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EV Evidence

Regulation · UK

Public charging subscription break-even

Enter the monthly subscription fee, current PAYG p/kWh and current subscriber p/kWh yourself. When PAYG is higher, break-even kWh per month equals 100 times the fee in pounds divided by the p/kWh difference. No positive energy-only break-even exists when the subscriber price is equal to or above PAYG.

Office for Zero Emission Vehicles and Department for Transport: Public Charge Point Regulations 2023 guidance

Reviewed

Key facts and evidence

Across the UK, as at 12 August 2026, this subscription calculation uses only three user-entered values observed for the same network, payment assumptions and period. It publishes no operator tariff. The result is an energy-only threshold, excludes unrelated parking and does not recommend subscribing because actual use and future prices remain user-specific and changeable.

Office for Zero Emission Vehicles and Department for Transport: Public Charge Point Regulations 2023 guidance

Calculate an energy-only public-charging subscription break-even from three user-entered values, with no operator prices or recommendation.

Use the energy-only formula

Break-even kWh per month = 100 × monthly subscription fee in pounds ÷ (PAYG p/kWh − subscriber p/kWh). Keep unrounded inputs for the calculation and show the units beside every value.

Handle the denominator honestly

If PAYG equals the subscriber unit price, there is no finite energy-only break-even. If PAYG is below it, additional charging increases rather than recovers the subscription fee under these inputs; show no positive threshold.

Keep the scope narrow

Use matching current observations and exclude parking, travel, availability and other non-energy considerations from this three-input formula. The threshold is arithmetic, not a saving claim, forecast or recommendation, and it must be recalculated when an input changes.

What to do next

A subscription threshold does not assess whether a chargepoint or vehicle should be used.

Immediate action: Record all three inputs with the same date, scope and membership assumptions.

  • Stop the calculation when either p/kWh input is missing, undated or from a different scope.
  • Do not treat a zero or negative price difference as a positive break-even.

Checks that stay with this vehicle

  1. Record the two displayed p/kWh inputs and the stated monthly fee with dates.

    Three user-supplied values share a stated network, membership scope and period.

    Any value is missing, belongs to another scope or lacks a current observation date.

Professional hand-off

  • Ask the provider to clarify a subscription fee, eligibility condition or channel-specific unit price.

Questions this record can answer

What does the sourced evidence say about use the energy-only formula?

Break-even kWh per month = 100 × monthly subscription fee in pounds ÷ (PAYG p/kWh − subscriber p/kWh). Keep unrounded inputs for the calculation and show the units beside every value.

What does the sourced evidence say about handle the denominator honestly?

If PAYG equals the subscriber unit price, there is no finite energy-only break-even. If PAYG is below it, additional charging increases rather than recovers the subscription fee under these inputs; show no positive threshold.

What does the sourced evidence say about keep the scope narrow?

Use matching current observations and exclude parking, travel, availability and other non-energy considerations from this three-input formula. The threshold is arithmetic, not a saving claim, forecast or recommendation, and it must be recalculated when an input changes.

Sources