Man checks every EV charging network in the UK and comes to a quick conclusion about costs

This man took it upon himself to check it out each EV charging network in the UK to see which one was best value for money.

YouTuber Ben Goes Electric has been extensive in his coverage of charging prices throughout the UK.

Like any free market, there’s variations in prices and a lot of choice on hand.

But which charging networks do the least damage to drivers’ bank balances?

When it comes to EV charging, you want to feel like you’re getting good value for money

Here’s a sentence nobody has ever said before: “I want to make a lifestyle change that will cost me tons of money in the long-run!”

Ultimately, when someone is making the decision to switch over to EVs, they’re hoping to save some cash by giving up gas.

So it’s no wonder that the internet is replete with cost comparisons, whether that’s putting a Cybertruck up against a Ford Maverick, or a Model S up against a Mercedes-Benz S-Class.

YouTuber Ben Goes Electric is another voice putting in his two cents – or his two pence, as it were, seeing as how he’s British.

He recently put out a video in which he compared the EV charging networks in his country, and determined which one was the best value for money.

“We’re going to take the typical EV battery size of around 75kW, similar to what you’d find in a Tesla Model 3 and Y Long Range, and we’re going to be looking at the charge between 10 and 80 percent,” Ben explained.

“That means roughly adding around 52kW of energy at a stop.”

Tesla Superchargers

In a previous round-up, drivers were paying 56p per kWh (76 cents) at peak times on Tesla Superchargers.

“That figure has gone up to around 69p per kWh,” Ben said.

“So for our 10 to 80 percent charge, that’s roughly an extra £7 ($9.44) compared to before.”

Tesla owners can benefit from lower prices, as can non-Tesla drivers who pay a monthly subscription.

But even then that’s only a reduction down from 69p to 45p (61 cents).

“Tesla is still one of the best charging networks here in the UK, and really, the world,” he concluded.

“But compared to a few months ago, charging is more expensive.”

Be.EV

How does Be.EV compare?

“It was one of the most competitive networks in my original comparison video,” Ben declared.

Back then, drivers could expect to pay 69p per kWh (93 cents).

That’s now shot up to 84p ($1.14).

“The good news is that Be.EV membership still remains competitive,” Ben said.

Cheap overnight charging still offers great value for money, but Ben cautioned his viewers that turning up to charge on a whim would prove costly.

“It won’t be the bargain that it used to be, and it may be time to look at one of their memberships,” he suggested.

InstaVolt

Previously, driver using InstaVolt would be paying 89p per kilowatt hour ($1.20), now it’s closer to 92p per kilowatt hour ($1.24).

“That’s just crazy on the high end,” Ben said.

“It’s not a dramatic increase, but it’s a scary thought to think we’re slowly approaching £1 a kilowatt hour here in the UK.”

Which networks haven’t changed their prices at all?

Ben pointed to networks like Osprey, Gridserve, BP Pulse, Shell Recharge, Ionity, and Fastned as examples of networks that haven’t bumped up their prices.

“They are still the same as they were three months ago, which is great,” Ben noted.

He also pointed to Apple Green Electric, MFG EV Power, and EV On The Move as networks where prices have barely budged.

“Despite all the headlines about energy costs, most operators haven’t actually increased their prices very much over the last few months,” he said.

“It suggests the UK charging market has started to mature.”

Arnold Clark Charge

Rapid chargers at Arnold Clark are charged at around 55p per kWh (74 cents), which is very cheap.

“The real unusual feature is that you can book the chargers,” Ben noted.

“You would usually turn up and plug in to whatever is available.”

Zest

At Zest, drivers would face prices of between 65p and 72p per kWh (Between 88 cents and 97 cents).

Ben noted that Zest had focused a lot of its attention on residential charging spots, rather than putting up chargers near highways.

“You’re going to see a lot more of them in your town very soon,” he noted of Zest’s expanding operations.

PoGo Charge

And finally, there was PoGo Charge with 65p per kWh (88 cents).

“Hopefully the more operators we see, the cheaper charging is going to come,” he concluded.

What were his final conclusions on the best EV charging network?

In his round-up, Ben granted that each network had its own perks, but pinpointed Arnold Clark as being particularly good value for money.

“The biggest takeaway from this update is that pricing hasn’t really changed as much as you might think,” he said.

“Most operators have stayed the same, and that’s probably a good thing.”

Did he have a personal preference out of all the charging networks he’d covered in the video?

“If I had to recommend one charging network overall, I’d probably go with Tesla’s Supercharger network,” he told Supercar Blondie.

“From my experience, it offers a really good combination of price, reliability and availability, particularly now that a growing number of Supercharger locations are open to non-Tesla EVs as well.”

It’s always important to know that you have options out there and go with which EV charging network fits your budget best.