What is an EV energy tariff?
By Kim, household energy writer. Last updated July 2026.
An EV energy tariff is a home electricity deal built around charging an electric car, with a cheap rate for the overnight hours when you plug in. Instead of paying the same price around the clock, you get a low rate in the middle of the night, when demand on the grid is at its lowest, and a higher rate through the day.
For anyone who charges at home, that overnight window is where the money is. Your car sits on the drive doing nothing for eight hours anyway, so you may as well fill it up when electricity is at its cheapest. The Do Nothing Default here is staying on a standard single rate tariff and paying full price for every mile, which is exactly what most drivers do without realising there’s a cheaper option sitting right there.
Roo would tell you it takes about a minute to see whether a better rate exists for your postcode. The rest of this guide walks through the rates, the one catch worth knowing, and whether an EV energy tariff is worth it for your home.
How much can you save with an EV energy tariff?
Potentially quite a lot, if you do most of your charging at home and shift it to the cheap window. Overnight EV rates in 2026 sit at around 7p to 10p per kWh, checked July 2026, while the average standard variable unit rate under the July 2026 Ofgem price cap is around 26p per kWh for a direct debit customer.
Charging on that cheap overnight rate costs roughly a quarter to a third of what you’d pay on a standard rate. For a higher mileage driver the gap adds up over a year, though any saving depends entirely on how far you drive, how much you charge at home rather than at public chargers, and how flexible your routine is. Treat any headline number as an estimate, not a promise.
There’s a second win that’s easy to miss. Because the cheap rate usually covers your whole home during the overnight window, not just the car, you can run the dishwasher, the washing machine or a hot water tank in the early hours and pay the low rate on those too. Small change on its own, but it stacks up.
The best EV energy tariffs in 2026
Most big suppliers now offer an EV energy tariff, and the headline rates are close enough that the right pick usually comes down to the charging window, whether your car or charger is compatible, and what you pay during the day. The table below shows advertised rates, checked July 2026. Rates and windows change often, so always confirm the current deal with the supplier before you switch.
| Tariff | Cheap overnight rate | Cheap window | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Intelligent Octopus Go | Around 7p per kWh | About 6 hours overnight, roughly 11:30pm to 5:30am | Smart charging schedules the car for you, and the cheap rate covers the whole home in the window |
| Octopus Go | Around 8.5p per kWh | Fixed hours overnight | A simple fixed window that works with any charger |
| OVO Charge Anytime | Add on to an OVO plan | Charges at the cheapest moments, not a fixed window | Priced as a low rate per mile or per kWh, format changed in late 2025 |
| EDF GoElectric | Around 7p to 9p per kWh | Roughly 11pm to 6am | Accepts any EV and any charger brand |
| British Gas EV Power | Around 9p per kWh | About a 5 hour window | Works with any EV and charger |
| E.ON Next Drive | Around 7p to 9p per kWh | Overnight window | Works with any EV and charger |
No single EV energy tariff wins for everyone. If your car or charger supports smart scheduling, a tariff that plans the charging for you is the least hassle. If it doesn’t, a fixed cheap window any charger can use is the safer bet.
Is an EV energy tariff worth it?
For most drivers who charge at home and can shift charging to the small hours, yes. But there’s a catch worth understanding before you switch.
The trade for a cheap overnight rate is a higher rate through the day, and on some tariffs that daytime rate can sit above the price cap. So if you’re home a lot and you cook, tumble dry or run electric heating in the early evening, a chunk of your usage lands in the expensive window and can eat into the saving. An EV energy tariff pays off when the bulk of your electricity, and especially your car charging, happens overnight.
It’s less of a fit if you can’t charge at home, rely mostly on public chargers, or run a daytime heavy household with no way to move usage. If that’s you, a straightforward fixed deal may serve you better, and it’s worth understanding how the main energy tariff types work before you commit to anything clever.
Rated 4.45/5 on Reviews.io, we’d rather tell you when switching isn’t worth it than talk you onto a rate that doesn’t suit your home. It takes about a minute to compare energy deals and see what’s on offer where you live.
What do you need to switch to an EV energy tariff?
Less than you might think. Three things make an EV energy tariff work, and most homes with an electric car already have them.
Quick checklist before you switch
- A smart meter that can send half hourly readings. If you don’t have one, your supplier must fit it free on request, so it’s worth sorting a smart meter first.
- A home charge point, and ideally one the tariff can talk to for smart scheduling.
- A charging routine you can move to the overnight window, whether the tariff schedules it for you or you set a timer on the charger.
Switching itself is the easy part. You compare deals, pick one, and your new supplier handles the move, usually within a couple of weeks, with no break in supply. Our guide to switching energy supplier runs through the steps if you’ve never done it.
Frequently asked questions about EV energy tariffs
- Do I need a smart meter for an EV energy tariff?
- Almost always, yes. These tariffs price your electricity by the half hour, so they need a smart meter that sends half hourly readings. If you don’t have one, your supplier has to fit it free when you ask.
- Can I get an EV energy tariff without a smart charger?
- Sometimes. Some tariffs need a compatible charger or car so they can schedule charging for you, while others simply give you a fixed cheap window that any charger can use. Check the requirements before you switch.
- Will an EV energy tariff make my daytime electricity more expensive?
- Often, yes. The daytime rate is usually higher than a standard tariff and can sit above the price cap, so the deal works best when most of your usage, and your charging, happens overnight.
- How much can I save with an EV energy tariff?
- It depends on your mileage and how much you charge at home. The overnight rate is roughly a quarter to a third of a standard rate, but the pounds you save depend on your own usage, so treat any figure as an estimate rather than a promise.
