Running cost comes down to wattage, hours and your rate. In District of Columbia the rate is 25.40 cents per kWh, which is 37.7 percent above the national average. Here is what that means for a level 2 ev charger.
A level 2 ev charger drawing 7,200 W costs $1.83 per hour in District of Columbia. Run 4 hours a day that is $7.32 daily, $219 a month and $2,670 a year, which is $732 more than the same appliance at the US average rate.
Cost by hours used per day in District of Columbia
| Hours/day | Energy | Per day | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 h | 7.20 kWh | $1.83 | $54.86 |
| 2 h | 14.40 kWh | $3.66 | $110 |
| 4 h | 28.80 kWh | $7.32 | $219 |
| 6 h | 43.20 kWh | $10.97 | $329 |
| 8 h | 57.60 kWh | $14.63 | $439 |
| 12 h | 86.40 kWh | $21.95 | $658 |
| 24 h | 172.80 kWh | $43.89 | $1,317 |
Cost by wattage at 25.40 cents
| Rated power | Per hour | Per day | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3,300 W | $0.84 | $3.35 | $101 |
| 5,000 W | $1.27 | $5.08 | $152 |
| 7,200 W | $1.83 | $7.32 | $219 |
| 9,600 W | $2.44 | $9.75 | $293 |
| 11,500 W | $2.92 | $11.68 | $351 |
Find the row matching the nameplate on your own unit. Within a single appliance category the spread is often wider than the difference between categories, so the label is worth reading.
Charging an EV in District of Columbia
At the District of Columbia rate, home charging works out well below the equivalent cost of gasoline for almost any vehicle. Cold weather reduces efficiency, since the battery is heated before and during charging, so winter cost per mile in District of Columbia runs above the annual average.
Why District of Columbia pays what it does
District of Columbia has a competitive retail electricity market, so the rate used here blends households on the utility default with households on shopped supply plans. If you have never switched supplier you are probably on the default, which is usually the more expensive side of that blend. Only the generation portion of your bill changes when you switch; delivery and outage response do not.
At 25.40 cents, District of Columbia ranks 42 of 51 from cheapest to most expensive. The Northeast regional average is 25.91 cents. Roughly half of any residential bill is transmission and distribution rather than generation, which is why rates keep climbing even when fuel prices fall.
How this compares across the country
The same level 2 ev charger on the same schedule, in the cheapest and dearest states:
| State | Rate | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Idaho | 12.35¢ | $107 | $1,298 |
| Utah | 12.96¢ | $112 | $1,362 |
| District of Columbia | 25.40¢ | $219 | $2,670 |
| California | 33.25¢ | $287 | $3,495 |
| Hawaii | 52.00¢ | $449 | $5,466 |
Lowering the number in District of Columbia
- Charge on an off-peak or EV tariff if one exists. This is the easiest load in the house to shift, and the savings are large.
- Set the schedule in one place only. Conflicting car and charger schedules are the usual reason people wake to an uncharged car.
- Charge to 80 percent for daily use. Better for the pack and it avoids the slow final phase.
- Precondition while plugged in. Heating the cabin from the grid rather than the battery preserves range.
- Do not pay for a bigger charger than the car accepts. Many vehicles cap AC charging at 7.2 kW.
Offsetting it with solar in District of Columbia
This load uses about 28.80 kWh a day. Covering that would take roughly 20 standard 400 W panels at typical sun hours, an array of about 8.00 kW. Because it offsets electricity worth 25.40 cents rather than the national 18.44 cents, the same array is worth more here than the national payback figures suggest.
An EV is a large flexible battery that can absorb surplus solar all afternoon. Solar-aware chargers do this automatically. Full sizing, including battery and inverter requirements, is on the solar sizing page for this appliance.
Questions people actually ask
[hed_faq]How much does it cost to run a level 2 ev charger in District of Columbia?About $1.83 per hour and $219 a month at 4 hours a day, using the District of Columbia average rate of 25.40 cents per kWh.
How many watts does a level 2 ev charger use?Around 7,200 W while running, with a range of roughly 3,300 to 11,500 W depending on model and setting.
Is that expensive for District of Columbia?District of Columbia electricity runs 37.7 percent above the national average, so this appliance costs $732 more per year here than it would at the US average rate.
Can I lower this without replacing the appliance?Usually yes. Run time is the variable you control, and the hours table above shows exactly what each hour costs. In District of Columbia you can also shop for a cheaper supply rate, which lowers every figure on this page proportionally.[/hed_faq]