A Tesla owner revealed just how much it cost him to run his electric vehicle, calling it ‘a hard pill to swallow’.
If there’s one thing EV owners can be smug about right now, it’s that they don’t have to concern themselves with the fluctuating price of oil… for their cars at least.
According to the RAC, the average price of unleaded petrol in the UK right now is 147.19p and diesel is 171.17p – with both ‘likely to rise’ as the conflict in the Middle East continues.
However, while EV drivers won’t have to pay for petrol or diesel, they usually have to plug their cars in like it’s a mobile phone to keep it going.
One Tesla driver, however, has taken a different approach to ensuring his car is charged to the max and helping keep costs down.
Non-EV owners out there, best to look away now.
EV owners don’t have to worry about petrol (Getty Stock Images)
Now, while the cost of running an electric car depends entirely on the make and model, with different vehicles having varying prices, they are increasingly likely to cost you less over a longer period of time than petrol or diesel.
To demonstrate that point, one tongue-in-cheek Tesla motorist revealed just how he keeps his bills down… by using solar energy.
Sharing a bill to X in January 2024, they joked: “First time I’ve had a bill within the last 12 months. This sucks.”
How much was it, I hear you ask? Well, it came to a grand total of $2.37 (£1.76).
First time i’ve had a bill within the last 12 months. this sucks. pic.twitter.com/OSGdu1QbcN
— RG (@Tesla_GTownTX) January 17, 2024
Many of his followers struggled to believe it, with one writing: “I can’t run my refrigerators for a month for that? Something is not being said.”
After another helpful user suggested they start a GoFundMe, the driver replied: “Thank you for the advice… this has been a hard pill to swallow. I don’t know how I’m going to sleep tonight.”
The user went on to explain they used solar panels to keep the bill low, as well as a Tesla Powerwall, which is a rechargeable lithium-ion battery that stores energy from solar or from the electricity grid.
How does a Tesla Powerwall work?
The guy’s bill shocked people (Getty Stock Images)
“Powerwall gives you the ability to store energy for later use and works with solar to provide key energy security and financial benefits,” Tesla’s website states.
“Each Powerwall system is equipped with energy monitoring, metering and smart controls for owner customisation using the Tesla app.”
The Powerwall comes with a price tag, starting from around £5,000. So while the bills are pretty low, the initial cost is hefty.
The cost of installing a normal electric vehicle charging outlet varies, but is estimated to be upwards of £500 to £1,000, per Carwow.
Meanwhile, according to Octopus, charging your car at home can cost as little as 2 to 3p per mile, around 14p per mile on ‘lamppost chargers’ (which are public, on-street chargers) and around 18p per mile for rapid public charging.
Re-charging times can vary, from anything from one to 10 hours, depending on how you charge your vehicle.
Featured Image Credit: Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images
