How much does it cost to charge an e-bike or e-scooter?
About 13p a run on a standard tariff, or around £21 a year at 3 times a week. Less at the right time on a time-of-use tariff.
Today's cost where you live
Loading today's prices needs JavaScript. Open the tool instead.
An e-bike battery holds around half a unit of electricity, so a full charge costs well under 20p even on a standard tariff. Charging is one of the cheapest parts of owning one. The charger draws under 200 watts, so timing it for cheap hours saves pennies, but it adds up over a year of daily charging.
How we work it out
A typical e-bike / scooter uses about 0.5kWh for full charge, taking around 4 hours. Electricity on a standard variable tariff costs about 26p a unit across Great Britain at the moment (it varies a little by region), so one run comes to about 13p. Your own model may use more or less: the energy label, or a plug-in energy monitor, will tell you.
If you're on a tariff where the price changes through the day, such as Agile Octopus, Economy 7 or an electric car tariff, the same run can cost much less at the right time. The Cheap Watts tool finds that time for you on your own tariff.
How to spend less
- Charge indoors at room temperature; cold batteries charge slowly and wear faster.
- Don't leave it on charge for days. Unplug once it's full.
- Never charge an e-bike or e-scooter in a hallway or escape route, and don't charge it overnight while you're asleep.
Worth a look
- Smart plug with energy monitoring (Amazon, opens in a new tab)
Measure what your own appliance really uses per run, instead of the typical figure.
Affiliate links: if you buy through them, Cheap Watts earns a small commission at no extra cost to you. They don't change the results above.