Millions of drivers have to pay £134 to keep car on road from today

As the energy price cap is hiked nationwide, the £1717 cap could hit electric drivers hard in the pocket, with EV motorists facing rising bills as a result of the shake-up.

Drivers face having to pay £134 more from today under a new rule change. As the energy price cap is hiked nationwide, the £1717 cap could hit electric drivers hard in the pocket, with EV motorists facing rising bills as a result of the shake-up.

According to experts at Carmoola, this rise will have a sizeable impact on those with an electric vehicle on their driveway. They warn the cost of charging an electric model at home will jump from £13.41 to £14.70. Charging a car on two separate occasions would see drivers pay £3.58 extra every seven days.

This would add up to over £12 more per month or £134 a year. Carmoola explained: “With around 1.2 million EVs on UK roads, and the average car using 108kWh of energy per month, this small increase will amount to an additional £2.78 million in total energy costs by UK motorists in October alone!

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“This totals a staggering £33.36 million extra spent on car changing in UK households across a year.” Hybrid vehicle drivers will experience a smaller, but still noticeable, price increase. The cost of charging a hybrid vehicle at home will rise from £3.13 to £3.43 per charge.

Many energy providers offer reduced rates during off-peak hours, typically at night. Charging during off-peak hours could save up to 30% on your bill, depending on your provider. For example, British Gas’s Economy 7 tariff offers cheaper rates after midnight.

And Carmoola says Octopus’s Go tariff reduces costs between 12.30am and 4.30am. If you can, check if your provider offers these tariffs and weigh up whether it works for your household needs - if it does, you’ll save a significant amount over time.

The gurus added: "Reducing overall household energy consumption can help offset the cost of charging your EV. Simple measures like buying and using energy-efficient appliances and improving home insulation can lower your energy bills significantly."