Fastned offers EV drivers £25 charging credit as VAT gap widens

Fastned offers EV drivers £25 charging credit as VAT gap widens

EV drivers can claim £25 of free public charging from Fastned as the operator highlights the growing cost difference between charging at home and on the public network.

Fastned is offering £25 of charging credit across its 41 UK charging hubs, approximately equivalent to the cost of an average charging session on its network.

Drivers can claim the credit through the Fastned app using the code VAT2026 until 23:59 on 2 October. Once added, the credit must be used within three days.

The short-term offer is part of Fastned's My Driveway campaign, designed to coincide with a significant change to the economics of EV charging.

From 1 October, VAT on domestic electricity has fallen from 5% to 0% in England, Scotland and Wales, while public EV charging remains subject to VAT at 20%.

ChargeUK estimates that the VAT difference alone can now amount to around £200 a year between a typical driver able to predominantly charge at home and one reliant on the public network. Its wider cost comparison suggests a public-charging-reliant driver can spend more than £1,000 extra a year on charging.

What fleets should consider

The changing VAT position reinforces the importance of looking beyond an EV's headline efficiency or range when assessing operating costs.

Where vehicles are predominantly charged at home or at a fleet depot, electricity costs can be significantly different from those of vehicles dependent on public rapid and ultra-rapid infrastructure.

For fleets, understanding where vehicles are likely to charge, how frequently they will require public charging and the tariffs available to drivers is therefore becoming an increasingly important part of vehicle allocation and whole-life cost calculations.

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