Business use of public and home charging is soaring as fleets embrace EVs, according to a new report from Allstar.

Public charge use by Allstar customers in Q1 was up 264% compared to the same period a year ago

The new AllCosts report for Q1 2024 reveals that public charge use by Allstar customers is up 264% compared to the same period 12 months ago. Similarly, the EV, fuel and business expense payment firm found electric business drivers are plugging in 113% more from the comfort of their own homes.

The report, which takes proprietary data for many millions of transactions throughout the Allstar fuel card network and hundreds of thousands of charging sessions in public and at home in Q1 2024, also reinforced that the cost of home charging has stayed level of late, bucking the volatility in energy prices over the last few years. The average tariff remained the same as the previous three months at an average of 28p per kWh – in line with the Ofgem price cap at the time. The highest recorded cost in Q1 was 50p per kWh and the lowest was 5p.

Using public chargers has become more expensive however, with drivers paying to recharge on the road on average 82p per kWh, an increase of 12p from Q4 2024. The highest recorded cost was £1.06, while the lowest was 54p. The figures are based on what was paid for real-world charges, not the average price of each provider.

While there have been some unit cost increases from previously lower price providers, 82p is similar to what many premium, high-speed charge point operators have been charging for some time, so drivers are increasingly opting for premium charging to get back on the road quicker.

The Allstar report also shows a steady outlook for fuel. According to the data, the price of petrol and diesel is slowly falling, with petrol prices at the pump down 7.26p to an average 143.34p and diesel down 6.1p to 158.5p. After a rise over the first part of the winter, diesel prices have returned to levels seen in summer 2023. The price of Brent Crude oil has been steadily falling since early 2022; as supply and demand balance each other out, the forecast is for stability throughout the rest of 2024 and maybe even 2025.

Allstar said the findings reinforce that corporate fleets are at the forefront of electrification and are using far more public charging and home charging than any other business size; a third (36%) of drivers now have a card for charging in public, while 21% also charge at home.

Ashley Tate, MD, Allstar Chargepass UK, said the report painted an interesting picture of the needs and wants of business drivers across the UK.

“We know that EV adoption has slowed in some areas, but businesses continue to turn to electric vehicles for their fleet operations.”

He added: “It is also important to look at the type of charging that the report represents, with recharging being significantly cheaper to do at home. But for those that are out and about and need to plug in, it seems that drivers and their businesses are happy to pay more if charging speeds are faster and downtime is minimised.”

Paul Holland, managing director for UK/ANZ Fleet at Allstar parent firm Corpay, said: “It is positive to see the price of both petrol and diesel falling, and this should continue into 2025. Interestingly, despite a generally low cost, there was quite a significant disparity between the lowest and highest prices for diesel that equate to more than £15 for filling up a 70-litre tank. This demonstrates that even when things are looking better it is still important to shop around to ensure drivers are accessing the best prices and reducing the costs for their businesses.”

To download Allstar’s full report, click here.