Off-peak 00:00–07:00. E.ON currently publishes a 31.727p/kWh peak rate for the tariff. Eligible EV/charger and half-hourly smart-meter consent are required.
Official tariff →UK EV tariff comparison
Which EV tariff is cheapest for your driving?
A headline night rate is not enough. Enter your mileage, efficiency and charging flexibility to estimate what home EV charging could cost across leading UK EV tariffs.
Lowest published rate in this comparison6.9p/kWhE.ON Next Drive Smart
Ofgem benchmark26.11p/kWhGB average default electricity unit rate, Jul–Sep 2026
Comparison scopeEV chargingNot a full household energy quote
1. Your driving
Use your real annual mileage and a realistic efficiency. Tesla drivers can convert from Wh/mile: 285 Wh/mile is about 3.5 miles/kWh.
2. How flexible is charging?
This is the share of home charging you can normally let the tariff schedule or move into its cheap period. The remaining charging is costed at the supplier peak rate where published, otherwise at your fallback daytime rate.
26.11p/kWh is the Ofgem GB average default-tariff electricity unit rate for 1 July–30 September 2026. Replace it with a supplier quote when you have one.
Ofgem freshness: 26.11p/kWh is the July–September 2026 benchmark. Ofgem has announced 26.32p/kWh from 1 October 2026. Day rates and standing charges still vary by region and tariff.
3. What this comparison includes
✓ EV energyMileage → battery energy → charging losses → home share.
✓ Published discounted ratesCurrent supplier rates checked on 28 August 2026.
✓ Charging flexibilityModels how much charging can reach the cheap rate.
— Standing chargesExcluded because they vary by quote and matter to the whole household bill.
Comparison result
Estimated annual home EV charging cost.
The table updates from your inputs. “Average EV rate” is the effective p/kWh across the discounted and non-discounted parts of your home charging.
| Tariff | Published EV rate | Cheap period / model | Estimated EV cost | Average EV rate |
|---|
—
Current UK EV tariffs
What the published rates mean.
These rates are useful inputs, not a verdict on the cheapest complete household tariff. Several suppliers vary daytime rates and standing charges by region or quote, and smart tariffs have compatibility requirements.
Off-peak 23:00–06:00 for the car and home. EDF says the tariff works with any EV and charger, with a connected smart meter required. Day rate depends on the quote.
Official tariff →Six-hour whole-home off-peak window 23:30–05:30, plus eligible smart-scheduled EV charging at the cheap rate. Day rates are postcode-specific.
Official tariff →Smart-charging add-on rate published from 1 April 2026. The household's underlying electricity tariff remains separate, so the cheap rate is not a whole-home overnight rate.
Official terms →Why DriveQuery does not crown a universal “best tariff”
A 6.9p headline rate can still lose on the total household bill if the daytime rate, standing charge or eligibility does not fit your home. This calculator answers the narrower question Google cannot answer generically: what could each EV tariff cost for your driving pattern?
How the EV tariff calculator works
First, annual mileage is divided by vehicle efficiency to estimate battery energy. Charging losses are added, then the share charged at home is applied. Finally, the calculator splits home charging into flexible charging that reaches the EV rate and charging that falls back to the tariff's peak rate or your daytime benchmark.
Annual home charging energy(miles ÷ miles/kWh) ÷ (1 − charging loss) × home-charging shareThen apply the discounted EV rate to the flexible share and the relevant daytime rate to the remainder.
EV tariff comparison vs a normal tariff
The Ofgem price cap is a useful benchmark, not a tariff recommendation. For 1 July–30 September 2026, the average Direct Debit electricity unit rate under the cap is 26.11p/kWh. EV tariffs can offer much lower charging rates, but the saving depends on whether your charging can actually qualify for them.
For a more general charging-cost estimate, use the electric car charging cost calculator. If you are away from home, use the UK EV charging map instead of assuming public charging has one national price.
What should you check before switching?
- Compatibility: some smart tariffs need a supported EV or charger.
- Smart meter: half-hourly metering is normally required.
- Day rate: the cheap EV rate is only one part of the bill.
- Standing charge: this can change the annual household comparison.
- Cheap-window rules: some discounts apply to the whole home, others only to eligible EV charging.
- Exit fees and fixed terms: check the current supplier quote.
From comparison to automation
Once you know the cheap tariff, the next question is when the Tesla should actually charge.
DriveQuery is being built to use the car's battery target and departure deadline so cheap charging does not become another schedule to manage manually.
Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest EV tariff in the UK?
There is no single cheapest tariff for every driver. Your mileage, efficiency, home-charging share, flexibility, supplier day rate, standing charge and eligibility can change the result.
Does the lowest p/kWh rate always win?
No. The low rate may cover only part of your charging, and the rest of the household bill still matters. Treat the EV rate as one input rather than the whole decision.
Why does the calculator use a fallback daytime rate?
Some suppliers publish the cheap EV rate nationally but quote the daytime rate by postcode or region. The fallback lets you screen the tariffs before replacing it with your actual quote.
Can cheap EV hours also reduce the rest of my electricity bill?
Sometimes. E.ON Next Drive Smart, EDF GoElectric and Intelligent Octopus Go publish whole-home cheap periods. OVO Charge Anytime is structured as an EV smart-charging add-on, so its discounted rate is not a general whole-home overnight rate.
Worked example · crawlable calculation
10,000 miles per year: what changes when 90% of home charging reaches the EV rate?
Example assumptions: 10,000 miles/year, 3.5 miles/kWh, 10% charging losses and 80% of charging at home. That produces about 2,540 kWh/year of home charging.
| Charging-energy scenario | Modelled annual EV charging cost | What is included |
|---|---|---|
| All home energy at 26.11p/kWh | ≈ £663/year | Ofgem benchmark used as a comparison rate |
| EDF GoElectric · 90% at 6.99p | ≈ £226/year | Remaining 10% at 26.11p fallback |
| E.ON Next Drive Smart · 90% at 6.9p | ≈ £238/year | Remaining 10% at published 31.727p peak rate |
| Intelligent Octopus Go · 90% at 8p | ≈ £249/year | Remaining 10% at 26.11p fallback |
Interpretation: this compares EV charging energy only. Standing charges, the rest of the household bill, postcode-specific peak rates and eligibility can change the best tariff.