PAYG vs Subscription EV Charging
When subscriptions actually save you money
EV charging subscriptions promise savings, but they only make sense if you charge enough to offset the monthly fee. This guide breaks down exactly when each major subscription starts saving money, with worked examples you can apply to your own usage.
How Subscriptions Work
An EV charging subscription is a monthly fee that gives you a discounted per-kWh rate on a specific network. For example, BP Pulse charges £7.85/month but drops the rapid charging rate from ~77p to ~69p/kWh — a saving of about 8p per kWh. The question is always: will you charge enough kWh on that network to save more than £7.85? If yes, subscribe. If no, stick with pay-as-you-go.
Break-Even Calculations
| Network | Price | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| ESB Energy | £4.99/mo | 20p/kWh saving | Break-even: 25kWh/mo (less than 1 full charge) |
| BP Pulse | £7.85/mo | ~8p/kWh saving | Break-even: ~98kWh/mo (about 2 full charges) |
| Tesla Supercharger | £8.99/mo | ~10-25p/kWh saving | Break-even: 36-90kWh/mo (1-2 charges) |
| Fastned Gold | £9.98/mo | 22p/kWh saving | Break-even: 45kWh/mo (about 1 full charge) |
| Shell Recharge | £9.99/mo | 30% off Shell | Break-even: ~£33/mo spend on Shell chargers |
| IONITY Motion 365 | £4.58/mo equiv | 26p/kWh saving | Break-even: 18kWh/mo (half a charge) |
| IONITY Power 365 | £8.75/mo equiv | 36p/kWh saving | Break-even: 24kWh/mo (less than 1 charge) |
Worked Example: Average EV Driver
An average UK driver covers 7,400 miles per year. An efficient EV uses about 3.5 miles per kWh. That is approximately 2,114 kWh per year, or about 176 kWh per month. If 50% of charging is at home (88 kWh) and 50% public (88 kWh), and the public charging is spread across networks: BP Pulse 40kWh, InstaVolt 25kWh, others 23kWh. At 40kWh on BP Pulse per month, the subscription saves about £3.20/month (40 x 8p) minus £7.85 fee = net cost of £4.65. The subscription does not pay off in this scenario. You would need about 98kWh/month specifically on BP Pulse to break even.
When to Subscribe
- ESB Energy — Subscribe if you use ESB even once a month. At 20p/kWh saving, just 25kWh covers the £4.99 fee. Easiest subscription to justify.
- IONITY Power 365 — Subscribe if you use IONITY once or twice a month. The 36p/kWh saving is massive. Annual commitment is worth it for regular motorway users.
- Fastned Gold — Subscribe if you use Fastned 1-2 times per month. The 22p/kWh saving covers £9.98 quickly.
- Tesla Supercharger — Subscribe if you Supercharge 1-2 times per month. Variable savings (10-25p/kWh) but generally pays off with modest use.
- BP Pulse — Only subscribe if you charge ~100kWh/month on BP Pulse specifically. The 8p saving needs volume to cover £7.85.
- Shell Recharge — Only subscribe if you spend £33+/month on Shell chargers. The 30% discount is good but the base fee is high.
The Smart Approach
Start with a free roaming card (Electroverse or Zapmap) and track your charging for 2-3 months. See which networks you use most frequently and how much you spend. Only subscribe to a network when the numbers clearly justify it. You can always add subscriptions later — there is no penalty for starting with PAYG.
Key Takeaway
Most casual public chargers are better off with free PAYG cards like Electroverse. Subscriptions only save money when you consistently charge high volumes on a specific network. ESB Energy and IONITY Power 365 are the easiest subscriptions to justify.
Frequently Asked Questions
Monthly subscriptions (BP Pulse, Fastned, Tesla, Shell) can be cancelled anytime. IONITY annual plans run for the full year. ESB Energy can be cancelled monthly.
Yes. Some drivers subscribe to 2-3 networks to get discounts wherever they charge. But be careful — each subscription only saves money if you use that specific network enough.
Per kWh, yes. But if your total monthly charging on a network is low, the monthly fee makes the subscription more expensive overall. PAYG with zero monthly fee wins for light users.