How rival EV tariffs actually bill your home in 2026

A lot of older EV tariff advice is already out of date because the market has split into different billing models. That matters just as much as the off-peak price itself.

Checked again on 9 June 2026: Octopus Go is still the simple 00:30 to 05:30 whole-home model, Intelligent Octopus Go is still the 23:30 to 05:30 whole-home window plus eligible smart-scheduled charging model, EDF's main EV route still needs separating from Pod-linked and Smart Charging add-ons, and OVO, ScottishPower and British Gas all need a careful read of add-on, charger or later-credit terms. The unit rates change, so use this article for the billing model and check each supplier's current page for today's prices.

The practical question is not only which tariff is cheapest on paper. It is what gets the cheap rate, when, and how that saving actually reaches your bill.

1. The simple cheap-window model

This is the easiest version to understand. The tariff gives your whole home a cheaper unit rate during a fixed overnight block. Your car can use it, but so can the washing machine, immersion heater or home battery.

• Octopus Go: cheap whole-home electricity from 00:30 to 05:30.
• EDF GoElectric: a fixed EV-tariff route with cheaper electricity every night from 23:00 to 06:00. EDF also has Pod-linked charger routes and a Smart Charging bolt-on, so check which product you are actually being quoted.
• British Gas EV Power: an overnight 00:00 to 05:00 cheap window, with the cheap rate available across the home, not only for the car. Check British Gas for the current unit rate, Direct Debit and smart-meter conditions.
• ScottishPower EV Saver: a more traditional overnight time-of-use setup. Check ScottishPower for the current rate, single-rate smart-meter requirement, home-charger condition and GMT/BST timing notes.
• E.ON Next Drive: the simpler fixed-window sister tariff to Drive Smart, aimed at drivers who mainly want a longer overnight whole-home window.

This model suits households that like predictability. You know when the cheaper period starts, when it ends and what else in the house can benefit. It is often the best fit if you already charge overnight and do not want your supplier managing the car actively.

2. The whole-home smart-spillover model

This is where the tariff starts to feel different from an old-fashioned off-peak meter. The supplier still gives you a guaranteed cheap period, but smart charging can also create extra cheap periods outside the usual overnight slot.

• Intelligent Octopus Go: your home gets the 23:30 to 05:30 off-peak window every night, and when Octopus schedules eligible smart charging outside that window, the rest of the home also gets the cheap rate during those scheduled periods.
• E.ON Next Drive Smart: your whole home gets a cheap midnight-to-6am window, and E.ON says the same smart-charge rate can also apply across the home during app-scheduled daytime charging. Check E.ON for current eligibility, Boost rules and supported car or charger limits.

This model can work well for people who want the supplier to do more of the work. It can also trip people up, because the cheap rate is no longer only about one fixed overnight block. You may see cheaper charging at odd times of day, but only when the smart schedule is actually active.

That is why drivers keep mixing up the car benefit and the household benefit. The tariff can be generous, but the rules are more conditional than on a simple overnight product.

3. The charger-plan, add-on or bill-credit model

This is the model that causes the most confusion in 2026. The headline rate may look competitive, but your home is not always on a classic EV tariff in the old sense. Sometimes the offer is a charger plan, a smart-charging add-on or a credit applied after the charging has been measured.

• OVO Charge Anytime: your normal home tariff stays in place. The EV charging is handled as a smart-charging add-on, either through monthly plans with included home smart-charging allowances and public-charging vouchers, or through a pay-as-you-go smart-charging rate. Urgent charging and smart charging above a plan allowance can fall back to the home tariff, and unused public-charging voucher value can be lost if you leave OVO, cancel the plan or move to pay-as-you-go.
• ScottishPower EV Optimise: you are billed first at your normal tariff rate, then the difference down to the advertised smart-charging rate is credited back later as a separate line on the bill. It excludes some time-of-use tariffs, avoids smart charging between 16:00 and 20:00 and needs compatible kit, a communicating smart meter and half-hourly readings.
• British Gas Hive Power+: a compatible-charger add-on rather than the same thing as EV Power. It can reduce eligible home EV charging, but the customer still needs to check the underlying British Gas tariff, Direct Debit setup and charger compatibility.
• EDF Smart Charging: a bolt-on or charger-linked reward route beside GoElectric. It can add managed charging outside the fixed overnight block, but it is not the same as simply putting the whole home on a fixed overnight EV tariff.

This model is not necessarily worse. It can be useful if you want daytime charging flexibility or already like your main household tariff. The catch is that the home and the car are being treated differently. Your kettle, oven and heat pump do not automatically follow the EV rate. In some cases your EV savings arrive later as a credit instead of showing up instantly in the unit rate.

OVO is the clearest example of why old comparison pages can mislead people. It is no longer best described as a simple cheap overnight tariff. It is now closer to an EV charging plan that sits on top of your normal electricity deal. ScottishPower and EDF show a similar trap in a different form: the attractive EV number may depend on an app session, a charger bundle or a later bill credit rather than a universal household unit rate.

4. What this means in real life

• If you want one cheap household window you can build routines around, the simple whole-home model is still the cleanest answer.
• If you want the supplier to schedule charging more actively, the smart-spillover model can be stronger, but only if you are happy with the app rules and compatibility limits.
• If you mostly care about EV charging itself and are relaxed about the rest of the house staying on a normal tariff, an add-on or bill-credit model may still work well.
• If you also have solar panels or a battery, the difference becomes even more important because some tariffs reward home-wide load shifting better than others.

This is also why the cheapest EV headline is not always the cheapest home energy outcome. A simple whole-home overnight window can sometimes beat a clever-looking add-on if you also run appliances, charge a battery or heat water overnight.

5. Smart-meter and billing evidence

The tariff page, app schedule and charger graph are useful clues, but the bill still comes back to the supplier's smart-meter data and the tariff terms. For whole-home windows, check that the import meter is sending half-hourly readings and that the right time-of-use registers appear on the bill. For add-ons and later-credit products, keep the charging-session record as supporting evidence, then check the bill for the credit line, allowance, fallback rate or lost voucher rule that the supplier describes in its terms.

6. A quick checklist before you switch

1. Check whether the cheap rate applies to the whole home, only to smart EV charging, or arrives later as a bill credit.
2. Check whether there is a guaranteed fixed overnight window, or whether most of the value depends on smart scheduling.
3. Look at what happens if you need an urgent, boosted or unscheduled charge.
4. Check whether leaving the supplier, cancelling a monthly plan or switching plan would remove unused public-charging or bill-credit value.
5. Check compatibility carefully, especially if the tariff relies on a specific car, charger or app.
6. Think about the rest of the house, not just the car. A tariff that suits an EV on paper may be weaker for a home with solar, a battery, immersion heating or heavy overnight use.

Bottom line

The healthiest way to compare EV tariffs now is to stop asking only, "what is the cheap rate?" and start asking, "how does this tariff treat my whole house?" That one shift makes the market a lot easier to read.

If you want the simplest answer, start with tariffs that give the whole home a clear cheap window. If you are comfortable with smart scheduling, products like Intelligent Octopus Go and E.ON Next Drive Smart can be strong. If you are looking at OVO Charge Anytime, ScottishPower EV Optimise, EDF Smart Charging or a charger-linked bundle, check the bill mechanics carefully: you may be comparing an EV charging product, not a classic all-house EV tariff.

Sources checked on 9 June 2026

• Octopus Go, Intelligent Octopus Go and the Octopus smart-tariff terms for the Octopus whole-home windows, smart-charging model and billing-data caveats.
• E.ON Next Drive Smart and Next Drive for whole-home smart-spillover, fixed-window and Boost wording.
• EDF EV tariffs, British Gas EV Power, OVO Charge Anytime terms, ScottishPower EV Saver and ScottishPower EV Optimise for add-on, charger-plan and bill-credit caveats.