Where can I find free public charging?

You’ll find hundreds of free electric car charge points across the UK. These are most commonly found at supermarkets, shopping centres, public car parks and hotels. As an incentive to attract more customers, supermarkets such as Tesco, Sainsburys, Waitrose, Aldi and Lidl offer charging in their car parks. They may offer free charging points at some of their, usually larger, locations, but it's always best to check the app in advance.

Be aware there could be restrictions such as a set period of time or requiring a purchase in-store, so it's best to check. Be aware that although free charging is an amazing resource when you do find them, they are likely to be in high demand, so you shouldn’t rely solely on them.

Scotland is one of the best places in the UK to find free electric charging. Transport for Scotland runs many charging stations under the ChargePlace Scotland network. Free charging points can also be found in London and other major cities, but currently, there is no specific scheme in place for free charging. However, highly populated and major cities generally have lots of charging points, many of which are free. As you might expect, more rural and remote areas of the UK, such as Wales and the Channel Islands, will have less.