Q How do I pay for charging my electric car?

There are a few different ways to pay for charging an electric car. If you’re charging in public – at a service station, for example – you might be able to pay using contactless with your regular bank card or smartphone; just charge and then tap to pay.

If you’ve signed up to a charging network that provides access to a range of public chargepoints, you might have a ‘charging card’ that you use – an example of this is Electroverse, from Octopus Energy. On signing up, you’ll be sent an Electrocard to tap when you charge, and you’re billed monthly. If you’re already an Octopus Energy customer, you can pay for your charging through your monthly bill.

Other providers, such as Pod Point and Zapmap, work by downloading their app and adding funds to your account. Some chargepoints also accept payment by RFID card.

To simplify things further, websites like Zapmap and Electroverse will not only show you public chargepoints near you, but also provide information on what payment methods are accepted.

How much does it cost to charge an electric car? That depends on the chargepoint provider and the level of power available. There are a range of variables like charging speed/rate that will increase/decrease the cost. Most chargepoints suppliers will have information about their respective tariffs available either on a website or via an app.