Less than most employers guess. At the U.S. average commercial electricity price of 14.53 cents per kWh reported by the EIA, the electricity in one employee’s typical daily top-up costs roughly a dollar, and even a heavy user runs to about $25 a month in energy. The real costs of offering workplace charging sit elsewhere: hardware, installation, and the shape of the site’s electricity tariff.
Key Takeaways
- Energy is the small line: roughly $22–$25 per regular user per month at the commercial average price.
- Hardware and installation — several thousand dollars per connector — dominate the budget.
- Watch demand charges: unmanaged morning peaks can cost more than the energy itself.
- Level 2 fits workplace dwell times; DC fast charging is rarely needed at an office.
The Electricity Itself: The Small Line
Workplace charging is mostly top-ups. Cars arrive part-charged and sit for eight hours, so a Level 2 post replaces the morning’s commute, not a whole battery. The examples below use the EIA commercial average of 14.53 cents per kWh; replace it with your own tariff for your real figure.
| One employee’s pattern (examples) | Energy | Cost per week | Cost per month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily top-up of about 7 kWh, five days a week | 35 kWh a week | About $5.09 | About $22 |
| Half-battery refill of about 20 kWh, twice a week | 40 kWh a week | About $5.81 | About $25 |
| Near-full refill of about 40 kWh, every workday | 200 kWh a week | About $29.06 | About $126 |
The third row is the ceiling, not the norm — few commuters arrive empty every day. Budgeting for a new program usually means the first two rows, multiplied by the number of regular users.
Hardware and Installation: The Big Line
The chargers themselves cost more than years of top-up electricity. DOE-cited figures put public Level 2 equipment at about $3,500 plus about $2,500 installation per connector — the right order of magnitude for workplace posts too. Installation rises when the car park sits far from the electrical panel, when trenching is needed, or when the building’s supply needs upgrading. Our breakdown of how much commercial EV chargers cost works through the equipment side in full.
The Costs That Hide in the Tariff
- Demand charges. Many commercial tariffs include a charge based on the site’s highest short period of draw. A row of cars starting at 9 a.m. can set that peak for the whole billing period — which is why managed charging that spreads the load exists, as described in how commercial charging stations work.
- Network and billing administration. If you bill users or restrict access, expect software, payment processing and reporting to be part of the running cost.
- Maintenance. Cables, connectors and enclosures need periodic checks, like any equipment in a car park.
One offset to check: the federal Section 30C credit has covered business refuelling property at 6%, or 30% when wage and apprenticeship requirements are met, up to $100,000 per item, for property placed in service within the window listed by the IRS (January 1, 2023 to June 30, 2026, in eligible areas). Windows and eligibility change, so confirm the current position with a tax adviser before relying on it.
Equipment Sized for Shared Workplace Use
A workplace post serves two cars a day more often than one car twice. The EVDANCE EV-AC03201T dual-connector AC station puts two connectors on one unit, sharing up to 43 kW (22 kW per connector), with OCPP 1.6J and RFID so use can be restricted to staff or billed per user. More layouts are on the commercial charging solutions page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can we charge employees instead of offering it free?
Yes. Many employers do, at anything from a low per-kWh rate to full cost recovery, and networked chargers handle the billing. The models are compared in free vs paid charging, and our guide to planning a workplace charging program covers the policy choices around them.
Do we need DC fast charging at an office?
Almost never. Cars sit for the whole workday, so Level 2 has hours to deliver a top-up. DC fast charging suits fleets and depots with quick turnarounds, at far higher equipment and installation cost.
Is the electricity really the cheapest part?
On these figures, yes. A regular user’s energy is roughly $22–$25 a month, while one installed connector costs several thousand dollars before the first car plugs in. That is why programs should be sized to real demand, not to the whole car park.
Related Reading
- How to Plan a Workplace EV Charging Program
- How Much Do Commercial EV Chargers Cost?
- How Do Commercial EV Charging Stations Work?
- Do EV Charging Stations Cost Money? Free vs Paid Charging Explained
