# Best EV tariffs in the UK, compared

Source: https://www.bestchargers.co.uk/ev-tariffs/
Rates checked: October 2026
Rates include 0% VAT on household electricity in Great Britain, which applies from 1 October 2026 to 31 March 2027.

**EDF GoElectric is the cheapest EV tariff overnight: 6.66p/kWh for 7 hours, 23:00 to 06:00, with any charger.** With a compatible smart charger or car, Intelligent Octopus Go costs 8p from 23:30 to 05:30 and adds smart charging slots. Check the day rate and exit fee too: they decide the yearly bill.

## All 12 EV tariffs

| Tariff | Overnight rate | Cheap window | Day rate | Standing charge | Exit fee | Needs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| [Intelligent Octopus Go](https://www.bestchargers.co.uk/ev-tariffs/octopus-ev-tariffs/) | 8p/kWh | 23:30 to 05:30 (6h), plus smart charging slots | 38.90p | 57p a day | £50 | Compatible car or charger |
| [E.ON Next Drive Smart](https://www.bestchargers.co.uk/ev-tariffs/eon-ev-tariffs/) | 8p/kWh | 00:00 to 06:00 (6h), plus app-scheduled charging | 33.12p | 57p a day | None | Supported car or charger |
| [E.ON Next Drive](https://www.bestchargers.co.uk/ev-tariffs/eon-next-drive/) | 9.5p/kWh | 00:00 to 06:00 (6h) | 34.34p | 57p a day | None | Any charger, with a timer |
| [Octopus Go](https://www.bestchargers.co.uk/ev-tariffs/octopus-go/) | 9.4p/kWh | 00:30 to 05:30 (5h) | 36.90p | 54p a day | £50 | Any charger, with a timer |
| [EDF GoElectric](https://www.bestchargers.co.uk/ev-tariffs/edf-ev-tariffs/) | 6.66p/kWh | 23:00 to 06:00 (7h) | 35.21p | 60p a day | £75 per fuel | Any charger, with a timer |
| [So Energy So EV](https://www.bestchargers.co.uk/ev-tariffs/so-energy-ev-tariffs/) | 7.14p/kWh | 00:00 to 05:00 (5h) | Quote only | Quote only | Not published | Any charger, with a timer |
| [Good Energy EV Charge](https://www.bestchargers.co.uk/ev-tariffs/good-energy-ev-tariffs/) | 7.62p/kWh | 00:00 to 05:00 (5h) | Quote only | Quote only | £50 per fuel | Any charger, with a timer |
| [ScottishPower EV Saver](https://www.bestchargers.co.uk/ev-tariffs/scottishpower-ev-tariffs/) | 7.7p/kWh | 02:00 to 05:00 (3h) | 29.02p | Quote only | £50 | Any charger, with a timer |
| [Ecotricity EcoFixed EV](https://www.bestchargers.co.uk/ev-tariffs/ecotricity-ev-tariffs/) | 7.9p/kWh | 00:00 to 05:00 (5h), GMT; 01:00 to 06:00 during BST | 36.57p | 55p a day | £95.24 per fuel | Any charger, with a timer |
| [British Gas EV Power](https://www.bestchargers.co.uk/ev-tariffs/british-gas-ev-tariffs/) | 9.5p/kWh | 00:00 to 05:00 (5h) | 36.90p | 54p a day | £200 per fuel | Any charger, with a timer |
| [Sainsbury's EV](https://www.bestchargers.co.uk/ev-tariffs/sainsburys-energy-ev-tariffs/) | 9.5p/kWh | 00:00 to 06:00 (6h) | 34.34p | 57p a day | None | Any charger, with a timer |
| [OVO Charge Anytime](https://www.bestchargers.co.uk/ev-tariffs/ovo-ev-tariffs/) | 13.33p/kWh | Any time, EV only | Your normal OVO rate | Plans from £26.50 a month | Add-on | OVO supply, compatible charger |

Day rates and standing charges are national averages of the 14 regional Direct Debit rates, so yours may differ. We aim to show the latest rates, but tariff prices vary by location and can change daily. Always check current rates with the supplier directly before you switch.

Octopus Energy's 100% renewable claim is matched through Renewable Energy Guarantee of Origin (REGO) certificates under Ofgem's REGO scheme; the electricity delivered to your home still comes from the national grid mix.

## Quick answers

- **Cheapest overnight rate:** EDF GoElectric: 6.66p/kWh from 23:00 to 06:00, with any charger.
- **Our pick with a smart charger:** Intelligent Octopus Go: 8p/kWh from 23:30 to 05:30, plus smart slots when Octopus schedules them.
- **Lowest day rate:** ScottishPower EV Saver at 29.02p, but with only 3 cheap hours. Among tariffs with five or more cheap hours, E.ON Next Drive Smart is lowest at 33.12p.
- **Longest cheap window:** EDF GoElectric: 7 hours, 23:00 to 06:00.
- **No exit fee:** E.ON Next Drive Smart, E.ON Next Drive and Sainsbury's EV.
- **Needs a smart charger?:** Only Intelligent Octopus Go, E.ON Next Drive Smart and OVO Charge Anytime. The other 9 work with any charger and a timer.
- **Cost of 60 kWh overnight:** £4.00 to £5.70 on the two-rate tariffs here (6.66p to 9.5p), against £15.79 at the 26.32p price cap average.
- **Rates checked:** October 2026, including 0% VAT until 31 March 2027. Day rates and standing charges are national averages of the 14 regional Direct Debit rates, so yours may differ.

## How EV tariffs work

An EV tariff has two prices: a cheap rate for a few hours each night, and a higher day rate for the rest. Fixed-window tariffs work with any charger and a timer; smart tariffs (Intelligent Octopus Go, E.ON Next Drive Smart) need a car or charger on the supplier list and can add cheap slots outside the window; OVO Charge Anytime is an EV-only add-on. Every two-rate tariff here charges more than the 26.32p price cap average outside its window.

## How to switch

1. **Check your meter.** Most EV tariffs need a smart meter, usually SMETS2, so the supplier can bill your cheap window. If you do not have one, ask your current supplier to fit one before you switch.
2. **Check your car and charger.** Smart tariffs (Intelligent Octopus Go, E.ON Next Drive Smart, OVO Charge Anytime) only work with the cars and chargers on the supplier list. Every other tariff here works with any EV and charger: you set a timer.
3. **Check what leaving costs.** Look up the exit fee on your current deal, and on the new one: from nothing on E.ON Next to £200 per fuel on British Gas EV Power.
4. **Get a quote for your postcode.** Day rates and standing charges vary by region. Enter your postcode on the supplier site and compare the full quote, not just the overnight rate.
5. **Switch and set your charging.** Switching takes a few minutes online and your supply is not interrupted. Then set your car or charger to charge inside the cheap window, or connect the supplier app for a smart tariff.

## Questions

### What is the cheapest EV tariff in the UK right now?

EDF GoElectric has the lowest overnight rate of the 12 EV tariffs we compare: 6.66p/kWh for 7 hours, 23:00 to 06:00, with no smart charger needed. So Energy So EV (7.14p) and Intelligent Octopus Go (8p) come next. The cheapest tariff for you also depends on the day rate, standing charge and exit fee, so compare the whole bill, not only the overnight figure. Rates checked October 2026.

### Do I need a smart charger for an EV tariff?

Not for most of them. 9 of the 12 tariffs here work with any EV and any home charger: you set a timer on the car or charger to charge inside the cheap window. Only the smart tariffs, Intelligent Octopus Go, E.ON Next Drive Smart and OVO Charge Anytime, need a compatible car or smart charger that the supplier can control.

### What is an EV tariff and how does it work?

An EV tariff is a time-of-use electricity tariff with a much cheaper rate for a few hours each night. You plug in, the car or charger waits for the cheap window, and you pay the off-peak rate for that charging. Most EV tariffs are whole-home tariffs, so anything else you run in the window is cheap too, while the rest of the day costs the higher day rate.

### How much can I save with an EV tariff?

As a worked example, 8,000 miles a year at 3.5 miles per kWh uses about 2,286 kWh. At Intelligent Octopus Go's 8p that costs about £183, against £602 at the 26.32p price cap average from 1 October 2026: about £419 less. Your figure depends on your mileage, your car and how much of your charging fits in the window; the calculator on this page works it out for your car.

### Do I need a smart meter for an EV tariff?

Yes, for almost all of them. The supplier needs half-hourly readings to bill your cheap window, so most EV tariffs ask for a smart meter, usually a SMETS2 model or an upgraded SMETS1. If you do not have one, ask your current supplier to fit one before you switch.

### What is the difference between whole-home and EV-only tariffs?

A whole-home tariff gives everything in your home the cheap rate during the window, so a dishwasher or washing machine on a timer is cheap too. An EV-only add-on, such as OVO Charge Anytime, applies its rate to car charging alone and leaves the rest of your home on its normal tariff.

### Intelligent Octopus Go or EDF GoElectric?

EDF GoElectric is cheaper overnight (6.66p against 8p) and has a longer fixed window (7 hours against 6), and it works with any charger. Intelligent Octopus Go has a lower standing charge (57p against 60p a day), a lower exit fee (£50 against £75 per fuel) and smart slots outside the window, but it needs a compatible car or charger. With a compatible setup and a long nightly charge, the extra smart slots can matter more than the 1.34p difference.

### Can I use any charger with any EV tariff?

No. Smart tariffs only work with the cars and chargers on the supplier list: E.ON Next Drive Smart, for example, needs a supported car or a zappi, Hypervolt or Indra charger connected through its app. Fixed-window tariffs such as EDF GoElectric, Octopus Go, E.ON Next Drive and British Gas EV Power work with any charger that can be set to a timer, or with the timer in the car.

### Will EV tariff prices change in April 2027?

Every rate on this page includes 0% VAT on household electricity in Great Britain, which runs from 1 October 2026 to 31 March 2027. Unless the cut is extended, VAT returns to 5% on 1 April 2027 and the rates here rise by 5%. Northern Ireland stays at 5% throughout.

### What should I check before I switch EV tariff?

Four things: that you have a working smart meter; that your car and charger are on the supplier list if the tariff is a smart one; what it costs to leave your current deal and the new one; and that the cheap window is long enough for the charging you need. Then get a quote for your postcode, because day rates and standing charges vary by region.

## Terms

- **Off-peak rate:** The cheap price per kWh you pay inside the tariff window, usually overnight. Also called the overnight rate.
- **Cheap window:** The hours when the off-peak rate applies, for example 23:30 to 05:30 on Intelligent Octopus Go.
- **Day rate:** The price per kWh outside the cheap window. Also called the peak rate. On the tariffs here it runs from 29.02p to 38.90p.
- **Standing charge:** A fixed daily charge you pay whether or not you use any electricity, shown in pence per day.
- **Smart tariff:** A tariff where the supplier schedules your charging through a compatible car or charger, and may add cheap slots outside the window.
- **Fixed-window tariff:** A tariff with set cheap hours every night. You schedule charging yourself with a timer on the car or charger.
- **Whole-home tariff:** The cheap rate applies to everything in your home during the window, not just the car. Most EV tariffs work this way.
- **EV-only add-on:** A cheap rate for car charging alone, while the home stays on its normal tariff. OVO Charge Anytime is the example here.
- **SMETS2:** The second generation of smart meter, which most EV tariffs need so the supplier can read your use every half hour.
- **Exit fee:** What a supplier charges if you leave a fixed deal early, often per fuel (electricity and gas each).
- **kWh:** A kilowatt hour, the unit electricity is sold in. A 7 kW home charger adds about 7 kWh an hour.

## Sources

- Ofgem: [Energy price cap and standing charges explained](https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/your-energy-supply/your-energy-bill/energy-price-cap-and-standing-charges-explained)
- GOV.UK (HM Revenue and Customs): [Temporary zero rate of VAT for domestic electricity in Great Britain](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/temporary-zero-rate-of-vat-for-domestic-electricity-in-great-britain)
- Ofgem: [Get help with your smart meter](https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/your-energy-supply/how-manage-your-energy-supply/get-help-your-smart-meter)
- Ofgem: [Switch your home energy supplier](https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/your-energy-supply/how-manage-your-energy-supply/switch-your-home-energy-supplier)
- Energy Saving Trust: [Smart charging for electric vehicles](https://energysavingtrust.org.uk/advice/smart-charging-electric-vehicles/)
- Citizens Advice: [Your energy supply](https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/energy/energy-supply/)

Cite as: Best Chargers, "Best EV tariffs in the UK, compared", rates checked October 2026, https://www.bestchargers.co.uk/ev-tariffs/