Electric car owners without access to a home charger are now paying up to a 1,500 per cent penalty by being forced to top up their vehicles on the streets.

Homeowners with a dedicated charger, smart meter and electric car tariff from their energy supplier can pay as little as 5p per kWh to replenish the vehicle’s batteries overnight.

However, a neighbour relying on a council-backed on-street charger can face rates of 65p per kWh – meaning the same car could be filled for as little as £2.56 or as much as £41.

Worse still for the second person, they can also face ‘idle fees’ of up to 6p per minute, if they remain attached to the charger once their vehicle is filled up.