The debate still continues on whether having an electric vehicle can really help with cost-saving measures. Tesla cars have become the premier electric vehicle in the country and its mainstream success has raised a few questions, especially about costs.
Will electricity costs go up because of the charging requirements? How can you save or manage your budget while having a Tesla?
Don’t worry, Tesla car owners have given their take on the matter and you can learn from first-hand experience their monthly rates and their tips or tricks to reduce electricity costs. Who else to get the facts straight than the current Tesla users themselves.
If you want to understand electricity rates from different Tesla owners, read along and discover whether you can really save or not.
Here’s what Tesla owners say about INCREASES in their bill
“Figure your monthly cost of electricity will go up by about one quarter and your cost of gas will go down.” – Miranda D
“The average Knoxville electric rate is just under $0.10 per kWh. Driving average speeds should get you between 3 to 4 miles per kWh. That’s around 3 cents per mile. At $3.00 per gallon, if you were getting 25 miles per gallon that would be 12 cents per mile.” – George L
“Depends on your overall driving miles and cost of electricity. We have 2 EVs and spend about $25 each per month on charging (driving 1,000 miles each).” – Keith U.
“Depends where you live but mine barely went up and I live in Southern California. Check with your electric company. Mine gives reduced electric rates for EV cars and further reduced when you charge at off-hours a.k.a overnight.” – Chris P.
“Take how much you drive, let’s say 1200miles per month. Divide by 3.9 (average miles per kWh). Multiply this to your electricity rate, mine is $0.12. 1200 miles cost about $36.90/mo in this scenario.” – Luke M
The majority of Tesla car owners responded that having their EV helped them save in terms of budget because their previous gas and car maintenance costs were deducted from their monthly expenses. Even though their electricity bills turned higher than before, they don’t think of this in a negative way. When you balance out the expenses on gas and the expenses on electricity, having a Tesla has turned out to be a smart decision for most of the owners.
Tesla has acknowledged that some customers may owe more money in electric costs because their electricity usage could be higher than expected. Electricity use varies depending on several factors, such as weather, home size, and appliances used.
Here’s what Tesla owners say about no change in their bill
Since Tesla opened for business in the US, people have been wondering how much it would cost to run a Tesla as opposed to their gas-powered vehicle. The company has touted that they will give you free charging at any of their supercharger stations, but what about at home? How much does home charging cost and how is it measured? Now we know! Here is what some drivers say about no change in their bill even after getting a Tesla. Read on below to hear from them directly.
“Not much of a change for me. Temps and whether we are home or traveling have just as much impact as EV charging. My utility’s rate is roughly 9,6 cents per kWh. I have the Tesla wall charger on a 60 amp circuit.” – John B
“I’m on an even billing plan in OH and mine literally hasn’t changed. My average KWH per day usage did go up, but not significantly enough for them to bump up my rate.” – Teddy D
“I’m a relatively light driver. I used to spend about $100 a month on gas. (Old car got like 23 MPG?) Now I spend about $30 a month on electricity.” – Jennifer T
“I burn something like $7-10 per week, but most days I get almost half of what I burn back because I plug into a 110 a work. In practice, it turns out that my electricity cost is mostly the noise. I have a bigger impact on my electric bill by lowering or raising the temperature a degree or two on a hot day.” – Ray R
Tesla owners have been noticing that their car is having a significant impact on their electric bill. For example, Tesla owner, Teddy has noticed that his total monthly electric bill was $0. This was an unexpected surprise to him since he had heard from many people about higher electricity bills with electric cars. “The fact they don’t need gas…that’s what I thought would make them expensive,” said Teddy. He also mentioned that he doesn’t charge at home and only charges when he makes long trips or needs to go somewhere distant during the evening hours because it’s cheaper than charging at home overnight.
Tips on How to Reduce Tesla Charging Costs
There are ways to reduce Tesla charging costs and current Tesla owners have proven these via their first-hand experiences. These tips will help you get more out of each charge by reducing what goes into electricity consumption and maintenance costs. They’re easy enough for anyone who owns a Tesla, even those new to EVs in general, and could save you thousands over the life of your vehicle.
Utilize SuperCharger station
Always use a SuperCharger station over a regular one if you have the option to do so. The rate difference is almost never below $0.02/kWh, and can be as much as $0.08/kWh in some cases (such as the Grand Canyon). That means at 12¢/kWh it could add up to an additional $20 savings per 100 miles compared to a regular charger!
When staying overnight at a hotel, ask for any clues about charging stations in their parking lot or nearby vicinity (if they don’t already provide them) and then go there instead of using your own outlet in your room – this way you can charge your car overnight for free.
Maintain Ideal Charging Conditions for Batteries
If you plug your Tesla into typical household outlets (120 volts) most of the energy is lost as heat rather than stored in the battery. This means that you’ll get less out of each full charge and need more hours plugged in for less range. The best option is to use a 240-volt outlet (like the one you use for your clothes dryer) to get the most out of each charge. The Tesla High Power Wall Connector is also a good option (home installation required), and will substantially reduce energy loss in charging, but it’s more expensive than a simple 240-volt outlet install.
Install Solar Panels on Your Roof
Charging can be even cheaper if you install a home solar power system but not every house will suit solar panels. If your house suits solar panels, solar power can be produced for as little as 5 cents per kilowatt-hour. This will allow you to charge your Tesla for only 35% of the costs quoted above and will also reduce the cost of powering your home. Tesla Solar Roofs and Powerwalls offer fully sustainable clean energy solutions that can reduce electricity costs for homes with solar panels or even those without them. These products give renewable options for curbing household power consumption which could lower the number of times you need to charge your mode; each week, if not eliminate it entirely.
Let’s take a dive into math.
A 6 kW solar system will cost around $17,100 before the current 26% tax credit, and around $12,654 after the tax credit. It will generate between 6,130–10,500 kWh of electricity per year (depending on how sunny it is where you live). This is between 184,000–315,000 kWh over the 30-year life of a solar power system or about 5.6 cents per kWh.
This is almost 35% less than the national average cost of power and less than a third of the cost of grid power. In states like California, Massachusetts, New York, and New Jersey, where utility electric rates are much higher than the national average, it can be at least 65% cheaper to charge your Tesla with home solar power rather than using grid electricity.
FAQs | What Readers Want to Know
How much does having a Tesla increase your electric bill?
It’s a fair question, but keep in mind that there are some factors you should consider. The cost of driving with a Tesla Model S is about $0.02 per mile; while the cost of driving with gasoline is around $0.13 per mile. If you drive 10,000 miles in a year, then the total costs would be $220 – $400 for an electric vehicle and $1,320 for a gas car. The Tesla owners who participated in this study were almost all driving over 10,000 miles per year.
Should I charge my electric car every night?
Electric cars (Tesla and others) do not need to be plugged in for recharging once sufficient range has been accumulated during the day. An overnight charge would only add about 10 miles of travel. The timing of charging should reflect whether one is using more electricity during the day or at night. If you’re lucky enough to have access to Supercharger, this might not be necessary. You do not need to charge your electric car every night. It is not necessary. You can reduce the lifespan of the battery if you charge it every day.
Do you really save money with electric cars?
It’s true that running an electric car is potentially much more cost-effective than traditional internal combustion engines. But there are other associated costs too. The initial purchase price of EVs may be higher than that of comparable internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles, thanks largely to the battery packs required to power them. However, thanks to their low maintenance requirements and cheap fuel costs – electricity is far cheaper per mile than either petrol or diesel – they quickly make up this difference in reduced running costs.
Do electric cars increase your electric bill?
The short answer is, yes. Any device, appliance, or machine that draws electricity will add to your electric bill. Electric vehicles must be plugged-in and charged up regularly to run. The amount of electricity EVs require depends on the size and type of vehicle. Electric rates vary from state to state and can depend on whether you’re charging an electric car during the day or night, how many hours your vehicle is plugged in for, and what your home’s energy efficiency is like (the more efficient your home, the less it will cost to power it).
Conclusion
A study conducted by the University of Michigan concluded that the average cost to operate an internal combustion engine car was close to $1,117 per year.
Electric vehicles, on the other hand, were estimated to cost an average of $485 per year. The actual cost of operating an EV varies from state to state. But even in Hawaii, the state with the highest average electricity prices, the cost to operate an EV is still lower than the cost of a combustion engine car.
With an easy-to-understand and no-nonsense style, Michael writes to educate readers who are considering their first EV purchase or those looking to get the most fun and value out of their Tesla, Leaf, Volt or other electric vehicle.
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