EV electricity plans and free midday charging

How much power an EV actually uses

The NSW Government cites an ARENA estimate that a typical EV uses 14.4 kWh per 100 km. The ABS found the average Australian passenger vehicle travelled 11,100 km in 2020, or about 30 km a day. Put together, an average EV needs about 4.4 kWh a day, or roughly 1,606 kWh a year. That is a big load for a household, which is why it moves the numbers so much. About 80% of Australian EV drivers charge at home, according to the same NSW page.

Charging in the free window

The Solar Sharer Offer gives three free hours every day, 11am-2pm in NSW and South East Queensland and 12pm-3pm in South Australia, and Victoria's Midday Power Saver does the same from 11am-2pm. Usage is free up to 24 kWh a day, and that counts the whole house. At 14.4 kWh per 100 km, 24 kWh is about 167 km of driving, so for most people the cap is not the limit. The charger is.

• Standard 10-amp power point: about 10-15 km of range per hour, or 30-45 km over three free hours. Enough for an average day.
• Dedicated wall charger: 3-5 times faster, about 40-70 km per hour, or roughly 120-210 km in the window.

These range-per-hour figures come from the NSW Government; it does not publish kW ratings, and the exact speed depends on your car and charger.

Smart charging and timers

You do not need to be home to catch the window. Most EVs and wall chargers let you schedule a start and stop time, so set charging to begin when the free hours start and stop when they end. Two things to watch: charging that runs past the window is billed at the normal rate, and in summer or winter on Ausgrid that can be the peak, which starts at 3pm. If your car can follow a solar or tariff schedule through an app, point it at the free hours.

Worked example: one EV, three networks

A three-person home using the regulator's average hourly pattern, plus one EV adding 4.4 kWh a day. On the flat-rate plan the hour does not matter. On the time-of-use and free-power plans, the EV is charged in the middle of the day. Same engine as our free power calculator.

Independent modelling points the same way. IEEFA estimated that charging one EV in the Solar Sharer window saves $731-893 a year, and up to $2,257 in its highest scenario, making it one of the biggest wins from the scheme alongside electric hot water on a timer.

Overnight EV plans

Several retailers sell plans with a cheap overnight rate aimed at EV owners. For example, AGL advertises its Night Saver EV plan with a rate of 8c per kWh from 12am to 6am, and says the rate is variable. At that rate, an average EV's 1,606 kWh a year would cost about $128 to charge. On a free-power plan, the same charging in the window costs nothing, but you need the car at home at midday.

The EV rate is only part of the bill. An overnight EV plan has its own supply charge and its own rates for the rest of the house, and a free-power plan charges more than the reference time-of-use plan outside the window. The fair comparison is the whole year's bill for your household, which is what the calculator does. For every plan at your address, including EV plans we do not list, use Energy Made Easy or Victorian Energy Compare.

Which suits you

• Car home in the day (work from home, retired, a second car, school-run only): a free-power plan is hard to beat. Check you qualify with the eligibility checker.
• Car away all day, home overnight: look at overnight EV rates and standard time-of-use plans with cheap off-peak hours.
• Home battery as well: fill the battery in the free hours and charge the car from it at night. See batteries and free power.
• Rooftop solar: on sunny days you may be charging from your own panels already; the free hours mainly help on cloudy days, and free-power plans pay little for exports.

See which retailers offer the free-power plan in your area on the retailer register.

Common questions

What is the cheapest way to charge an EV at home?

If your car is parked at home in the middle of the day, the free hours on the Solar Sharer Offer or Victoria's Midday Power Saver cost nothing per kWh up to the 24 kWh daily cap. If the car is only home overnight, an overnight EV rate such as AGL's advertised 8c per kWh between midnight and 6am is the alternative. Compare whole bills, not just the EV rate.

How much electricity does an EV use?

The NSW Government cites an ARENA estimate of 14.4 kWh per 100 km for a typical EV charged at home. At the ABS average of 11,100 km a year for a passenger vehicle, that is about 4.4 kWh a day, or roughly 1,606 kWh a year.

Can I charge my EV in three hours with a normal power point?

Not a full battery. A standard 10-amp socket adds about 10-15 km of range per hour, according to the NSW Government, so three free hours add about 30-45 km. That covers an average day's driving. A dedicated wall charger adds about 40-70 km per hour, or roughly 120-210 km in the window.

Do I need a special EV plan?

No. Any plan works, and the free-power plans are not EV plans at all, but they suit EVs that are home at midday. Retailer EV plans usually trade a cheap overnight charging rate for other conditions. Read the fact sheet and run your numbers in our calculator.

Sources

1. NSW Government, Quick facts about EVs (14.4 kWh per 100 km, charging speeds, 80% charge at home), checked 17 October 2026
2. ABS, COVID-19, natural disasters disrupt 2019/20 vehicle use (average passenger vehicle 11,100 km), checked 17 October 2026
3. IEEFA, Growing the benefits of solar sharer tariffs (September 2026), checked 17 October 2026
4. AGL, Electric vehicles (Night Saver EV plan, 8c/kWh 12am-6am), checked 17 October 2026
5. AER, Default Market Offer 2026-27 final determination (Solar Sharer Offer caps, 24 kWh daily cap), checked 17 October 2026
6. Victoria Government Gazette S 498, Midday Power Saver Pricing Order 2026, checked 17 October 2026
7. AER, Residential load profiles and household benchmarks used in the worked example, checked 17 October 2026