Home vs Public EV Charging: GearUp Cost Study
By Morgan Ellis · Published Jun 21, 2026
At 12,000 miles a year and 30 billed kWh per 100 miles, an EV costs $660.24 to charge entirely at home using the June 2026 U.S. residential benchmark of 18.34¢/kWh. At an illustrative public price of 45¢/kWh, the same energy costs $1,620. The $959.76 difference is about access and price, not the badge on the car.
Home vs Public Charging Study | Updated September 14, 2026. GearUp scenario analysis, not a driver survey. Home-price source: EIA June 2026 preliminary residential data, released August 26, 2026. Public prices, mileage and efficiency below are modeling assumptions, not national averages.
Study design: keep the driving constant
We hold annual distance at 12,000 miles and purchased energy at 30 kWh/100 miles: 3,600 kWh/year. Home share h is the share of billed energy bought at home. The blended price is h × home price + (1 − h) × public price. Annual energy cost is 3,600 × blended price.
This simplified comparison assumes the same purchased-energy intensity for both charging modes. It does not model differences in AC/DC losses, weather or highway speed. If your measured home and public consumption differ, calculate those portions separately. Do not add another charging-loss percentage to an input that already measures purchased electricity.
Five charging mixes, one set of assumptions
| Home / public share | Blended ¢/kWh | Monthly cost | Annual cost |
|---|
| 100% / 0% | 18.34 | $55.02 | $660.24 |
| 90% / 10% | 21.01 | $63.02 | $756.22 |
| 80% / 20% | 23.67 | $71.02 | $852.19 |
| 50% / 50% | 31.67 | $95.01 | $1,140.12 |
| 0% / 100% | 45.00 | $135.00 | $1,620.00 |
GearUp calculations use unrounded inputs; displayed values are rounded independently. None of these shares is labeled “typical.” At the 80/20 mix, public charging supplies 20% of energy but costs $324, or about 38% of the energy bill. Moving ten percentage points of annual energy from public to home saves $95.98 under these assumptions.
Public-price sensitivity
Keep home electricity at 18.34¢ and annual purchased energy at 3,600 kWh. These are alternative public-price scenarios; they are not quotes for particular networks.
| Public price | 80% home annual cost | Public-only annual cost |
|---|
| 30¢/kWh | $744.19 | $1,080.00 |
| 45¢/kWh | $852.19 | $1,620.00 |
| 60¢/kWh | $960.19 | $2,160.00 |
The same 15¢ public-price increase adds $108/year to the 80%-home driver’s bill and $540/year to the public-only driver’s bill. Renters with dependable low-cost workplace or neighborhood charging can therefore reach a different result from renters relying on expensive highway fast chargers. Housing type alone is not a sufficient buying rule.
How much home charging beats gas or a hybrid?
Use a modeled gasoline price of $3.50/gallon, a 30-mpg gas car and a 50-mpg hybrid. Their annual fuel costs at 12,000 miles are $1,400 and $840. These are comparison inputs, not current national gas prices or specific vehicle ratings.
For an EV using 0.30 billed kWh/mile, its break-even electricity price is gasoline price ÷ mpg ÷ 0.30. That is 38.89¢/kWh against the gas car and 23.33¢ against the hybrid. At 18.34¢ home and 45¢ public, the home-energy share needed for equality is (public price − break-even price) ÷ (public price − home price).
| Comparison | Home share at fuel-cost equality | Decision in this scenario |
|---|
| 30-mpg gas car | 22.9% | Above this share, EV energy is cheaper |
| 50-mpg hybrid | 81.3% | The 80/20 EV is still $12.19/year higher |
If your electricity break-even lies above both home and public prices, every mix is cheaper on energy. If it lies below both, no mix wins. If the two charging prices are equal, changing the split does nothing. These are energy comparisons only: purchase price, depreciation and insurance can reverse the ownership result.
When does home equipment pay back?
Assume a $1,500 incremental installed cost, no financing, no rebate and a move from public-only charging to 80% home. Annual modeled energy savings are $1,620 − $852.19 = $767.81, giving a simple payback of about 1.95 years. At only 6,000 annual miles with the same mix, payback becomes about 3.91 years. The $1,500 is a scenario, not an installation quote.
If existing Level 1 charging already meets your driving needs at the same tariff, a Level 2 upgrade does not earn back its cost through a lower energy price in this model. Its value may be shorter charging time or avoiding public sessions that Level 1 cannot replace. DOE notes that some drivers can meet daily needs with overnight Level 1 charging. Assess available parking, equipment and electrical work before using a payback estimate.
Replace the benchmark with your own bill
EIA’s state and U.S. residential averages describe electricity sold across households; they are not an EV tariff or the marginal price of your next kWh. Use the energy and delivery charges that increase when you charge. Include taxes and new plan fees where applicable. If switching to a time-of-use plan changes the rest of your household bill, include that change too.
For public sessions, include the displayed energy price plus session, parking and membership fees. Allocate a monthly subscription once, not to every stop. Use our Charging Membership Break-Even Index to decide whether the fee helps your actual network usage.
Sources, limits and next steps
EIA Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6.A supplies the 18.34¢ June 2026 residential benchmark. DOE Alternative Fuels Data Center explains home charging options and cost inputs. Both were accessed September 14, 2026. All other numerical inputs in this study are stated GearUp assumptions.
The model excludes equipment except in the payback example, maintenance, financing, insurance, registration, depreciation and the value of time. It does not measure charger uptime or forecast future tariffs. Recalculate after changing your driving distance, vehicle or charging access.
Use the charging cost calculator with your own tariff and mix, supported by the input guide. Then include the energy result in the EV versus gas ownership comparison. For your utility budget, see how much charging adds to your electric bill.
New 2026 guide: See what public EV charging really costs in the U.S., including cost-per-100-mile calculations and current operator pricing rules.