UK plug-in hybrid motorists waste £70.9 million annually by not utilising home chargers and smart electricity tariffs

·   Over 118,000 UK plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) owners are wasting £599 every year on electricity

·   21 per cent of PHEV owners do not have a smart home charging unit

·   Switching to a home charger and smart EV tariff could deliver a return on investment in just two years

 

New analysis indicates that UK drivers of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) are wasting over £70.9 million each year by paying the full rate for their electricity.

 

There are now some 865,000 PHEVs in the UK. By utilising a home charger and smart EV tariffs rather than a conventional three-pin plug, PHEV owners could charge their vehicle using low-cost, EV-specific nighttime tariffs. These cheaper rates are approximately £0.07 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) compared to an average of £0.25 per kWh.

 

Research indicates that 21 per cent of PHEV owners do not have a smart charging unit fitted at home. Of those 181,650 motorists, over 65 per cent are expected to have off-street parking, which offers the possibility of installing a smart home charger. As a result, 118,254 of them could be wasting £599.94 each year. This amounts to £70,945,304.76 annually for UK PHEV drivers according to the analysis by Andersen EV, a manufacturer of design-led EV charge points based in Bedfordshire.

 

David Martell, Andersen EV CEO, says: “While growing numbers of battery electric vehicle (BEV) motorists have discovered they can save huge sums of money by having a smart home charging unit, many PHEV drivers have not taken heed of this opportunity and changed their charging behaviours. A smart home charger taking advantage of low-cost nighttime tariffs for EVs means paying just £0.07 per kilowatt-hour compared to around £0.25.

 

The Society of Motor Manufacturers & Traders (SMMT) data confirms that 124,528 new PHEVs have been registered in the UK this year. Owners of new PHEVs in 2025 alone could make savings of more than £10.2 million over the next 12 months.

 

Martell adds: “PHEVs have evolved considerably over the past ten years. From typically having small batteries capable of 15 to 20 miles just a few years ago, today’s PHEVs can have a battery range in excess of 70 miles with drivers able to run purely on electric for the vast majority of their weekly motoring.

 

“There is of course a cost involved in installing a smart home EV charging unit. Products such as our latest UK-manufactured Andersen Quartz can be installed by a professional electrician for around £1,100, so motorists will start to see a return on their investment in just two years. They will also benefit from faster and safer charging in the meantime.”

 

Examples of UK PHEVs and their electric-only range:

• Volkswagen Golf eHybrid: A best-in-class 88 miles

• Audi A3 Sportback e-tron: 88 miles 

• Skoda Superb Estate iV PHEV: 84 miles 8.7

• Seat Leon e-Hybrid: 82 miles

• Volkswagen Passat eHybrid: 82 miles

• BYD Seal U DM-i: 78 miles

• Mercedes-Benz GLC 300e: 78 miles

• Range Rover Sport PHEV: 75 miles

• MG HS Plug-in Hybrid: 75 miles

• Volkswagen Tiguan eHybrid: 77 miles

• Renault Rafale E-Tech PHEV: 65 miles

• BMW 3 Series 330e: 62 miles

•