EV charging operators in United Kingdom

Operator-by-operator fast/slow charging rates, connection fees and minimum spend · 2026 public rates

1718

stations tracked

public networks

Lowest DC

£0.50/kWh

Exploren

Highest DC

£0.92/kWh

across networks

United Kingdom has 1718 fast-charging stations tracked in ChargeTariff across 11 public charging operators.

Fast (DC) charging runs from £0.50/kWh at Exploren up to £0.92/kWh at InstaVolt, on public ad-hoc (pay-as-you-go) rates.

Exploren, Tesla, IONITY, Fastned, Shell Recharge, TotalEnergies, Osprey, bp pulse, GRIDSERVE, InstaVolt charge an idle fee if the car stays plugged in after charging finishes.

AC (slower) chargers are generally cheaper per kWh than DC fast chargers but take much longer; several operators above price only the DC rate here. Rates are public figures as of 2026 and change often — confirm the live price in each operator's app.

Operator rates by network

Operator	Power	Billing	Rate	Connection	Minimum	Idle fee	Connectors
Exploren 2 stations	50 kW DC	DC	£0.50/kWh	—	—	£0.20/min	CCS2, CHAdeMO
Tesla 131 stations	50 kW DC	DC	£0.56/kWh	—	—	£0.40/min	Tesla, CCS2
Pod Point 309 stations	50 kW DC	DC	£0.62/kWh	—	—	—	CCS2, CHAdeMO
IONITY 27 stations	50 kW DC	DC	£0.74/kWh	—	—	£0.30/min	CCS2, CHAdeMO
Fastned 25 stations	50 kW DC	DC	£0.79/kWh	—	—	£0.20/min	CCS2, CHAdeMO
Shell Recharge 164 stations	50 kW DC	DC	£0.79/kWh	—	—	£0.20/min	CCS2, CHAdeMO
TotalEnergies 2 stations	50 kW DC	DC	£0.79/kWh	—	—	£0.20/min	CCS2, CHAdeMO
Osprey 347 stations	50 kW DC	DC	£0.87/kWh	—	—	£0.20/min	CCS2, CHAdeMO
bp pulse 355 stations	50 kW DC	DC	£0.89/kWh	—	—	£0.25/min	CCS2, CHAdeMO
GRIDSERVE 50 stations	50 kW DC	DC	£0.89/kWh	—	—	£0.20/min	CCS2, CHAdeMO
InstaVolt 306 stations	50 kW DC	DC	£0.92/kWh	—	—	£0.25/min	CCS2, CHAdeMO

Operator detail

Exploren2 stations

Fast · 50 kW

£0.50/kWh

Examples: EuroTunnel, Premier Inn Felixstowe

Tesla131 stations

Fast · 50 kW

£0.56/kWh

Examples: Dungannon Supercharger, Sprucefield Supercharger, Tesla Supercharger Belfast

Pod Point309 stations

Fast · 50 kW

£0.62/kWh

Examples: For Nissan EV owners only. Please call first, Lidl - Droitwich, Lidl - Oldbury Road

IONITY27 stations

Fast · 50 kW

£0.74/kWh

Examples: Ionity Belfast, Ionity Dungannon, Ionity Toome

Fastned25 stations

Fast · 50 kW

£0.79/kWh

Examples: Banbridge The Boulevard, The Junction, Columbus Way

Shell Recharge164 stations

Fast · 50 kW

£0.79/kWh

Examples: Gardeners Way, Shell Cannock, Shell Fiveways

TotalEnergies2 stations

Fast · 50 kW

£0.79/kWh

Examples: Redbridge-Lu Car Park, The Crystal Car Park

Osprey347 stations

Fast · 50 kW

£0.87/kWh

Examples: Acorn, Attleborough Arms, Barn Owl

bp pulse355 stations

Fast · 50 kW

£0.89/kWh

Examples: bp Belfast Road, bp Rathgael Road, bp Rosevale

GRIDSERVE50 stations

Fast · 50 kW

£0.89/kWh

Examples: EG Shrewsbury, GS10043, Moto Frankley Northbound Services

InstaVolt306 stations

Fast · 50 kW

£0.92/kWh

Examples: Creebridge Service Station, McDonald's, Alcester Road Service Station

AC / DC explained

AC (slower) chargers are generally cheaper but take longer, and some AC chargers require your own cable. DC (fast) chargers have higher power and faster delivery, usually at a higher price; most DC chargers use CCS2/CHAdeMO cables.

Operator notes

Which EV charging operators are in United Kingdom?

Exploren, Tesla, Pod Point, IONITY, Fastned, Shell Recharge, TotalEnergies, Osprey, bp pulse, GRIDSERVE, InstaVolt are the public charging networks with stations in this dataset.

What is the cheapest fast EV charging operator in United Kingdom?

Exploren has the lowest verified DC rate at about £0.50/kWh.

Do EV charging operators in United Kingdom charge a connection or idle fee?

Most tracked operators do not add a separate connection fee in the rates tracked here.

What is the difference between AC and DC EV chargers in United Kingdom?

AC chargers are slower and usually cheaper per kWh; DC fast chargers deliver higher power and are usually more expensive. DC chargers are the ones you want on highway breaks; AC chargers fit overnight or long-stay destination charging.

Rates are 2026 public figures that change often — confirm the live price in each operator’s app before you plug in.