Electric vehicle energy tariffs 2023

author: FutureCar Staff    

If you own an electric car and charge it at home, switching to a different energy tariff could save you a significant amount of money each year. Most major energy suppliers offer special EV tariffs that feature off-peak prices for electricity, which are much cheaper than the prices during busy times. The recent turmoil in the energy market has led to a rise in power prices, but it has also resulted in even more dramatic off-peak savings. Additionally, new deals are starting to appear as the cost of electricity begins to decrease.

In order to determine which electricity supplier offers the best tariff, we conducted a test using average power consumption for a three-bed house and the charging needs of a medium-sized electric car. We estimated the power consumption to be 3,500kWh per year for the house, and an additional 2,000kWh per year for the car, which covers 8,000 miles annually.

Owners who have a daily mileage that matches this annual total can easily take advantage of cheaper night-time tariffs, which are usually available for a few hours. For our test, we assumed that all non-charging domestic power usage would be at the peak rate.

OVO Charge Anytime: This tariff does not have set off-peak hours. Instead, users can specify the time they want their car to be charged, and the app will top up the battery whenever it detects the cheapest power. This tariff is compatible with only 13 car brands or two home-charger units.

British Gas Electric Driver Sep24: This tariff offers five off-peak hours between midnight and 5am, during which all energy supplied to the house is at a lower cost. This is enough time to charge an EV battery with around 40kW, providing a range of 150-plus miles.

Octopus Energy Intelligent: Similar to OVO's tariff, this one uses technology to determine the lowest energy cost and tops up the battery during those periods. It offers six off-peak hours, but the cost will never exceed the quoted rate of 7.5p if the car is plugged in.

Octopus Energy Go: This tariff has four off-peak hours between 00:30am and 04:30am, with a recently lowered off-peak price of 9p per kWh. The standing charge is 42p per day, and there are no exit fees. Customers also have the option to use Octopus Energy's Electroverse card for public chargers.

E.On Next Drive Fixed: This tariff offers a seven-hour off-peak charging period, allowing for an additional 84 miles' worth of charge every night. The off-peak price is 9.5p per kWh, but the peak daytime rates and standing charge are more expensive compared to other tariffs.

EDF GoElectric: This tariff offers five off-peak hours, with an off-peak price of 8p per kWh. The standing charge is 44p per day, and the peak rate is 36p per kWh.

FutureCar Staff