New York EV vs gas · Gas October 12, 2026 · Electricity rates 2025
Yes, by a lot. On National Grid's average home rate, charging an EV costs the same per mile as gas at $1.61 a gallon. Gas in the Buffalo-Niagara Falls area averaged $4.39 on October 12, 2026, so 1,000 miles a month costs about $60 to charge versus $163 in gas: roughly $103 a month back.
Your electric utility sets what charging costs, so here are the numbers for each one serving Buffalo.
Serves Buffalo and much of upstate New York
Average home rate 19.9 cents per kWh (2025). Charging costs the same per mile as gas at $1.61 a gallon: about $60 for 1,000 miles versus $163 in gas.
Serves some suburbs and outlying towns
Average home rate 22.6 cents per kWh (2025). Charging costs the same per mile as gas at $1.83 a gallon: about $68 for 1,000 miles versus $163 in gas.
We found no current EV rebate or charging credit from NYSEG in our latest review of New York programs.
Some homes buy the power itself from a supplier; these are the utilities' own rates.
Gas prices jumped in 2026 when the war with Iran disrupted oil shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. Home electricity is priced by utilities under state regulators and moves far more slowly, so the gap tends to widen when gas spikes. For a 27 mpg car to cost less per mile than charging at home in Buffalo, gas would have to fall below $1.61 a gallon.
Why an EV opts you out of gas spikes · Is an EV cheaper than gas right now? Every state
New York does not charge EV owners an extra registration fee, so the full $1,237 a year in fuel savings at 12,000 miles stays yours.
Drive Clean still knocks $500 to $2,000 off a new EV at the dealer, with no income test and no EV fee, but only about $17M of its budget was left in Oct 2026.
New York EV incentives · EV fees by state
We assume 1,000 miles a month, a typical new EV that uses 30 kWh per 100 miles, a 27 mpg gas car, and home charging at each utility's average residential rate, which includes its fixed monthly charges. An overnight or EV rate is often cheaper than that average, and public fast charging costs much more. Treat this as the honest average, not your bill.
Sources: EIA Form 861, 2025 (each utility’s residential revenue divided by residential sales), AAA metro gas price averages (regular unleaded), October 12, 2026
Use the savings calculator or see which EVs fit how you drive.
Yes. Charging at home on National Grid (19.9 cents per kWh, 2025) costs about $60 per 1,000 miles. The same miles in a 27 mpg car cost about $163 at the $4.39 Buffalo gas average on October 12, 2026.
About $1.61 to $1.83 a gallon, depending on your utility: $1.61 on National Grid and $1.83 on NYSEG. That is what a 27 mpg car would need to pay to match the cost per mile of charging at home.
At home, about $60 per 1,000 miles on National Grid (19.9 cents per kWh) or $68 per 1,000 miles on NYSEG (22.6 cents per kWh), for a typical EV that uses 30 kWh per 100 miles. Public fast charging costs much more per kWh than home charging, so these numbers assume you charge at home most of the time.
New York has state EV money open right now (see the New York guide), and utilities here add their own: National Grid "EV Charge Smart Plan" (up to $25/mo). Check the utility's page before you buy; programs fill up and change.
Thinking of buying? Run any dealer quote through the free Deal-Checker before you sign.