.gy’s Night Saver tariff runs between midnight and 7am. Plug in before bed, and you’ll usually wake up to a fully charged car — at the cheapest rate available on the network. No queuing at a petrol station. No watching the pump tick past £60. Just plug in, go inside, and let it charge.
Charge time depends on your battery size and charger speed, but the basic calculation is:
Battery size ÷ charger speed = charging time
For example, a Volkswagen ID.3 with a usable 59kWh battery on a 7.4kW charger takes around 8 hours from empty to full — ideal for overnight charging.
A question we get a lot is, ‘How much does it cost to fill an EV?’
There's no single answer — it depends on three things: the battery size of the EV, how empty it is when you plug in, and the rate you're charging at.
But here are some useful ballpark figures using char.gy's Night Saver rate of 39p/kWh, charging from 20% to 80% (the recommended range):
A rough rule of thumb: most EV drivers spend £10–£25 to meaningfully top up, depending on their car.
A few things worth knowing
Your actual cost per mile will vary. EV efficiency ranges from around 2.5 miles per kWh for larger vehicles to 4+ miles per kWh for more efficient models. Most EV drivers charge between 20% and 80% most of the time, which helps protect battery health and is usually more than enough for daily driving.
And the comparison may improve over time: petrol and diesel prices remain volatile, while electricity costs are typically more predictable — making budgeting easier and diesel prices remain volatile. Electricity costs are more predictable, which makes budgeting easier.
The bottom line
Switching from petrol to charging with char.gy’s Night Saver tariff could save the average UK driver nearly £500 a year. That is the equivalent of around four months of fuel for free. The numbers have always been in favour of EV drivers who charge smart.
Night charging is one of the simplest ways to make sure you are one of them.
Want to find a char.gy charge point near you? Search the map here.
Or request a char.gy charge point closer to home: Request one here.