Rightcharge has released its 2026 Annual State of Fleet Charging Report, drawing on analysis of more than 1,000 megawatts of energy delivered across tens of thousands of real-world charging sessions throughout 2025. The UK-based EV fleet charging payment platform’s findings quantify the significant cost gap between public and home charging while identifying strategies for reducing both expenses and emissions.
Highlights
- Public charging costs three times more than home charging — averaging 81p/kWh versus 25p/kWh — yet accounts for 57% of total fleet energy spend despite representing only 27% of sessions.
- Electric vehicles cost 11p per mile to operate compared to 15p for diesel and 17p for petrol, based on a blended average unit rate of 40p/kWh.
- Shifting to off-peak charging can reduce emissions by one-third while dedicated EV tariffs at 6-7p/kWh can save fleets up to £1,300 per driver annually.
- 46% of energy delivered to Rightcharge fleets in 2025 came from renewable sources.
Public Versus Home Charging Economics
The report documents a stark disparity in charging costs based on location. Public charging sessions averaged £19.91 for 24kWh of energy, while home charging sessions cost £5.72 for 23kWh.
| Metric | Home Charging | Public Charging |
|---|---|---|
| Average price per kWh | 25p | 81p |
| Percentage of sessions | 73% | 27% |
| Percentage of total fleet spend | 43% | 57% |
| Off-peak sessions | 77% | 43% |
Businesses relying heavily on public charging infrastructure pay more than three times the rate for equivalent energy delivery. Moving a vehicle from public network charging to home charging can save up to £1,000 per driver annually.
Blended Unit Rate as Industry Benchmark
Rightcharge is advocating for adoption of the “blended unit rate” as the standard metric for measuring electric fleet total cost of ownership. This approach calculates average cost across all charging locations rather than focusing on individual high-cost public sessions.
The platform recorded an average blended unit rate of 40p/kWh in 2025. This translates to 11p per mile for electric vehicles — a 27% reduction compared to diesel at 15p per mile and 35% less than petrol at 17p per mile.
Smart Charging and Emissions Reduction
The data demonstrates that cost optimization and carbon reduction are aligned objectives for electric fleets. Currently, 77% of home charging occurs during off-peak hours, compared to only 43% of public charging sessions.
By shifting more charging to off-peak periods — when grid energy is typically cleaner — fleets can reduce charging-related emissions by up to one-third. Drivers who switch to dedicated EV tariffs can access rates as low as 6-7p/kWh.
“Transitioning to an electric fleet brings huge benefits, but optimizing your charging can help you save even more money,” said Charlie Cook, Founder and CEO of Rightcharge. “We’ve published this report to give fleet managers the benchmarks that they need to see the true value of electric vehicles.”
The full 2026 State of Fleet Charging Report is available for download HERE.
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