InstaVolt Miles Explained: Is the New EV Charging Rewards Scheme Worth It?
InstaVolt, the UK's largest rapid charging network by number of sites, has overhauled its rewards scheme. On 1 October 2026 it launched InstaVolt Miles, a tiered loyalty programme that replaces the old flat-rate Volts system. From 2 November 2026, you'll also be able to convert your rewards into Virgin Points.
If you use the InstaVolt app, you've probably already been moved onto the new scheme. Here's how it works, what it's actually worth in pounds and pence, and who stands to gain the most.
What Is InstaVolt Miles?
InstaVolt Miles is a free rewards programme built into the InstaVolt app. There's no subscription or membership fee. You still earn Volts when you charge, but the number you earn now depends on which tier you're in, and your tier depends on how much you spend on charging each month.
Each Volt is worth 1p when redeemed as charging credit. So the scheme is effectively a cashback programme, paid in InstaVolt credit, that rewards regular users more generously.
The Four Tiers
Your tier is based on what you spend on InstaVolt charging through the app in a calendar month:
| Tier | Monthly spend | Volts per £1 spent | Equivalent return |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | £0 to £30 | 1 | 1% |
| Bronze | £30 to £150 | 5 | 5% |
| Silver | £150 to £400 | 10 | 10% |
| Gold | £400+ | 15 | 15% |
How tiers change:
- If you reach a higher tier in one month, it takes effect from the start of the following month
- Once you reach a tier, you keep it for two months, and reaching a higher tier restarts that period
- Spending doesn't carry over: every month starts again from £0
- Tiers are reviewed at the end of each month and can go down as well as up
- Roaming fees, overstay fees and refunded sessions don't count towards your spend
InstaVolt's own example: a Starter member who spends £30 in October moves up to Bronze for November and December.
What It's Actually Worth
InstaVolt's current prices for app users are 92p per kWh between 7am and 8pm, and 55p per kWh off-peak between 8pm and 7am. If you redeem your Volts as charging credit, here's what your charging effectively costs at each tier:
| Tier | Peak (92p/kWh) | Off-peak (55p/kWh) |
|---|---|---|
| Starter (1%) | 91.1p | 54.5p |
| Bronze (5%) | 87.4p | 52.3p |
| Silver (10%) | 82.8p | 49.5p |
| Gold (15%) | 78.2p | 46.8p |
Bear in mind these are effective prices. You pay the full rate at the charger and get the reward back as credit to spend on a later charge.
How Much Charging Does Each Tier Need?
Translating the spend thresholds into energy gives a better sense of who each tier is really for:
- Bronze (£30 a month): about 33 kWh at peak rates, or about 55 kWh off-peak. For many drivers, that's one or two rapid charges a month.
- Silver (£150 a month): about 163 kWh at peak rates, or about 273 kWh off-peak. That's regular weekly rapid charging.
- Gold (£400 a month): about 435 kWh at peak rates, or about 727 kWh off-peak. That's high-mileage territory: taxi and private hire drivers, people who drive for work, or drivers who can't charge at home at all.
Bronze is realistic for anyone who uses InstaVolt a couple of times a month, and that alone is a fivefold improvement on the old flat earn rate. Silver and Gold are aimed squarely at drivers who rely on public rapid charging as their main way of charging.
The Virgin Red Option
From 2 November 2026, you can convert Volts into Virgin Points through Virgin Red, Virgin's rewards club, at one Virgin Point per Volt. Virgin Points can be spent on things like Virgin Atlantic flights, Virgin Voyages, Virgin Hotels, Virgin Experience Days and Virgin Wines.
A few things to know before you convert:
- You need a Virgin Red membership, which is free to join
- Conversions can't be reversed
- A Volt is worth a fixed 1p as InstaVolt credit, but what a Virgin Point is worth depends on what you redeem it for
If you charge regularly and would rather have money off charging, redeeming as InstaVolt credit is simple and predictable. Virgin Red makes more sense if you're already collecting Virgin Points towards something specific.
What Happens to Your Old Volts?
Volts earned under the previous scheme have been carried over automatically and can still be redeemed or, from November, converted to Virgin Points. However, they don't count towards your tier. Only qualifying spend from October 2026 onwards does.
InstaVolt's terms also state that the move from the old Volts scheme to Miles is final.
You Only Get the Rewards Through the App
This is the most important practical point. InstaVolt's off-peak rate and its rewards are only available when you charge through the InstaVolt app (or an InstaVolt RFID card):
- Contactless card payments are charged 92p per kWh at all times, with no off-peak rate and no Volts
- Roaming apps and cards don't earn Volts, and InstaVolt's off-peak price doesn't apply to roaming sessions
Roaming services like Electroverse are still very useful for accessing many networks with one app, and I covered the pros and cons in my guide to EV charging apps. But if you use InstaVolt regularly, it's worth having its own app installed too, especially for overnight charging.
A Bigger Network Too
The rewards launch follows a period of rapid growth. In June 2026, InstaVolt agreed a deal to acquire 228 charging sites from GeniePoint, making it the first UK charging operator to pass 1,000 sites. It now describes its network as having more than 1,200 locations. The former GeniePoint sites are due to be upgraded and rebranded as InstaVolt over time.
Is InstaVolt Miles Worth It?
For occasional users: It costs nothing, so there's no reason not to use it. At Starter level the 1% return is small, but two or three rapid charges in a month will get you to Bronze.
For regular rapid chargers: Silver and Gold take a meaningful amount off your charging costs. Gold members charging off-peak are effectively paying under 47p per kWh, which is good value for ultra-rapid charging.
For drivers who mostly charge at home: Home charging on an EV tariff will still be far cheaper than any public rapid charging, rewards or not. Miles is a nice extra for road trips rather than a reason to change how you charge.
The bigger story is that the gap between paying by contactless and using the app has widened considerably. Between the 55p off-peak rate and up to 15% back in credit, a regular InstaVolt user charging overnight through the app could pay around half what a contactless user pays at peak times for the same charge.
Key Takeaways
- InstaVolt Miles launched on 1 October 2026 and replaces the old flat-rate Volts scheme
- Four tiers earn 1, 5, 10 or 15 Volts per £1 spent, depending on your monthly spend
- 1 Volt = 1p of InstaVolt charging credit, so the tiers return 1% to 15%
- Virgin Red conversions start on 2 November 2026, at one Virgin Point per Volt
- App only: contactless and roaming sessions don't get rewards or the 55p off-peak rate
- Old Volts are kept but don't count towards your tier
Note: Prices and reward rates are correct as of October 2026 and are set by InstaVolt, which can change them. Check the InstaVolt app or website for current terms before relying on them.
