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What is an EV tariff?
Many energy providers offer special tariffs for EV drivers at significantly lower pence per kW rates than standard energy tariffs.
This means you can save a lot of money by switching to an EV energy tariff, e.g.:
- Tesla Model 3 Long Range - £5.51 EV tariff vs £20.10 standard tariff
- MG4 EV Standard Range - £3.81 EV tariff vs £13.89 standard tariff
- Nissan Leaf e+ - £4.43 EV tariff vs £16.14 standard tariff
Depending on the energy provider, there may be specific requirements such as a particular smart meter. Please check with the energy provider before switching.
Cord chargers are compatible with the majority of EV tariffs
You can save a lot of money by using EV or off-peak energy tariffs. Many tariffs allow you to benefit from off-peak energy prices for all electrical consumption in your home. Cord chargers are compatible with almost all EV tariffs - check below for compatibility.
| Energy provider | Tariff name | Cord compatibility | Notes |
| British Gas | EV tariff | Yes | |
| EDF | Go Electric Overnight | Yes | |
| EON | Next Drive | Yes | |
| Good Energy | 100% Renewable EV | Yes | |
| Octopus | Go | Yes | |
| Octopus | Intelligent Go |
Yes* Full compatability coming 2025 |
*Requires compatible EV - check here |
| Octopus | EV saver |
Yes* Full compatability coming 2025 |
*Requires compatible EV - check here |
| Octopus | Agile | No | |
| OVO | Charge Anytime |
Yes* Full compatability coming 2025 |
*Requires compatible EV - check here |
| Scottish Power | EV Saver | Yes |
If you are unsure, or would like further advice, please contact us.
Which is the best EV energy tariff?
Whilst there are some very well known EV tariffs, such as Octopus Intelligent Go, it is not necessarily the cheapest so it is worth shopping around to find the tariff that works best for your home.
Whilst some EV tariffs may have attractive rates, they can be restricted purely to charging your EV, whereas another off-peak tariff could allow you to benefit from cheap energy for your whole home.
Simply schedule your dishwasher, washing machine and other electrical appliances for off-peak hours to save even more money!
| Tariff Name | Charge EV? | Use domestic appliances? | Off-peak rate | Peak rate* | Off-peak hours | Weekly off-peak hours |
| British Gas EV | Yes | Yes | 7.9p | 26p | 12am-5am | 35 |
| EDF Go Electric | Yes | Yes | 9p | 28p | 12am-5am | 35 |
| EON Next Drive V4 | Yes | Yes | 6.7p | 24p | 12am-7am | 49 |
| Good Energy EV | Yes | Yes | 9.4p | 28p | 12am-5am | 35 |
| Octopus Go | Yes | Yes | 9p | 26p-28p (varies by area) | 1230-430am | 21 |
| Octopus Intelligent Go | Yes | Yes | 7.5p | 26p-28p (varies by area) | 1130pm-530am | 42 |
| Octopus EV Saver | Yes | Yes | 6.0p | 26p-28p (varies by area) | 1130pm-530am | 42 |
| Octopus Agile | Yes | Yes | Variable | 26p-28p (varies by area) | N/A | N/A |
| OVO Charge Anytime | Yes | No | 7p | 23p | N/A | Unlimited - but only for EV charging |
| Scottish Power EV Saver | Yes | Yes | 7p | Depends on your existing rate | 12am-5am | 35 |
* Some peak rates will depend on whether you are a new or existing customer, and where you live. These prices are provided as a high level guide and should be validated with the individual energy company. Prices correct as of June 2024.
How do EV tariffs work?
Most EV tariffs are simple "off peak" energy tariffs, giving you cheaper energy during certain hours - usually overnight. Many EV chargers, including Cord, can be scheduled to charge during these hours, meaning you can charge your car for significantly less than during daytime or peak hours. This can dramatically reduce the running costs of an EV or hybrid vehicle compared to a petrol or diesel.
Some EV tariffs such as Octopus Intelligent Go are "intelligent", which means that lower energy pricing may become available during the day. This will typically be when energy supply is plentiful and grid demand is low - especially on sunny and windy days! These can enable you to automatically charge your car when energy is cheapest. To do this, you'll need a compatible car.
What do I need to look out for?
Always check the small print! Whilst many off-peak energy tariffs offer many customers significant savings overall, peak rates can be higher as can standing charges. Always make sure you check the full detail of the tariff before signing up. Some tariffs also incur penalties for early exits.
How much will it cost me to charge?
The Cord EV charging range
- Compatible with all EVs & hybrids - just plug in & charge
- Built in cable (tethered) and socketed (untethered) options
- Save money - works with EV tariffs e.g Octopus Go
- 7.4kW fast charging - the max rate for most homes
- 3 year warranty as standard, up to 5 year available
Which is the best Octopus EV tariff?
Octopus Energy have four main tariffs that are suitable for EV drivers - Octopus Go, Octopus Intelligent Go, Octopus EV Saver and Octopus Agile.
Octopus Agile is designed for customers who use a lot of energy e.g have heatpumps but can also offset their energy usage through smart tech such as solar and batteries. It does however have high peak pricing and is best suited for customers who can constantly monitor and adjust their energy usage depending on wholesale prices.
For EV drivers who need more certainty, we recommend either Octopus Go or Octopus Intelligent Go. Both tariffs feature off-peak pricing through the night, which means you can charge your car for less. The difference between the two tariffs is "intelligent" functionality - meaning with Octopus Intelligent Go you can get access to cheaper energy at different times, but you will require a compatible car for it to work.
What's the difference between Octopus EV saver and Octopus Intelligent Go?
Octopus EV saver and Octopus Intelligent Go are effectively the same tariff, however EV saver is reserved for EV drivers who lease their car via Octopus Electric Vehicles. Off peak prices are a penny cheaper per kWh than Octopus Intelligent Go. Both tariffs offer 42 hours of off-peak energy per week.
Why are Octopus so popular?
When it comes to electric vehicle charging, Octopus are incredibly well known as they embraced EV early and offer electric vehicles through their own car leasing scheme. Combined with their highly rated customer service Octopus are one of the most popular energy companies for EV drivers.
However, there are many alternatives and because many of the tariffs rely on new technology and direct vehicle integration there can be some difficulty getting it work.
Popular EV tariffs from British Gas, EDF, EON, OVO and Scottish Power
Asides from Octopus, there are many EV tariffs available from the big energy providers, such as British Gas EV, EDF Go Electric, EON Next Drive, OVO Charge Anytime and Scottish Power EV Saver.
All of the tariffs feature off-peak energy prices, with the exception of OVO Charge Anytime which is limited to the EV only. This means you can use the off-peak energy for any electricity usage in your home, such as dishwashers, washing machines and tumble driers. Savvy energy users can save a fortune by timing their device usage overnight.
Which tariff offers the most off-peak hours?
EON Next Drive offers the most weekly off-peak hours at 49 per week, between 12am-7am daily, however the peak pricing is slightly higher than its competitors. The British Gas EV, EDF Go Electric and Scottish Power EV saver each feature 35 off-peak hours weekly, all between 12am-5am daily. Any of these tariffs will be suitable for charging or topping up an EV - for the average EV driver all tariffs offer more than enough off-peak hours to keep your car charged exclusively on off-peak energy.
Which is the cheapest EV tariff?
If you were only using energy to charge your EV, it is relatively simple to work out which is the cheapest EV tariff. We particularly like the EON Next Drive tariff because of the leading number of weekly off-peak energy hours.
Unfortunately however it's not as simple as that! To work out which is the best EV tariff for you, it's best to look carefully at both the off-peak and peak energy prices, and compare these to when you expect to use electricity in your home as well as to charge your EV.
Some of the variable tariffs such as Octopus Agile may look attractive on paper, but the practicalities of using such a tariff to its full benefit can be difficult, especially for families using lots of electricity in peak hours! It's also really important to look at the small print - some tariffs charge an exit fee, so be sure to check or ask about these before signing up.