Charging Your EV at Home — Tariffs, Costs, and How to Optimize Your Bill

While articles about wallbox models and installation are popular, less is said about the operational side — how much home charging actually costs, how night tariffs work in Bulgaria, and how to minimize expenses. This is the practical guide.

The real cost per 100 km in Bulgaria

At current electricity prices (2026) and for various EVs:

At the day tariff (~0.25 BGN/kWh):

• Hyundai IONIQ 6 (14 kWh/100 km): ~3.50 BGN/100 km
• VW ID.3 (16 kWh/100 km): ~4.00 BGN/100 km
• Tesla Model Y (16 kWh/100 km): ~4.00 BGN/100 km
• BYD Atto 3 (17 kWh/100 km): ~4.25 BGN/100 km

At the night tariff (~0.15 BGN/kWh):

• Hyundai IONIQ 6: ~2.10 BGN/100 km
• VW ID.3: ~2.40 BGN/100 km
• Tesla Model Y: ~2.40 BGN/100 km

Compare this to a petrol car at 8 L/100 km and 2.80 BGN/L: 22.40 BGN/100 km.

Even at the day tariff, an EV is 5–6 times cheaper. At the night tariff, it's over 10 times cheaper.

Night tariffs in Bulgaria — how they work

The main electricity providers in Bulgaria (EVN, CEZ Electro, ENERGO-PRO) offer two-zone tariffs ("night/day") or multi-zone tariffs. Nighttime electricity is typically significantly cheaper.

A typical structure (check your provider for current prices):

EVN/CEZ two-zone tariff:

• Day zone (6:00–22:00): ~0.23–0.27 BGN/kWh
• Night zone (22:00–06:00): ~0.13–0.17 BGN/kWh

Important: Tariffs are updated periodically. Check current prices directly with your provider.

How to switch to a night tariff

1. Contact your electricity provider 2. Request a two-zone or multi-zone meter (if you don't have one) 3. Submit a request to change your tariff plan 4. If needed — a meter replacement (usually at the provider's expense)

The process takes 2–4 weeks, but it's a one-time step, and it's free or comes with only a symbolic fee.

Schedule automatic charging during the night window

All modern EVs have a charging schedule feature:

Tesla: Settings > Charging > Schedule. Set a start time (e.g., 23:00) and target charge level.

VW ID series: the Charging section in the My VW app → Departure time. The car calculates on its own when to start charging so it's ready before departure.

Hyundai IONIQ 6/5: Charging menu → Scheduled Charging. Supports up to 2 profiles (weekdays/weekends).

Important: Plug the car in and let it start charging automatically — don't manually plug and unplug it overnight.

Smart wallboxes — are they worth it

A basic wallbox (7.4 kW, ~300–400 BGN) charges just fine but offers no smart features. A smart wallbox (~600–1,000 BGN) adds:

• Automatic charging start/stop — without relying solely on the car
• Consumption tracking — you know exactly how much you've spent on electricity
• Current limiting — useful if your home's fuse capacity is small (10–16A), letting you set a cap
• V2H readiness (on pricier models) — useful if you have solar panels

Popular smart wallbox brands with good support in Bulgaria: Easee, Wallbox Pulsar Plus, Zaptec Go, KEBA KeContact.

Solar panels + EV — the perfect combination

If you have or are planning solar panels, an EV is the ideal "storage":

A typical 6 kWp installation in Bulgaria produces about 8,500 kWh/year. With an EV consuming around 3,000 kWh/year for 15,000 km, solar panels cover over 100% of the car's needs.

With a smart wallbox (or a Smart Energy Management system), you can charge the EV only when the panels produce a surplus — e.g., 10:00–15:00 on a sunny day. The result: charging with essentially free electricity.

A real example: an EV electricity budget

Driver with 15,000 km/year, Tesla Model Y (15 kWh/100 km effective, including losses):

• Annual electricity need: ~2,250 kWh
• At the night tariff of 0.15 BGN/kWh: 337.50 BGN/year
• At the day tariff of 0.25 BGN/kWh: 562.50 BGN/year
• With a mixed night/day split (70/30%): ~370 BGN/year

Compare with petrol at the same mileage, 9 L/100 km, 2.80 BGN/L: 3,780 BGN/year.

Savings: ~3,400 BGN/year on the night tariff.

Losses in home charging

No system is 100% efficient. Losses in AC home charging:

• Wallbox and cable losses: ~3–5%
• AC-to-DC conversion losses in the car (onboard charger): ~8–12%
• Losses from battery thermal management: ~2–5% (more noticeable in cold weather)

Overall, expect ~15–20% losses — meaning for 100 km from the battery, you'll draw around 17–20 kWh from the grid.

When home charging isn't enough

A home 7.4 kW charger adds roughly 35–40 km of range per hour. For a full 0% to 100% charge:

• 40 kWh battery (Dacia Spring): ~5.5 hours
• 60 kWh battery (BYD Atto 3): ~8.5 hours
• 77 kWh battery (IONIQ 6): ~11 hours

If you regularly drive over 200 km a day, a 7.4 kW home charger may not be enough for an overnight top-up. Consider an 11 kW wallbox (three-phase power) — nearly twice as fast, charging 77 kWh in about 7 hours.

Conclusion

Home charging at the night tariff is a financially compelling proposition — "fuel" costs drop to about 1/10 of petrol. The one-time investment in a wallbox (300–1,000 BGN) and switching to a night tariff pays for itself in under a year at average mileage. Add solar panels, and you're practically driving for free.