Brits divided over electric vehicle charging etiquette

With cold weather set to drain batteries faster and festive trips to visit family and friends, Britain could be heading for a winter of charging-related fallouts.

According to our research, almost a third (29%) of Brits said that they would be irritated if their guests charged their electric vehicle at their home without offering to contribute to the cost of the electricity, while 6% said that they would be unhappy with the situation even if their guest did offer to compensate them.

With the rise in popularity of electric vehicles, this problem isn't just a hypothetical - it's reality. Of people surveyed who have an EV charger installed at home, 42% said that they have already come face-to-face with this tricky situation.

As for a resolution, opinions appear to be split on what the right thing to do is. More than half (54%) of people surveyed accepted money from their visitors for allowing them to charge their vehicle, while a third (32%) said no to payment when their guests offered.

Where guests plugged in but didn’t offer to pay, 2% of people said that they confronted their visitors and requested a contribution towards the cost of charging their vehicle, and 12% said that their guest didn't offer to pay and that they didn’t ask for payment either.

Kara Gammell
Personal Finance & Insurance Expert

Mind your manners when charging with someone else's electricity

Charging your electric vehicle at someone else’s home might feel harmless, but our research shows it can cause tension. If you’re visiting friends or family and need to charge, always check first and offer to cover the cost.

It’s a small gesture that can go a long way, especially when energy bills are already stretched. If you regularly host guests who need to charge up, switching to an EV-friendly energy tariff could help ease the pressure and make those conversations a little less awkward.

^{Sources
Survey of 2,193 UK adults conducted by YouGov on behalf of MoneySuperMarket, 20–21 Aug 2025. Percentages rounded to the nearest full number.}