The short version
The cheapest EV tariff UK drivers can access in 2026 costs less than a third of the standard price cap rate overnight. EDF GoElectric prices the off-peak window at 6.99p/kWh, Intelligent Octopus Go sits at 7.5p/kWh across the whole home, OVO Charge Anytime lands at 7p/kWh on the charger only, and British Gas Electric Driver holds 8.9p/kWh.
The headline gap is small; the shape of each EV charging tariff is not. This SwitchInsights EV tariff comparison ranks the four on rate, window and the household each one suits, so you can compare EV tariffs on more than the sticker price.
How SwitchInsights ranked this
The SwitchInsights EV tariff methodology scores each tariff on off-peak rate, window length and timing, whether the low rate covers the whole home or the charger only, and the smart-dispatch behaviour that decides when the car actually draws power. Rates were verified against supplier tariff pages in July 2026, and the SwitchInsights analysis will refresh when suppliers move.
Cheapest EV tariff UK 2026: the ranking
Rank order is set by headline off-peak rate, broken by what the tariff actually covers. A whole-home tariff at 7.5p usually beats a charger-only tariff at 7p once the dishwasher, dryer and heat pump join the picture.
Cheaper headline rates do not always win. Charger-only tariffs like OVO Charge Anytime leave the rest of the home on the standard rate, so a house running an overnight heat pump pays 26p/kWh for those loads while the car sits at 7p.
What actually makes an EV tariff cheap
Every UK EV tariff follows the same shape: a cheap overnight EV charging rate window, and a higher day rate the rest of the time. The Q3 2026 price cap sets the reference at 26.11p/kWh, so a driver on the cheapest EV tariff 2026 has to offer pays roughly a quarter of the standard rate per mile from the wall.
Three design choices decide the best tariff for EV owners in a given household. The length of the off-peak window matters: six hours on Intelligent Octopus Go fills a 60kWh battery from 20% to 80% without any smart top-up, while the five-hour Electric Driver window cuts it fine at higher states of charge.
What the off-peak rate covers matters too: two-rate tariffs apply the low price to the whole home, so any load timed for the small hours drops to the same rate, while Charge Anytime prices the EV separately. Smart dispatch is the third: Intelligent Octopus Go is the only ranked tariff that runs it end to end, hunting for the cheapest half-hours across the night and sometimes charging outside the stated window at the same 7.5p rate.
The four EV tariffs head to head
The table below shows the shape each supplier is offering under the current UK regime, every rate a published 2026 tariff rather than a promotional teaser.
| Tariff | Off-peak rate | Window | What it covers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Intelligent Octopus Go | 7.5p/kWh | 11:30pm-5:30am (six hours), plus smart-dispatch extras | Whole home |
| EDF GoElectric Overnight | 6.99p/kWh | 11pm-6am (seven hours) | Whole home on a two-rate meter |
| OVO Charge Anytime | 7p/kWh | Set in the OVO app, EV only | EV charger only, add-on to an OVO tariff |
| British Gas Electric Driver | 8.9p/kWh | 12am-5am (five hours) | Whole home on a two-rate meter |
Intelligent Octopus Go: the whole-home winner
Intelligent Octopus Go is the tariff most EV owners land on, and the reason is smart dispatch. The 7.5p/kWh rate applies to every overnight kWh, and Octopus can extend the low rate outside the fixed window when the grid runs surplus. For a home running an EV plus a heat pump plus a timer cycle, the whole-home coverage compounds fast.
EDF GoElectric Overnight: the lowest headline rate
EDF GoElectric prints the cheapest number in the UK EV market at 6.99p/kWh, and the seven-hour window from 11pm to 6am is the longest in the ranking. There is no smart-dispatch layer, so loads have to be timed manually or through the charger's schedule. EDF also sells a Pod Point Plug and Power bundle at 6.49p/kWh for customers taking the charger through EDF at installation.
OVO Charge Anytime: keep the rest of your home tariff
OVO Charge Anytime is a bolt-on rather than a full switch. The 7p/kWh rate applies only to the EV charger, so the rest of the home stays on whichever OVO tariff was already in place. It suits households happy with OVO who want to avoid moving supplier for the sake of the car. See the SwitchInsights OVO vs E.ON Next 2026 review for the wider account picture.
British Gas Electric Driver: the mainstream challenger
The British Gas EV tariff, now sold as Electric Driver and previously as EV Power, applies its 8.9p/kWh rate to the whole home from midnight to 5am. The five-hour window is the shortest of the four and the price sits a penny above Intelligent Octopus Go, so it makes most sense for drivers already inside the British Gas account. The SwitchInsights British Gas review covers the wider service picture.
Which EV tariff suits which household
The ranking above shifts once household patterns come in. The table matches each common profile to the SwitchInsights pick.
| Household | Best EV tariff pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| EV plus heat pump or dishwasher timer | Intelligent Octopus Go | Whole-home 7.5p rate covers the heat pump and the timer, not only the car. |
| Simple overnight charger, no app | EDF GoElectric Overnight | Lowest headline rate at 6.99p across the longest seven-hour window. |
| Already on OVO, want the EV only on cheap | OVO Charge Anytime | Bolt-on keeps the rest of the home on the existing OVO tariff. |
| Small overnight need, staying with British Gas | British Gas Electric Driver | Whole-home two-rate tariff without leaving the British Gas account. |
| No EV yet, still want cheap overnight | EDF FreePhase Dynamic | Three-band time-of-use tariff, cheap overnight green band, no EV required. |
EDF GoElectric: overnight EV tariff
Seven-hour off-peak window from 11pm-6am, one of the cheapest headline EV rates on the UK market. Pod Point Plug and Power bundle available for customers taking the charger through EDF.
See EDF EV tariffs →EDF FreePhase Dynamic: still cheap overnight
Three-band time-of-use tariff for any home with a smart meter. Cheapest green band overnight, no EV required, no exit fee.
Switch to FreePhase →Affiliate disclosure: SwitchPilot earns a commission if you switch through these links, at no cost to you. Rates and windows are indicative and subject to change - always confirm the live rate on EDF's own tariff page before you switch.
How to switch to an EV tariff
Every EV tariff on the SwitchInsights ranking needs a working SMETS2 smart meter, a home charger or compatible EV, and proof of the vehicle. A supplier switch takes about five working days and the EV rate activates on the first meter read. Before switching, check where the household's day-rate loads land, because daytime kWh move from the cap to the tariff's peak rate. The SwitchPilot tariff tracker holds the live picture, and the SwitchInsights EV tariffs explained UK guide covers the shapes in full.
Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest EV tariff in the UK in 2026?
EDF GoElectric prices overnight charging at 6.99p/kWh between 11pm and 6am, which is the lowest headline rate on the market. Intelligent Octopus Go follows at 7.5p/kWh, but Octopus applies that price to the whole home rather than only the EV charger, so which is cheapest for you depends on when the rest of the household uses electricity.
How much does an EV tariff save vs a standard tariff on the price cap?
The Q3 2026 price cap rate is 26.11p/kWh. A driver covering 8,000 miles a year uses roughly 2,000 kWh at home, which costs about £520 on the cap and about £150 on Intelligent Octopus Go. The gap is £370 a year for a typical driver, and grows with mileage.
Intelligent Octopus Go vs OVO Charge Anytime, which is better?
Intelligent Octopus Go is the cheaper option on the headline rate at 7.5p vs OVO Charge Anytime at 7p on the charger only. Charge Anytime bolts onto an existing OVO tariff, which suits households happy with OVO for the rest of the home. Octopus requires switching your full supply.
What is British Gas Electric Driver and how does it compare?
British Gas Electric Driver is British Gas's dedicated EV tariff, previously sold as EV Power. It charges 8.9p/kWh between midnight and 5am on a two-rate model that covers the whole home. The five-hour window is shorter than Octopus's six hours, and the price sits a penny above Intelligent Octopus Go.
Do I need a smart meter to get an EV tariff?
Yes. Every dedicated EV tariff in the UK uses half-hourly meter readings to bill peak and off-peak use separately, and a working smart meter sending SMETS2 data is a hard requirement. Suppliers will not switch you onto Intelligent Octopus Go, Charge Anytime or Electric Driver without one.
Can I use an EV tariff without an EV?
Charge Anytime and Electric Driver require an EV or a home charger to qualify. Intelligent Octopus Go asks for a compatible EV or charger too. If you do not own an EV, EDF FreePhase Dynamic offers a three-band time-of-use tariff that gives cheap overnight electricity to any home with a smart meter.