The best EV tariffs for home charging
Pick the right tariff and the same electricity costs a third of the price cap rate; here is the field, compared properly.
The best EV tariff for most UK drivers in July 2026 is Intelligent Octopus Go, at about 7 to 8p/kWh for six off-peak hours (23:30 to 05:30) across your whole home. Octopus Go (about 9.5p, five hours), E.ON Next Drive (about 8.5 to 9.5p, six hours) and OVO Charge Anytime (about 14p, EV charging only) are the main alternatives. All require a smart meter, and rates vary by region.
Which EV tariff is cheapest in July 2026?
An EV tariff gives you a cheap overnight window in exchange for a smart meter and a daytime rate at or slightly above the price cap. Used properly, it cuts charging costs from about 7.5p per mile on the July 2026 cap rate of 26.11p/kWh to about 2.3p, a saving of roughly £414 a year for an 8,000-mile driver.5 The main products, as of July 2026:
| Tariff | Off-peak rate | Window | Covers | Smart layer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Intelligent Octopus Go | About 7-8p/kWh | 23:30-05:30 (6h) | Whole home | Yes, supplier dispatches charging |
| Octopus Go | About 9.5p/kWh | 00:30-05:30 (5h) | Whole home | No, fixed window |
| E.ON Next Drive | About 8.5-9.5p/kWh | 00:00-06:00 (6h) | Whole home | Fixed window |
| British Gas EV tariff | About 7.9-9p/kWh | Overnight | Whole home | Fixed window |
| OVO Charge Anytime | About 14p/kWh | Any time | EV charging only | Yes, Kaluza dispatch |
Rates vary by region and change without much ceremony, so treat this table as a July 2026 snapshot and confirm on the supplier’s page before switching.1
Why is Intelligent Octopus Go the default pick?
Three reasons. The rate, about 7 to 8p/kWh, is the lowest widely available. The six-hour window is long enough to add 42kWh at 7kW, which covers any realistic daily need. And the window applies to your whole home, so the dishwasher, the washing machine and the immersion heater all run at the cheap rate too.1
The smart layer is the fourth reason. Instead of guessing the cheapest hours, you tell the app what charge you need by when, and Octopus dispatches your charging into the cheapest half-hours, sometimes outside the fixed window at the same cheap rate. The catch: it needs a compatible car or charger (Ohme units have the deepest integration), and Octopus’s own Octopus Go is the fallback if yours is not on the list.2
When do the alternatives make sense?
E.ON Next Drive suits drivers who want a simple fixed midnight-to-6am window without smart-dispatch compatibility checks, at a rate competitive with Octopus Go.3
OVO Charge Anytime is the odd one out and, for some households, the cleverest: it bolts onto your existing OVO tariff and bills your EV charging at about 14p/kWh whenever it happens, because Kaluza’s dispatch shifts the actual charging into cheap periods behind the scenes. At 14p it is the priciest off-peak option here, but if you cannot change your home tariff, or you often need to charge during the day, it beats the cap rate by about 12p/kWh.4
British Gas rounds out the field with a similar overnight product; if you are already a British Gas customer, the switching friction is lowest there.
How much can you save at your mileage?
Using 3.5 miles per kWh, the July 2026 cap rate of 26.11p/kWh and an 8p/kWh off-peak rate, with all miles charged at home:5
| Annual mileage | Standard tariff | EV off-peak tariff | Saving |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6,000 miles | About £447 | About £137 | About £310 |
| 8,000 miles | About £597 | About £183 | About £414 |
| 12,000 miles | About £895 | About £274 | About £621 |
Savings shrink if you cannot shift all charging into the window, so size them against your real routine rather than the best case.
What about Economy 7?
The grandfather of cheap-rate tariffs still exists: Economy 7 gives roughly seven cheap hours overnight on a special dual-rate meter. It can work for EV charging, and some drivers happily use it. The drawbacks are a pricier day rate than modern EV tariffs, less accurate metering than a smart meter, and no smart-dispatch tricks. For most new EV owners in 2026, a dedicated smart EV tariff beats it on both rate and convenience, but if your home already runs Economy 7 for storage heaters, do the sums before switching away.5
How do you switch?
The switching process is the same as any energy tariff: get a quote on the supplier’s site with your postcode, check the day rate and exit terms as well as the headline off-peak rate, and the new supplier handles the move in about five working days. If you need a smart meter first, book that immediately, because meter appointments are the long pole. Schedule your charger to the new window from day one; the savings only exist inside it.
What should you check before switching?
The day rate. EV tariffs make their margin in the daytime. If the house is empty by day, you barely notice. If two people work from home with the kettle on a rota, compare the whole annual bill, not just the car’s share.
Your region. Suppliers price by the 14 distribution regions. A rate quoted in a review may not be your rate; enter your postcode on the supplier’s page.1
Smart meter status. No smart meter, no EV tariff. Installation is free and takes about two hours, but book it before the EV arrives, not after.
Exit terms. Some EV tariffs are fixed for six or twelve months with exit fees. Check before you commit.
For the arithmetic behind the savings claims, read how much it costs to charge an electric car at home, and run your own mileage through our charging cost calculator.
- Key facts
- Cheapest off-peak rate
- About 7p/kWh
- Typical off-peak window
- 5 to 6 hours
- Smart meter required
- Yes, all tariffs
- Typical annual saving
- About £414
Sources
- Octopus Energy, Intelligent Octopus Go Accessed 18 July 2026
- Octopus Energy, Octopus Go Accessed 18 July 2026
- E.ON Next, EV tariffs Accessed 18 July 2026
- OVO Energy, electric cars and Charge Anytime Accessed 18 July 2026
- Ofgem, energy price cap Accessed 18 July 2026