2013 Tesla Model S and 2011 Chevrolet Volt in garage; photo by George Parrott

2013 Tesla Model S and 2011 Chevrolet Volt in garage; photo by George Parrott

Electric-car owners know that home recharging is virtually always cheaper, on a per-mile basis, than driving on gasoline.

In some cases, it's considerably cheaper.

We recently reported on the sweet deal enjoyed by a Tesla Model S owner in Indianapolis, whose local utility charges just 2.3 cents per kWh for overnight EV charging.

DON'T MISS: Life With Tesla Model S: Tires Cost Me More Than My 'Fuel' Does

That puts his "fuel" cost at less than a penny a mile. (Three farthings, to be precise.)

Believe it or not, a couple of hours drive north from Indy, there are (so far) 125 lucky electric-car owners who have an even better deal from their local power company. 

2012 Toyota Prius Plug-In Hybrid - production model

2012 Toyota Prius Plug-In Hybrid - production model

Would you believe a rate of 0.0 cents per kWh?

That's right, it's free. Like having your own personal Supercharger.

ALSO SEE: Indianapolis Electric-Car Sharing: We Drive BlueIndy's BlueCar

The electric utility for the norther part of the state, Northern Indiana Public Service Company, offers that zero rate between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. to registered electric-car owners who install a separate meter just for EV charging.

The company also offers a subsidy of up to $1,650 toward installation of the meter, which covers the entire cost for the majority of subscribers, according to NIPSCO.

2011 Nissan Leaf and 2011 Chevy Volt, with charging station visible; photo by George Parrott

2011 Nissan Leaf and 2011 Chevy Volt, with charging station visible; photo by George Parrott

The company has been approved to give the subsidies to the first 250 plug-in electric car owners who sign up for the program, which kicked off in 2012.

To date, about 125 have signed up.

MORE: Many Consumers Still Unaware Of Electric Car Incentives (Nov 2013)

We suspect that NIPSCO will have no difficulty filling those other 125 slots in relatively short order.

The program will end after 2015; the utility has not yet decided whether to continue it.

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