How much does it cost to run a Level 2 EV charger?
A Level 2 EV charger drawing 7,200 watts, used 2 hours a day, uses about 14.40 kWh per day and costs about $2.80 per day, $85.08 per month, and $1,020.19 per year at the US average residential rate of 19.4¢/kWh. Enter your own wattage, hours, and state below for an exact figure.
Estimates only — based on typical wattages and average state rates, not your actual bill.
What drives the cost
A Level 2 home charger typically delivers 7.2 kW, adding roughly 25-30 miles of range per hour. Because you're buying a known quantity of energy, EV charging cost is unusually predictable: it's essentially your car's kWh-per-mile times your rate. Most drivers charge a few hours a night rather than continuously.
Cost at different daily usage
Same Level 2 EV charger at 7,200 watts, run for different amounts of time, at 19.4¢/kWh.
| Usage | kWh/day | Per day | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 h/day | 7.20 kWh | $1.40 | $42.54 | $510.09 |
| 2 h/day | 14.40 kWh | $2.80 | $85.08 | $1,020.19 |
| 3 h/day | 21.60 kWh | $4.19 | $127.62 | $1,530.28 |
| 4 h/day | 28.80 kWh | $5.59 | $170.16 | $2,040.38 |
Cost by model power draw
Not all models are equal. At 2 h/day, here is what the range costs.
| Model | Power | kWh/day | Per day | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Low-draw model | 3,800 W | 7.60 kWh | $1.48 | $44.90 |
| Typical | 7,200 W | 14.40 kWh | $2.80 | $85.08 |
| High-draw model | 11,500 W | 23.00 kWh | $4.46 | $135.89 |
Cost by state
A Level 2 EV charger at 7,200 W for 2 h/day, priced at each state's average residential rate.
| State | Rate | Per day | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 16.8¢ | $2.41 | $73.51 | $881.43 |
| Alaska | 28.2¢ | $4.07 | $123.74 | $1,483.77 |
| Arizona | 15.2¢ | $2.19 | $66.76 | $800.49 |
| Arkansas | 14.4¢ | $2.07 | $62.95 | $754.76 |
| California | 33.2¢ | $4.79 | $145.75 | $1,747.62 |
| Colorado | 16.2¢ | $2.33 | $70.84 | $849.37 |
| Connecticut | 27.4¢ | $3.94 | $119.97 | $1,438.57 |
| Delaware | 19.4¢ | $2.79 | $84.95 | $1,018.61 |
| District of Columbia | 25.4¢ | $3.66 | $111.34 | $1,335.02 |
| Florida | 15.2¢ | $2.18 | $66.50 | $797.34 |
| Georgia | 15.8¢ | $2.28 | $69.43 | $832.55 |
| Hawaii | 52.0¢ | $7.49 | $227.93 | $2,733.12 |
| Idaho | 12.3¢ | $1.78 | $54.13 | $649.12 |
| Illinois | 23.9¢ | $3.43 | $104.54 | $1,253.56 |
| Indiana | 18.1¢ | $2.61 | $79.56 | $953.96 |
| Iowa | 14.1¢ | $2.04 | $61.98 | $743.20 |
| Kansas | 15.1¢ | $2.18 | $66.32 | $795.23 |
| Kentucky | 15.0¢ | $2.16 | $65.66 | $787.35 |
| Louisiana | 14.2¢ | $2.04 | $62.02 | $743.72 |
| Maine | 28.6¢ | $4.12 | $125.50 | $1,504.79 |
| Maryland | 21.8¢ | $3.13 | $95.43 | $1,144.23 |
| Massachusetts | 28.8¢ | $4.15 | $126.33 | $1,514.78 |
| Michigan | 22.0¢ | $3.17 | $96.48 | $1,156.85 |
| Minnesota | 16.9¢ | $2.44 | $74.30 | $890.89 |
| Mississippi | 16.2¢ | $2.33 | $70.84 | $849.37 |
| Missouri | 13.7¢ | $1.97 | $59.96 | $719.02 |
| Montana | 14.7¢ | $2.11 | $64.30 | $771.06 |
| Nebraska | 13.6¢ | $1.96 | $59.57 | $714.29 |
| Nevada | 13.6¢ | $1.96 | $59.61 | $714.82 |
| New Hampshire | 27.3¢ | $3.94 | $119.80 | $1,436.46 |
| New Jersey | 23.3¢ | $3.35 | $102.00 | $1,223.07 |
| New Mexico | 14.1¢ | $2.03 | $61.89 | $742.15 |
| New York | 29.9¢ | $4.31 | $131.19 | $1,573.12 |
| North Carolina | 15.1¢ | $2.17 | $66.14 | $793.13 |
| North Dakota | 13.6¢ | $1.96 | $59.66 | $715.34 |
| Ohio | 19.5¢ | $2.81 | $85.56 | $1,025.97 |
| Oklahoma | 13.4¢ | $1.93 | $58.65 | $703.25 |
| Oregon | 16.3¢ | $2.34 | $71.32 | $855.15 |
| Pennsylvania | 21.6¢ | $3.10 | $94.46 | $1,132.67 |
| Rhode Island | 29.5¢ | $4.24 | $129.13 | $1,548.42 |
| South Carolina | 16.2¢ | $2.33 | $70.92 | $850.42 |
| South Dakota | 15.7¢ | $2.27 | $68.95 | $826.77 |
| Tennessee | 14.5¢ | $2.08 | $63.43 | $760.54 |
| Texas | 16.4¢ | $2.37 | $72.06 | $864.09 |
| Utah | 13.0¢ | $1.87 | $56.81 | $681.18 |
| Vermont | 24.9¢ | $3.58 | $109.10 | $1,308.22 |
| Virginia | 17.6¢ | $2.54 | $77.19 | $925.58 |
| Washington | 14.9¢ | $2.15 | $65.53 | $785.77 |
| West Virginia | 16.8¢ | $2.42 | $73.64 | $883.01 |
| Wisconsin | 19.7¢ | $2.84 | $86.53 | $1,037.53 |
| Wyoming | 14.8¢ | $2.13 | $64.87 | $777.89 |
How to cut the cost
- Charge overnight if your utility offers time-of-use rates — off-peak power is often half the peak price.
- Set a charge limit of 80% for daily driving; it's easier on the battery and buys only the energy you need.
- Precondition the cabin while still plugged in, so heating or cooling comes from the grid rather than the battery.
- Compare home charging against public DC fast charging — home is almost always dramatically cheaper per kWh.
Compare with related appliances
Monthly cost at typical usage and 19.4¢/kWh.
Questions
How much does it cost to charge an electric car at home?
A typical EV uses about 0.3 kWh per mile, so 1,000 miles a month is roughly 300 kWh. Multiply that by your rate — the state table below shows what that works out to where you live.
Is charging at home cheaper than a public charger?
Almost always. Public DC fast charging commonly costs two to three times the residential rate per kWh, plus session fees.
How do you calculate what a Level 2 EV charger costs to run?
Multiply its wattage by the hours it runs per day, divide by 1,000 to get kilowatt-hours, then multiply by your electricity rate. For a Level 2 EV charger: 7,200 W × 2 h ÷ 1,000 = 14.40 kWh per day, which at 19.4¢/kWh is $2.80 per day.
How many watts does a Level 2 EV charger use?
Typically 7,200 watts, with most models falling between 3,800 and 11,500 watts. The label on the appliance or its power supply gives the figure for your specific unit.