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Electric cars
An EV charger with solar and a battery
A car is a big load
Octopus calculates a typical electric car at 0.301 kWh a mile. At the 7.6p Intelligent Octopus Go rate, 7,000 miles is about £160 (their sum, last checked October 2026). On a 26.32p standard rate, our arithmetic gives about £555 for the same miles. Cheap overnight charging does the heavy lifting, and solar adds to it in summer.
How the pieces fit
Solar charges the car on bright days if you are home. A battery stores the day's surplus to feed the car or the house in the evening. For many households the order of value is solar first, then a cheap tariff, then a battery.
The planning rule
A new order, in force from 21 October 2026, lets you put a wall-mounted charge point anywhere within the curtilage of a house or block of flats, not only in a parking area. There is one outlet per property, a 1.6 metre height limit, and no right for the extended rule inside a conservation area. Where a footway lies between the charger and the car, the cable must cross by an authorised cross-pavement solution. Our news page explains it.
Questions people ask
Can solar charge my car directly?
Only while the sun shines and you are home, unless you have a battery to hold the surplus.
Do I need planning permission for a charger?
Often not, but check the conditions above, and in a conservation area ask the council.
Which is better, a battery or a cheap tariff?
For a car, a cheap overnight tariff usually does more per pound than a battery.
Want numbers for your own house? Try the estimator or ask for a free quote.
Sources
- Octopus Energy: Intelligent Octopus Go
- Ofgem: price cap unit rates and standing charges
- legislation.gov.uk: SI 2026/1056, EV charge point amendments
More guides
- What solar and a battery cost for a Whitstable house
- Solar only, battery only, or both?
- Is a home battery worth it?
- 0% VAT on solar and batteries: what it means
- Smart Export Guarantee: what you are paid
- Planning rules for solar in Whitstable
- Plug-in solar for flats and terraces
- Cheap overnight tariffs and home batteries
- What size solar and battery do I need?