When is it cheapest to charge an electric car in Europe?
An electric car is the biggest flexible load most households will ever have. A typical charge takes several hours, but the car usually sits on the drive for twelve or more. Choosing which hours to use can cut the energy part of the cost considerably, if your tariff lets you benefit.
The daily price curve in different regions
Wholesale electricity prices follow a daily rhythm, but its shape depends on the generation mix. In solar-heavy markets such as Germany, the Netherlands and Spain the familiar “duck curve” dominates from spring to early autumn: prices sink around midday when solar output peaks and rise sharply in the early evening as the sun sets and people get home. In winter, and on dull days, the night becomes the cheapest period again.
In the Nordics and the Baltics hydro and wind matter more than solar. Prices are typically lowest at night and at weekends, and on windy days they can stay low around the clock. Morning and late-afternoon peaks are the times to avoid. Finland also shows how much the level can differ between neighbours: in 2025 its average day-ahead price was about 40 €/MWh, roughly half of Estonia’s.
The size of the daily swing is what makes timing worthwhile. According to Electricity Maps, the average gap between the cheapest and most expensive hour of the day in 2025 was about 125 €/MWh in Germany and 98 €/MWh in Spain.
Do you have a tariff that rewards timing?
Hourly prices only help if your contract passes them on. Availability differs a lot:
- Germany: since 1 January 2025 every supplier must offer at least one dynamic tariff. You need a smart meter to use it.
- Nordics: spot-price contracts are widespread, and many households already pay a price that changes every quarter-hour.
- Spain: the regulated PVPC tariff still follows the day-ahead market, but in 2026 only 45% of its energy cost is based on the daily market and 55% on futures, so the hourly differences are smaller than before. Network charges are also cheaper at night and at weekends.
- Netherlands and Belgium: many suppliers offer dynamic contracts linked to the day-ahead price.
If you are on a fixed or single-rate tariff, the time of charging makes no difference to your bill, although charging at midday on sunny days still helps the grid and, if you have rooftop solar, uses your own power.
Worked example: 40 kWh at the peak or the trough
Assume you add 40 kWh to the battery. With charging losses of around 10% you draw about 44 kWh from the grid. Using the 2025 average daily spread from Electricity Maps, the difference in the wholesale energy price between the most expensive and the cheapest hour is:
| Market | Average daily spread 2025 | Difference for 44 kWh |
|---|---|---|
| Germany | 125 €/MWh (12.5 cents/kWh) | 44 × 0.125 = 5.50 € |
| Spain | 98 €/MWh (9.8 cents/kWh) | 44 × 0.098 = 4.31 € |
VAT is added on top in both countries, and a car that charges for four hours on an 11 kW wallbox will not capture the full gap between the single best and worst hour. A realistic saving is therefore somewhat lower. Even so, 100 home charges a year in Germany at around 4–5 € each would add up to several hundred euros, without changing how far you drive.
On days with negative prices the gap is even larger, but such days are concentrated in spring and summer.
Smart charging in practice
You do not need to watch the market yourself. Most modern wallboxes and many car apps can read the next day’s prices and schedule charging automatically: you set the departure time and the minimum charge level, and the system picks the cheapest slots. Some dynamic tariffs come with their own app that does the same.
- Plug in whenever you arrive home and let the schedule decide.
- Set a sensible minimum (for example 30–40%) so the car is usable in an emergency.
- In solar-heavy zones, charge at midday at weekends or when working from home.
- Check whether your network operator offers a time-of-use grid fee for wallboxes; in Germany some do under the rules for controllable devices.
Where to check tomorrow’s cheapest hours
Day-ahead prices for the next day are published around 13:00 CET. Open the page for your zone, for example Germany, Spain, Finland or the Netherlands, to see today’s and tomorrow’s quarter-hour prices.
If you also care about emissions, the generation pages show when the grid is greenest; on electricity generation in Germany, for instance, the hours with the most wind and solar usually coincide with the cheapest ones. Cheap and clean tend to go together.
Frequently asked questions
Is it always cheapest to charge an electric car at night?
Not any more. In solar-heavy countries such as Germany, the Netherlands and Spain, midday is often cheaper from spring to early autumn. In the Nordics and in winter, night is still usually the cheapest time.
Do I need a dynamic tariff to save money by charging at certain times?
Yes, or a time-of-use tariff with a cheaper night or weekend rate. On a single fixed price per kWh the time of charging does not change your bill.
How much can smart charging save?
It depends on the daily price spread in your zone and how much you charge. In Germany the average spread in 2025 was about 12.5 cents per kWh before VAT, so the saving can reach a few euros per full charge.
Free, independent and ad-supported
If this guide helped you understand your electricity bill, a coffee keeps the site free and independent.
Sources
- Bundesnetzagentur – dynamic electricity prices (Dec 2025)
- Electricity Maps – Germany day-ahead prices 2025
- Electricity Maps – Spain day-ahead prices 2025
- OCU – PVPC: new calculation method
- ERR News – Estonia and Finland electricity prices in 2025
More articles
Negative electricity prices in Europe: why they happen, where and how often
Why European power prices drop below zero, how many negative hours Germany, France, Spain and the Netherlands saw in 2024–2025, and who actually benefits.
Interconnectors and electricity prices: how cables between countries shape your bill
How European market coupling works, why prices split between bidding zones, and what cable outages such as Estlink 2 do to prices, with real examples.