Best EV Electricity Plans in Australia (2026)

Your electricity plan is as important as the charger you buy. Get this right and you can charge for under 20 cents per kWh - or effectively free with rooftop solar. Get it wrong and you’ll pay peak-hour rates for every charge, turning a key financial advantage of EV ownership into a modest one.

The good news is that the options available to Australian EV owners in 2026 are better than ever. Overnight off-peak rates as low as 12 cents/kWh exist in some markets. EV-specific tariffs are available from major retailers. And for homes with solar, the economics of daytime charging are genuinely compelling. This guide breaks down every option so you can make an informed choice for your state and situation.

The short version: best plan by charging style

Your ideal plan depends almost entirely on when you charge:

How you charge	Best plan type	Effective rate
Overnight, no solar	Time-of-use with the lowest off-peak rate in your state	12–24c/kWh
Daytime, with solar	Solar self-consumption via a solar-divert charger	2–5c/kWh
Daytime, no solar (work from home)	A plan with a free midday power window	0c/kWh in the window
Irregular / peak hours	A competitive flat rate, simpler than paying peak TOU	28–38c/kWh
Comfortable with variable bills	Amber (wholesale pass-through), charging on price signals	often under 10c/kWh overnight

If you take one thing away: get your car onto a time-of-use tariff and schedule charging to start after your off-peak window opens (usually 11pm). That single change is worth $1,000–$2,000 a year versus charging on a peak flat rate.

Understanding Your Options

Four main tariff structures are relevant to EV owners in Australia:

Flat rate (single rate). One price per kWh regardless of when you draw power. Simple, predictable, and disadvantageous for EV owners who can charge overnight. Typical flat rates in 2026: 28–38c/kWh depending on state. If you’re on a flat rate and charging overnight, you’re paying the same as you would at 6pm on a weekday.

Time-of-use (TOU). Different prices for different times of day: peak (typically 3–9pm weekdays), off-peak (late night to early morning), and sometimes a shoulder rate in between. For EV owners who can schedule overnight charging, TOU plans are almost always the best financial choice. The off-peak rate is the number that matters.

Controlled load (CL1/CL2). A separate circuit - traditionally used for electric hot water systems - that receives power at a low flat rate during off-peak windows determined by the network, not you. More on this below.

Solar export + self-consumption. If you have rooftop solar, your charging cost is determined by what you’d otherwise export. Feed-in tariffs are 3–10c/kWh in most states. Charging from solar surplus rather than exporting at 6c and re-importing at 30c saves the difference: up to 24c/kWh.

Time-of-Use (TOU) Plans

TOU plans offer the best value for most EV owners who charge at home overnight. The key is the off-peak window: typically 11pm–7am, though this varies by retailer and network.

The table below shows indicative off-peak rates by state in 2026. These are representative figures - check comparison sites for current offers from specific retailers in your area.

State	Off-peak window (indicative)	Off-peak rate (indicative)	Cost per 100km at 18kWh
VIC	11pm–7am	12–15c/kWh	$2.16–$2.70
NSW	10pm–7am	18–24c/kWh	$3.24–$4.32
QLD	9pm–7am	15–20c/kWh	$2.70–$3.60
SA	11pm–6am	22–28c/kWh	$3.96–$5.04
WA	varies	18–23c/kWh	$3.24–$4.14

Victoria stands out as the most favourable market for overnight EV charging, with the best TOU plans offering rates that make home charging genuinely cheap. South Australia is the most expensive, partly because of the state’s overall higher electricity costs and partly because of the greater volatility in the SA grid.

How to set up overnight charging. Most modern EVs have a built-in charging scheduler accessible through the car’s touchscreen or app. Set your charge start time to 11pm (or your plan’s off-peak start time) and a departure time of 7am. The car will manage the rest, finishing the charge before you leave. Some home chargers also have built-in timers that can do this at the hardware level.

If you’re looking at cost per km across all charging scenarios, see our electric car cost per km guide.

Controlled Load Tariffs

Controlled load (CL1 and CL2) circuits provide electricity at a flat low rate - typically 12–20c/kWh - during windows determined by the network distributor. CL2 rates can be lower than CL1, but the windows are shorter and less predictable.

Traditionally, these circuits power electric hot water systems. But technically, any fixed load can be connected to a controlled load circuit with the right electrical setup. This means an EV charger connected to a CL circuit would charge at the controlled load rate - potentially as low as 12c/kWh in some markets.

The limitation is practical: not all homes have spare capacity on CL circuits, and adding an EV charger typically requires a dedicated circuit and electrical work. Whether this is worthwhile depends on your existing setup and the rates in your distribution network area.

Before pursuing this option, discuss it with a licensed electrician who knows your local network. It’s not a simple plug-and-play solution, but for households that can make it work, it delivers some of the lowest effective charging rates available on the grid.

EV-Specific Tariffs

Several Australian retailers now offer tariffs specifically designed for EV owners. The key options in 2026:

AGL EV Night Saver. AGL’s EV-specific plan offers a dedicated overnight rate of around 8c/kWh between midnight and 6am in participating states (NSW, QLD, SA, VIC). That is genuinely cheap. At 18 kWh/100km, a full 400 km charge costs roughly $5.76 on the overnight rate. Standard daytime rates on the same plan are higher than a typical TOU plan, often around 24-25c/kWh for shoulder periods and 40c+ for peak. The maths works strongly in your favour if you charge exclusively overnight. If the car is sometimes plugged in during peak hours (3-9pm), those higher peak rates can erase the overnight saving.

The catch is worth understanding: EV-specific plans often trade a rock-bottom overnight rate for above-average peak and shoulder rates. Your whole household runs on the same plan. If your family uses significant power during peak hours for cooking, heating, or air conditioning, the higher peak rate applies to all of that consumption too. Run the numbers on your full household usage, not just the car.

OVO Energy “The EV Plan”. OVO offers the lowest tracked overnight EV rate in Australia at 4.5c/kWh between midnight and 6am. Available in NSW, VIC, QLD, and SA. OVO also offers a “Free 3” variant with free electricity from 11am to 2pm daily. Customers in credit earn a 3% interest reward. Tesla owners can connect via OVO’s evControl app for smart charging integration. At 4.5c/kWh overnight, a full 60 kWh charge costs $2.70. That is hard to beat on any plan.

EnergyAustralia “EV Night Boost”. Available in NSW only (Ausgrid network), this plan offers 7c/kWh between midnight and 6am. A 6-hour overnight charge on a 7.2 kW home charger costs roughly $3.02, compared to $10.81 on the same retailer’s standing offer. If you are in NSW on the Ausgrid network, this is worth comparing against AGL’s 8c/kWh rate.

Amber Electric. Amber passes through wholesale spot prices directly to customers, plus a $22/month membership fee. Overnight wholesale prices are often very low, sometimes negative when there’s abundant renewable generation. The typical overnight average for EV charging works out to 5-15c/kWh including network fees. Amber’s smart charging feature can automatically avoid price spikes, and ARENA has funded their EV scheduling project. For EV owners who charge overnight via a scheduled charger, Amber can deliver very low average rates over the year.

The risk: wholesale prices occasionally spike to extreme levels during demand events. Amber is most appropriate for customers who are comfortable with variable bills and have chargers that can respond to price signals automatically. The $22/month fee must be offset by savings compared to a flat-rate plan.

Origin “EV Power Up”. Origin offers an effective rate of roughly 8c/kWh through credits applied when charging is smart-scheduled during optimal periods via the Origin app. This functions more like a charging management programme than a simple tariff. Available to any Origin residential customer with a compatible EV.

Simply Energy (ENGIE) “Simply EV”. Offers a 6c/kWh discount applied midnight to 6am, plus up to 7,000 km of bonus charging credit or a $200 credit on the first bill. Carbon-neutral plan. Requires EV registration at signup.

Here is how the main EV plans compare on overnight rates as of July 2026:

Retailer	Plan	Overnight rate	Window	States
OVO Energy	The EV Plan	4.5c/kWh	12am-6am	NSW, VIC, QLD, SA
EnergyAustralia	EV Night Boost	7c/kWh	12am-6am	NSW only
AGL	Night Saver EV	8c/kWh	12am-6am	NSW, VIC, QLD, SA, WA, ACT
Origin	EV Power Up	~8c/kWh (via credit)	Smart-scheduled	NSW, VIC, QLD, SA
Amber Electric	Wholesale	5-15c/kWh (variable)	Overnight average	NSW, VIC, QLD (SE), SA, ACT

For all of these, compare the off-peak rate against what’s available from a standard TOU plan from the same or competing retailers. EV-branded plans are not always the cheapest. OVO’s 4.5c/kWh overnight rate is outstanding, but if the same plan charges 45c/kWh during peak hours and your household uses significant power in the evening, the total annual bill could be higher than a standard TOU plan with a 15c/kWh overnight rate and a 35c/kWh peak rate. Always compare total annual cost, not just the overnight EV rate.

Free Midday Power Plans (for households without solar)

A newer category worth knowing about in 2026: free-power-window plans. To soak up the midday solar glut on the grid, several retailers now offer a few hours of free electricity in the middle of the day - typically a three-hour window somewhere between about 11am and 2pm. AGL, Origin, and Red Energy have all run versions of these plans, and the exact window varies by retailer and network.

For EV owners without rooftop solar, this is the closest thing to free charging. If you work from home, or can leave the car plugged in and scheduled to charge during the free window on the days you’re home, you effectively charge for nothing during those hours. Even topping up two or three days a week in a free window meaningfully cuts your annual charging bill.

The catch is that the window is in the middle of the day, so it only helps if the car is home and plugged in then. For a car parked at work all day, an overnight off-peak plan remains the better fit. Check what free-window offers exist in your area on the comparison tools below before switching - availability changes frequently.

Solar + EV: The Optimal Combination

If you have rooftop solar, the calculus changes. Feed-in tariffs (FITs) in Australia have declined significantly and now sit at 3–10c/kWh for most households across most states. That means every kilowatt-hour you export earns you roughly 6 cents. Every kilowatt-hour you import from the grid costs you roughly 30 cents.

The implication for EV charging is clear: charging from surplus solar during the day is worth approximately 24c/kWh more than exporting and re-importing. At 18kWh/100km, that’s a saving of $4.32 per 100km compared to grid charging at peak tariffs.

In practice, achieving full solar charging requires either being home during solar hours or having a smart charger that automatically diverts surplus generation to the car. Solar divert chargers such as the Myenergi Zappi, Fronius Wattpilot, and several others can handle this automatically - detecting when solar production exceeds home consumption and directing the surplus to the EV. Some EV brands (including BYD) are adding home energy management functionality that integrates with inverters directly.

For homeowners who both charge at home and have solar, the combination routinely delivers effective charging costs below 5c/kWh, and often below 3c/kWh on good solar days. That makes the fuel cost of EV ownership genuinely negligible for most of the year.

Read the full guide on solar EV charging in Australia for setup recommendations and hardware options.

State-by-State Best Options

Victoria is the best market for overnight EV charging in Australia. The combination of competitive retail market, smart meter rollout, and strong renewable generation means the best TOU plans offer 12–15c/kWh overnight. Use Victorian Energy Compare to search current offers. Look for plans with off-peak rates under 14c/kWh.

New South Wales has reasonably competitive TOU plans with off-peak rates typically in the 18–24c/kWh range. The Energy Made Easy website (energymadeeasy.gov.au) is the government comparison tool - use it to filter plans by tariff type and look for overnight off-peak rates.

Queensland is serviced by both Energex (south-east QLD) and Ergon (regional). South-east QLD has a competitive retail market; regional QLD uses Ergon’s standing offer. SE QLD customers should look for TOU plans with 15–20c/kWh overnight rates through Energy Made Easy. If you’re eligible for a smart meter, the Energex TOU network tariff is one of the better options available.

South Australia has the highest electricity costs in Australia, which limits the scope for low-cost overnight charging. Off-peak rates are typically 22–28c/kWh even on good TOU plans. SA also has high levels of rooftop solar penetration and renewable generation, which means Amber Electric’s spot-price model can work well during periods of high renewable output. If your charger can respond to price signals and you’re comfortable with Amber’s variable billing, it can deliver better outcomes than a flat TOU plan during renewables-heavy periods.

Western Australia is serviced by Synergy, which offers an EV Add On tariff. From 1 July 2026, the overnight rate is 19.38c/kWh (11pm-6am), with a solar sponge window at 8.4c/kWh (9am-3pm). You need a plug-in EV registered at the premises with the WA Department of Transport to qualify. WA’s grid is separate from the NEM, and the regulated environment means fewer competing retailers. If you have solar, the 8.4c/kWh daytime rate is worth targeting with scheduled daytime charging.

How to Switch

The process is straightforward:

1. Use the relevant comparison tool for your state: Energy Made Easy (energymadeeasy.gov.au) covers NSW, QLD, SA, and WA. Victorian Energy Compare (victorianenergcompare.vic.gov.au) covers Victoria.
2. Filter for time-of-use tariffs and look for the lowest off-peak rate.
3. Check that the off-peak window aligns with when your car will be charging - typically 10pm–7am or similar.
4. Confirm your meter supports TOU billing. Most meters installed in the last five years do, but some older accumulation meters need replacing. Retailers should advise.
5. Switch online - most retailers allow same-day or next-billing-cycle switches with no fee.

Note that switching electricity plans is free and does not require any physical work unless your meter needs upgrading. If a smart meter is required, your retailer typically arranges this.

Do You Even Need a Wall Charger? The Granny Charging Case

If you drive under 10,000 km per year, you may not need a dedicated wall charger at all. A standard 10A household powerpoint delivers 2.3 kW, which adds roughly 10 km of range per hour of charging. Over a 10-hour overnight charge, that is 100 km. For someone driving 25-30 km per day, a standard plug handles the load with room to spare.

The maths: 10,000 km per year at 18 kWh/100km is 1,800 kWh annually. At 2.3 kW from a 10A socket, that is 783 hours of charging over a year, or about 2.1 hours per day. Most EV batteries are 60-80 kWh. You would charge from empty to full roughly 23-30 times per year. Even at the slow 10A rate, an overnight charge from 30% to 100% adds 350-500 km of range.

A 15A dedicated outlet (3.5 kW) is even better: 23 km per hour, meaning 230 km overnight. Have an electrician install a dedicated 15A socket near your parking spot for $150 to $300, and you have a low-km charging solution that costs a fraction of a wall charger.

This is not suitable for everyone. If you drive 15,000 km or more, or regularly need to top up quickly, a 7 kW wall charger makes the economics and convenience meaningfully better. But for retirees, part-time workers, or households with a second car for longer trips, granny charging on a standard outlet is genuinely adequate.

How Much Switching Saves

The gap between a peak flat rate and a good off-peak rate is where the money is. At 15,000km a year and 18kWh/100km, an EV uses roughly 2,700kWh annually to cover its driving:

• On a 35c/kWh flat rate: about $945/year to charge.
• On a 15c/kWh off-peak rate: about $405/year, a $540 saving for one plan switch.
• Charging mostly from solar surplus (~3c/kWh): about $80/year.

Multiply by higher annual distances and the gap widens fast. Plug your own car, distance and rate into our EV charging cost calculator to see your exact numbers.

What to Avoid

Switching to TOU and charging at peak times. This is the main trap. If you’re on a TOU plan but regularly charge between 3pm and 9pm on weekdays, you’ll be paying peak rates - typically 40–55c/kWh - for most of your charging. That’s worse than a flat rate in many cases.

Make sure your car’s charging schedule is set correctly before you switch to a TOU plan. If you’re unsure whether you can reliably hit the off-peak window, a flat rate plan is simpler and more predictable.

Ignoring your solar divert settings. If you have solar and a smart charger, ensure the solar divert mode is actually enabled. The default settings on many chargers prioritise grid charging at a scheduled time rather than solar divert. Check the charger’s app or settings panel.

Assuming EV-branded plans are the best deal. Always compare EV-specific plans against standard TOU plans. The marketing suggests they’re optimised for EV owners - the rates don’t always support that.

Putting It Together

The right plan depends on your situation:

• House, charges overnight, no solar: TOU plan with the lowest off-peak rate in your state. Aim for under 20c/kWh.
• House with solar, charges during the day: Prioritise solar self-consumption. A smart solar divert charger makes this automatic. Your effective rate can be 3–10c/kWh.
• House with solar, charges overnight: TOU plan still makes sense for overnight charging; solar handles daytime top-ups.
• Apartment, public charging primarily: Flat rate or TOU plan for any home charging access. Focus on maximising public charging value - see our public vs home charging comparison.
• Comfortable with variable billing: Amber Electric can deliver very low effective rates for customers who charge overnight via smart scheduling.

The financial case for EVs depends significantly on how cheaply you can fuel them. At 12–18c/kWh overnight, the running cost advantage over petrol is very large - on the order of $1,500–$2,500 per year at 15,000km. That number makes the case for switching energy plans as soon as you take delivery of an EV.

See also:

• Electric vehicles in Australia: the complete guide
• How much does it cost to charge an electric car in Australia?
• Solar EV charging Australia
• Electric car cost per km Australia

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Common Questions

What type of electricity plan is best for EV owners?

Time-of-use (TOU) tariffs are typically best for EV owners who can charge overnight during off-peak hours. Off-peak rates range from 12–25 cents/kWh in most states - significantly cheaper than flat rates of 28–38 cents/kWh. If you can schedule your EV to charge between 11pm–7am, TOU plans usually save money. If you charge irregularly or during peak hours, a flat rate may be simpler.

What off-peak electricity rates are available for EV charging in Australia?

Off-peak rates vary by state and retailer. In Victoria, some TOU plans offer rates as low as 12–15 cents/kWh overnight. In NSW, off-peak rates typically range from 18–24 cents/kWh. In QLD, off-peak can be 15–20 cents/kWh. SA has higher off-peak rates (22–28 cents/kWh) due to the state’s overall higher electricity costs. Check your state’s energy comparison website (Energy Made Easy in NSW/QLD/SA/WA, Victorian Energy Compare in VIC) for current offers.

Are there dedicated EV electricity plans in Australia?

Yes. At least 14 EV-specific plans exist across 11 retailers as of mid-2026. OVO Energy offers the lowest overnight rate at 4.5 cents per kWh. AGL Night Saver EV charges 8 cents per kWh overnight. EnergyAustralia EV Night Boost offers 7 cents in NSW. Amber Electric passes through wholesale rates. Compare total annual cost, not just the overnight rate.

Can solar panels reduce EV charging costs to near zero?

Yes. For homes with rooftop solar, charging during solar hours (roughly 9am–3pm on sunny days) costs effectively 2–5 cents/kWh equivalent, since you’re diverting surplus solar rather than exporting at low feed-in tariffs (3–10c/kWh). A solar divert charger like the Myenergi Zappi automatically handles this without manual intervention.