Key points
- Annual profit = sessions × kWh per session × (price per kWh − electricity cost per kWh).
- The average public price for standard chargers was 54p/kWh in September 2026, which is about 45p before 20% VAT.
- With electricity at an assumed 22–30p/kWh, the margin is roughly 15–23p per kWh sold.
- Our illustrative examples range from a few hundred pounds a year to several thousand, depending mostly on how often the chargers are used.
- Under Shared Investment, the revenue split is agreed for your site at proposal stage. Under Owned & Managed, you keep the full return.
The short answer
A charger earns money on every kWh it sells. How much depends on three things: how often it's used, how much energy each car takes, and the gap between your price and your electricity cost.
The worked examples below are illustrative, not forecasts. For a figure based on your own site, use our revenue estimator.
The formula
Annual profit from charging is:
sessions per year × kWh per session × (net price per kWh − electricity cost per kWh)
"Net price" means the price drivers pay, less VAT. Public charging carries VAT at 20% (Fleet News). HMRC is appealing a tribunal ruling that allowed one operator a lower rate (Bloomberg Tax), so check the position with your accountant.
This is profit before other running costs, such as payment processing, the back office, connectivity and maintenance. We come back to those below.
The assumptions we've used
| Input | Figure used | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Price drivers pay | 54p/kWh including VAT | The September 2026 UK average for standard chargers (Zapmap) |
| Net price after VAT | 45p/kWh | 54p divided by 1.2 |
| Your electricity cost | 22–30p/kWh | Assumption. Business tariffs vary widely. For comparison, the domestic price cap is 26.32p/kWh from October to December 2026 (Ofgem) |
| Margin per kWh | 15–23p | 45p minus 30p, and 45p minus 22p |
| Energy per session | 20–30kWh | Assumption. A top-up, not a full battery. The average usable battery is 73.4kWh (EV Database) |
Sessions per week are assumptions too. They vary more than anything else, so each example shows a lower and a higher case.
Example 1: a 30-room hotel
One dual 22kW pedestal, so two cars can charge at once. Guests plug in during the evening and leave in the morning.
| Lower case | Higher case | |
|---|---|---|
| Sessions per week | 4 | 10 |
| Sessions per year | 208 | 520 |
| kWh per session | 20 | 30 |
| kWh sold per year | 4,160 | 15,600 |
| Margin per kWh | 15p | 23p |
| Profit per year | £624 | £3,588 |
The working for the higher case: 10 × 52 = 520 sessions. 520 × 30kWh = 15,600kWh. 15,600 × £0.23 = £3,588. On Shared Investment, this is shared with Victus on terms agreed for the site.
Ten sessions a week across two sockets means each socket is used on about five nights a week. A quieter hotel might see the lower case for its first year while guests discover the charger. See our page on EV charging for hotels.
Example 2: a wedding venue
One dual pedestal. Use follows the events diary: day guests charge during the celebration, and overnight guests charge after them.
| Lower case | Higher case | |
|---|---|---|
| Event days per year | 40 | 100 |
| Sessions per event day | 2 | 4 |
| Sessions per year | 80 | 400 |
| kWh per session | 20 | 25 |
| kWh sold per year | 1,600 | 10,000 |
| Margin per kWh | 15p | 23p |
| Profit per year | £240 | £2,300 |
The working for the higher case: 100 × 4 = 400 sessions. 400 × 25kWh = 10,000kWh. 10,000 × £0.23 = £2,300. On Shared Investment, this is shared with Victus on terms agreed for the site.
A venue with a café, farm shop or accommodation would see use on non-event days too. That isn't counted here.
Example 3: a 120-pitch holiday park
Two dual pedestals, giving four sockets. Use is seasonal, so the higher case splits the year in two.
| Lower case | Higher case | |
|---|---|---|
| Sessions per week | 8, all year | 30 in the 26-week season, 10 out of season |
| Sessions per year | 416 | 1,040 |
| kWh per session | 20 | 30 |
| kWh sold per year | 8,320 | 31,200 |
| Margin per kWh | 15p | 23p |
| Profit per year | £1,248 | £7,176 |
The working for the higher case: (26 × 30) + (26 × 10) = 1,040 sessions. 1,040 × 30kWh = 31,200kWh. 31,200 × £0.23 = £7,176. On Shared Investment, this is shared with Victus on terms agreed for the site.
Thirty sessions a week across four sockets is just over one car per socket per day in peak season. Holiday parks with lodges and longer stays can see repeat use by the same guests.
How price changes the picture
Your tariff makes a big difference. Here is the margin per kWh at three prices, after 20% VAT.
| Price drivers pay | Net of VAT | Margin at 22p electricity | Margin at 30p electricity |
|---|---|---|---|
| 45p/kWh | 37.5p | 15.5p | 7.5p |
| 54p/kWh | 45p | 23p | 15p |
| 60p/kWh | 50p | 28p | 20p |
Every 1p of margin on 10,000kWh a year is worth £100. But drivers compare prices on apps like Zapmap, so a price well above the local average can mean fewer sessions.
The costs the formula leaves out
The examples show profit on the energy sold. Real running costs also include:
- payment processing fees
- the back-office platform and data connection
- maintenance and repairs
- any extra standing or capacity charges on your electricity supply
Under Shared Investment, we supply the chargers and run payments, the back office, monitoring, maintenance and driver support. The revenue is shared, and the revenue split is agreed for your site at proposal stage, including which costs come off before it.
Under Owned & Managed, you buy the chargers and installation and keep the full return. If you pay us to run payments, monitoring and maintenance, that fee comes off your return. The packages page compares the two.
Remember the installation cost as well. Under both packages you pay for installation and groundworks, so it takes time to recover that outlay. Our installation cost guide explains what drives it.
The income the charger figures don't show
For hotels and venues, the charger's own profit is often the smaller part of the benefit.
In one survey of UK EV drivers, 48% said they would not stay at a hotel without onsite charging (Travolution, reporting SMS plc research). Another found 52% of EV owners would stay 30 minutes or more longer at a destination with good charging (Zest/CACI).
A single extra room night or a table for dinner can be worth more than a month of charging margin.
Things that raise or lower your earnings
- Being listed. A charger drivers can't find doesn't get used. List it on Zapmap, Google and your booking sites.
- Reliability. A charger that's down for a week loses a week of sessions and some goodwill.
- Bay discipline. Petrol cars in charging bays cost you sessions.
- Idle fees. At pubs and car parks, a fee for staying plugged in after charging finishes keeps bays moving. At hotels it can annoy overnight guests. Our idle fees guide covers when to use them.
- Number of sockets. If the bays are full every weekend, that's the case for a second pedestal.
Work out your own figure
The revenue estimator runs this same maths with your numbers. When you want a firm view, a free site survey adds your real installation cost and lets us set out both packages side by side.