Best EV Tariffs UK 2026: Cheapest Rates for Home Charging
On a standard tariff you pay around 26p/kWh to charge — but a dedicated EV tariff drops that to as little as ~8p/kWh overnight, saving roughly £350–£770 a year depending on your mileage. Here's exactly which 2026 tariff to choose.
Muhammad founded KilowattKit after spending hours trying to decode confusing electricity bills and realising there were no clear, jargon-free tools for ordinary homeowners. He researches energy rates, solar payback, EV charging, and heat pump economics across the US, UK, Canada, and Australia — sourcing every figure directly from official government and regulatory data.
⚡ Key takeaways
- ✓Dedicated EV tariffs offer ~8–9p/kWh overnight — vs ~26p on the standard price-cap rate.
- ✓Annual saving vs standard tariff: typically £380–£540; Octopus reports ~£771 for Intelligent Octopus Go customers.
- ✓Lowest headline rates in 2026: EDF GoElectric (~6.99p) and Intelligent Octopus Go (~8p); OVO Charge Anytime is now ~14p on PAYG.
- ✓You need a smart meter — all EV tariffs use half-hourly readings.
Best EV Tariffs Compared (2026)
| Tariff | Supplier | Cheap rate | When | Smart charger needed? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Intelligent Octopus Go ⭐ | Octopus Energy | ~8p/kWh | 23:30–05:30 + smart slots | Compatible EV/charger (for extra slots) |
| E.ON Next Drive Smart | E.ON Next | ~8.5p/kWh | 00:00–06:00 (whole home) | No |
| OVO Charge Anytime | OVO Energy | ~14p/kWh | Any time (managed charging) | Yes (compatible EV/charger) |
| Octopus Go | Octopus Energy | ~8.5p/kWh | 23:30–05:30 (fixed) | No (manual schedule) |
| British Gas EV Power | British Gas | ~9p/kWh | 00:00–05:00 (5 hrs) | No |
| EDF GoElectric | EDF | ~6.99p/kWh | 23:00–06:00 (7 hrs) | No |
Rates are indicative as of September 2026 and vary by region and EV/charger compatibility. Daytime rates on these tariffs are typically 28–35p/kWh, versus the ~26p standard price-cap average — always confirm current rates with the supplier before switching.
Annual Saving: EV Tariff vs Standard Rate
Assumes 7,000 miles/year, 3.5 mi/kWh efficiency = 2,000 kWh charging/year. EV tariff at ~8p vs the ~26p 2026 standard price-cap average.
For higher mileage drivers (12,000–15,000 miles), the saving grows to £620–£780 per year — and Octopus reports its Intelligent Octopus Go customers saved around £771 on average over the last year versus its standard variable tariff, once wider household load-shifting is included.
📈 Why this gap keeps mattering: the Ofgem price cap set the average electricity unit rate at 26.11p/kWh for July–September 2026, rising to 26.32p/kWh for October–December 2026 (announced August 2026). Because dedicated EV tariffs stay near 8p overnight, every increase in the standard rate makes switching more valuable, not less.
Why Intelligent Octopus Go is the Best Option for Most
It's the UK's most popular EV tariff — the majority of the 650,000+ households on a smart time-of-use EV tariff are on it. Unlike standard EV tariffs with a single fixed cheap window, Intelligent Octopus Go integrates directly with compatible EVs and chargers (Tesla, Volkswagen Group, Ohme, Indra, Pod Point, and others). It automatically schedules your EV to charge during the cheapest grid periods — which can include extra cheap slots outside the 23:30–05:30 window when renewable generation is high. That flexibility is a big part of why Octopus reports a typical ~£771 annual saving for its customers.
✅ Pros
- Fully automatic — just plug in
- Can add extra cheap smart-charging slots at the same ~8p off-peak rate outside the fixed window
- No manual scheduling needed
- Compatible with many EVs and chargers
⚠️ Requirements
- Compatible EV or smart charger required
- Smart meter required
- Must be an Octopus customer
- Only available in Great Britain
Combine Solar Charging for Maximum Savings
If you have solar panels, combining them with an EV tariff stacks savings even further. During the day, charge from your own solar (effectively free electricity). Overnight, top up on the cheap tariff rate. This combination — solar daytime charging + overnight cheap tariff — is the cheapest possible way to power an EV in the UK.
A household with 4kWp solar and Octopus Go, driving 10,000 miles/year, can realistically cover 30–40% of miles from free solar and 60–70% at ~8p/kWh — cutting annual charging costs to roughly £95–£150. Use our EV + Solar Savings Calculator to model your exact figures.
See your current charging costs vs what you'd pay on an EV tariff — and how solar panels reduce your cost to near zero.