EV Charging at Home: What It Does to Your Electric Bill (And How Solar Fixes It)
Updated August 2026 with the latest rates and program details from PURA, Eversource, and state program filings.
Thesis: an EV is often the biggest new appliance a home ever adds — and in southern New England, where electricity runs from about 23.5¢/kWh in Connecticut to well over 30¢ in Massachusetts, how you power it decides whether you keep the savings or hand a growing slice back to the utility.
What an EV really adds to your bill
A typical driver covering about 12,000 miles a year at 3–3.5 miles per kWh uses roughly 300 kWh a month of home charging. At New England rates, that's in the neighborhood of $70–$110 a month depending on your state and utility — a second small electric bill. Still far cheaper than gasoline, but the utility takes a bigger cut every time rates rise, as Massachusetts drivers just saw with the August 1 supply increase.
Know the 2026 program changes in Connecticut
Connecticut's utility EV programs were scaled back by 2025 legislation: as of January 1, 2026, the $1,500 upfront rebate for home chargers and wiring upgrades is limited to income-qualified households (at or below 300% of the Federal Poverty Level or in designated high-poverty areas). Managed charging incentives — paid twice a year for charging off-peak — remain open to new enrollees. If a salesperson promises you a universal charger rebate, they're a year out of date.
Solar flips the math
Pair home charging with rooftop solar and every mile you charge at home costs less, permanently, at a locked rate designed to beat the utility's. Add a battery and you can charge the car in the evening from power your roof made that afternoon.
Planning for an EV? Tell your solar designer
Three hundred kilowatt-hours a month changes how big your system should be. When we design, we ask about the cars in your driveway — and the ones you're thinking about — so your roof is sized for the way you'll actually live.