Best Time to Charge Your EV UK: Off-Peak Hours (2026)

The Short Answer

The cheapest time to charge your EV at home in the UK is overnight, typically between 11:30pm and 6:00am depending on your tariff. Off-peak electricity rates for EV owners range from 7–9.5p/kWh, compared to 25–32p/kWh during the day. Charging during these hours can save you £400–600 per year compared to charging on a standard tariff.

Every UK EV Tariff's Off-Peak Window

Here's when the cheap electricity kicks in on every major EV tariff available in the UK in 2026:

For a deeper comparison of these tariffs including annual costs, see our best EV tariff guide or the full tariff comparison page.

How Much Can You Actually Save?

For a UK EV driver doing 10,000 miles a year at 3.5 miles per kWh:

Off-peak versus standard is roughly £40–50 a month — enough to cover the charger itself inside a year or two. For payback detail, see our charger payback calculator.

Is Your Off-Peak Window Long Enough?

A 4–6 hour window is enough for almost any EV to fully charge overnight:

For larger batteries, Octopus Intelligent Go adds extra off-peak slots beyond the standard 6-hour window when paired with a compatible smart charger like the Ohme Home Pro — frequently pushing cheap-rate charging to 8–10 hours on a typical night.

Most UK drivers top up 20–40 miles of range a day rather than doing 0–100% charges, so even the 4-hour window on Octopus Go is plenty — 4 hours at 7 kW adds roughly 100 miles.

Three Ways to Hit the Off-Peak Window

1. Use the Car's Built-In Scheduler

Every modern EV has a charging scheduler in the infotainment system or companion app. Set a departure time and charge level; the car delays drawing power until the window opens. Works with any charger, including basic ones. Best for fixed-window tariffs like Octopus Go.

2. Use the Charger's App

Smart chargers like the Ohme Home Pro, Hypervolt Home 3 Pro, and Wallbox Pulsar Max handle scheduling in their apps. The Ohme in particular integrates with Octopus, OVO, and British Gas to pick up bonus cheap slots automatically. Best for Octopus Intelligent Go and other smart tariffs.

3. Manual Plug-In Timing

Plug in when the window opens. No apps, no scheduling. Fine for night owls, but most people prefer set-and-forget. On a 3-pin or basic charger, a £10 timer socket does the job.

Off-Peak Charging Is Also Greener

Overnight is often cleaner as well as cheaper. The UK grid runs a higher proportion of wind and nuclear overnight, and fewer gas peaking plants, so midnight-to-6am charging typically draws more renewables than a daytime top-up.

Energy companies price it that way for the same reason — they want demand shifted into the low-supply window. Bills go down, the grid balances, carbon intensity drops.

What If You Can't Charge Overnight?

If you work night shifts or have other reasons you can't charge during the standard off-peak window:

• Octopus Agile offers variable 30-minute pricing slots throughout the day. Prices often dip during mid-afternoon (12–4pm) when solar generation peaks.
• Solar panels let you charge for free during daylight hours — see our solar charging guide and best solar charger picks.
• EDF GoElectric offers the longest fixed off-peak window at 7 hours (11pm–6am), giving you the most flexibility.
• OVO Charge Anytime uses smart scheduling to find cheap slots throughout the day — see our OVO Charge Anytime review.

Getting Started

1. Check your current tariff — if you're on a standard variable tariff, you're paying 25p+ per kWh to charge. Switching to an EV tariff takes minutes and saves hundreds per year.
2. Get a smart meter — required for all EV tariffs. Request one from your supplier (free of charge).
3. Choose your tariff — Compare all UK EV tariffs →
4. Set your schedule — whether via your car, your charger, or a simple timer, make sure you're hitting the off-peak window every night.

Not sure which charger to pair with your tariff? See our best chargers for smart tariffs guide or take our 60-second quiz.