How Much Does It Cost to Run an Electric Vehicle Charger (Home) in New York? (2026)

Charging an EV at home is usually the largest new load a household adds. A Level 1 charger on a standard outlet draws about 1.4 kW; a Level 2 wall unit draws 7 to 11.5 kW. Total energy depends on distance driven, not charger size.

A typical electric vehicle charger (home) (7,200 W) costs $2.12 per hour, or about $127.40 per month at 2 hours a day in New York. Expensive to run

Hours used per day
WattagePer hourPer dayPer monthPer year
Low 1,400 W$0.41$4.25$127.40$1,550
Typical 7,200 W$2.12$4.25$127.40$1,550
High 11,500 W$3.39$4.25$127.40$1,550

Formula: watts ÷ 1000 × hours × price per kWh. Typical use is 2 h/day ≈ 5,256 kWh per year. A more powerful model does the same job faster, so it uses the same energy: the cost per hour changes from row to row, the cost per day does not.

One hour of an electric vehicle charger (home) (7.2 kWh) is the same electricity as

Electricity per year at typical use, on a log scale: #94 of 95 appliances, from least to most.

In New York, with electricity at 29.5¢ per kWh (source: EIA Table 5.6.A, 2026-06), a typical electric vehicle charger (home) costs $2.12 per hour and about $1,550 per year at 2 hours a day. That is about 61% more than the national average for the US ($79.23 per month), because electricity in New York costs 29.5¢ per kWh against 18.3¢ nationally. Each $1.00 of electricity buys roughly 0.5 hours of use.

How to lower the cost of running an electric vehicle charger (home)

In standby it draws about 5 W, which adds roughly 44 kWh ($12.92) per year if it is never unplugged.

Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to charge an EV at home?

Roughly 0.25 to 0.35 kWh per mile. A 60 kWh battery from empty to full uses about 65 kWh including charging losses.

Is home charging cheaper than public charging?

Almost always, often by a factor of two to four compared with fast chargers.

Does an EV charger use power when the car is not plugged in?

Smart chargers draw 2 to 8 watts in standby to stay connected.

Cost by region

US states
Canadian provinces

Related appliances

Use the generic electricity cost calculator · Which uses more? Take the quiz