Home vs Public EV Charging
The conventional wisdom is that home charging is always cheapest. That's mostly true — but the math is more nuanced than most guides admit.
Home charging beats public networks on cost in 49 of 50 states — but in Hawaii (38¢/kWh), networks like IONNA (30¢/kWh) and Francis Energy (26¢/kWh) can actually be cheaper. For most drivers, the annual savings from home charging range from $2.10 to $17.10 per full charge compared to public networks.
Home (National Avg)
$9.90
Model Y full charge at 16.5¢/kWh
Cheapest Public
$12.00
Volta Charging at 20¢/kWh
Most Expensive Public
$27.00
EVgo at 45¢/kWh
When Home Charging Wins
Home charging wins on pure cost whenever your state's residential electricity rate is lower than the public network's per-kWh rate. For most of the country, this is almost always. The exceptions are high-rate states like Hawaii, California, Massachusetts, and Connecticut where some public networks undercut residential rates.
Beyond cost, home charging wins on convenience: you wake up with a full battery every morning, never wait in a queue, and avoid the time cost of stopping at a public station. At 15,000 miles per year with 50 charging sessions, a driver in Idaho saves approximately $285.00 annually versus the cheapest public network.
Breakeven: When Does Public Make Sense?
If you live in an apartment, have no home charging option, or travel frequently, public charging becomes your primary option. Here's the annual cost at 15,000 miles/year (roughly 50 sessions on a 75 kWh battery):
| Network | Per Session | Annual (50 sessions) | vs Home (National Avg) |
|---|---|---|---|
| BestHome (16.5¢/kWh avg) | $9.90 | $495.00 | — |
| Volta Charging | $12.00 | $600.00 | +$105.00 |
| Ampere Charging | $14.40 | $720.00 | +$225.00 |
| Francis Energy | $15.60 | $780.00 | +$285.00 |
| Rivian Adventure Network | $16.80 | $840.00 | +$345.00 |
| ChargePoint | $18.00 | $900.00 | +$405.00 |
| IONNA | $18.00 | $900.00 | +$405.00 |
| FLO | $21.00 | $1,050.00 | +$555.00 |
| Tesla Supercharger | $21.60 | $1,080.00 | +$585.00 |
| Electrify America | $25.80 | $1,290.00 | +$795.00 |
| Blink Charging | $26.40 | $1,320.00 | +$825.00 |
| EVgo | $27.00 | $1,350.00 | +$855.00 |
Home Charging Cost by State
All 50 states sorted from most expensive to cheapest for home charging. Tesla Model Y (75 kWh) benchmark.
| State | Rate | Model Y Full Charge | vs Best Public |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | 38¢/kWh | $22.80 | +$10.80 more |
| California | 30¢/kWh | $18.00 | +$6.00 more |
| Massachusetts | 27¢/kWh | $16.20 | +$4.20 more |
| Connecticut | 25.5¢/kWh | $15.30 | +$3.30 more |
| Maine | 24.5¢/kWh | $14.70 | +$2.70 more |
| Rhode Island | 24.5¢/kWh | $14.70 | +$2.70 more |
| Alaska | 23.5¢/kWh | $14.10 | +$2.10 more |
| New Hampshire | 22.5¢/kWh | $13.50 | +$1.50 more |
| New York | 21.5¢/kWh | $12.90 | +$0.90 more |
| Vermont | 21.5¢/kWh | $12.90 | +$0.90 more |
| New Jersey | 18.5¢/kWh | $11.10 | $0.90 cheaper |
| Michigan | 17¢/kWh | $10.20 | $1.80 cheaper |
| Washington D.C. | 17¢/kWh | $10.20 | $1.80 cheaper |
| Maryland | 16.5¢/kWh | $9.90 | $2.10 cheaper |
| Wisconsin | 16.5¢/kWh | $9.90 | $2.10 cheaper |
| Delaware | 16¢/kWh | $9.60 | $2.40 cheaper |
| Illinois | 15.5¢/kWh | $9.30 | $2.70 cheaper |
| Pennsylvania | 15.5¢/kWh | $9.30 | $2.70 cheaper |
| Arizona | 14.5¢/kWh | $8.70 | $3.30 cheaper |
| Alabama | 14¢/kWh | $8.40 | $3.60 cheaper |
| Colorado | 14¢/kWh | $8.40 | $3.60 cheaper |
| Florida | 14¢/kWh | $8.40 | $3.60 cheaper |
| Minnesota | 14¢/kWh | $8.40 | $3.60 cheaper |
| Georgia | 13.5¢/kWh | $8.10 | $3.90 cheaper |
| Nevada | 13.5¢/kWh | $8.10 | $3.90 cheaper |
| Ohio | 13.5¢/kWh | $8.10 | $3.90 cheaper |
| South Carolina | 13.5¢/kWh | $8.10 | $3.90 cheaper |
| Virginia | 13.5¢/kWh | $8.10 | $3.90 cheaper |
| Indiana | 13¢/kWh | $7.80 | $4.20 cheaper |
| Kansas | 13¢/kWh | $7.80 | $4.20 cheaper |
| New Mexico | 13¢/kWh | $7.80 | $4.20 cheaper |
| North Carolina | 13¢/kWh | $7.80 | $4.20 cheaper |
| Texas | 13¢/kWh | $7.80 | $4.20 cheaper |
| Mississippi | 12.5¢/kWh | $7.50 | $4.50 cheaper |
| Missouri | 12.5¢/kWh | $7.50 | $4.50 cheaper |
| Oregon | 12.5¢/kWh | $7.50 | $4.50 cheaper |
| Iowa | 12¢/kWh | $7.20 | $4.80 cheaper |
| West Virginia | 12¢/kWh | $7.20 | $4.80 cheaper |
| Arkansas | 11.5¢/kWh | $6.90 | $5.10 cheaper |
| Kentucky | 11.5¢/kWh | $6.90 | $5.10 cheaper |
| Montana | 11.5¢/kWh | $6.90 | $5.10 cheaper |
| Nebraska | 11.5¢/kWh | $6.90 | $5.10 cheaper |
| Oklahoma | 11.5¢/kWh | $6.90 | $5.10 cheaper |
| South Dakota | 11.5¢/kWh | $6.90 | $5.10 cheaper |
| Tennessee | 11.5¢/kWh | $6.90 | $5.10 cheaper |
| Louisiana | 11¢/kWh | $6.60 | $5.40 cheaper |
| Utah | 11¢/kWh | $6.60 | $5.40 cheaper |
| Idaho | 10.5¢/kWh | $6.30 | $5.70 cheaper |
| North Dakota | 10.5¢/kWh | $6.30 | $5.70 cheaper |
| Washington | 10.5¢/kWh | $6.30 | $5.70 cheaper |
| Wyoming | 10.5¢/kWh | $6.30 | $5.70 cheaper |