E.ON Next Drive is now two tariffs, and the difference matters. The standard variant runs at 9p/kWh over a six-hour window from midnight to 6am and works with any charger. The Smart variant drops that to 8p — but E.ON gates it on an eligible EV and an approved charger, and it names only zappi and Hypervolt. If you own neither, the rate you will actually pay is 9p.
The six hours are no longer the longest window on this list. EDF GoElectric now runs seven, at 6.99p, with no hardware requirement at all.
Best for: E.ON customers who already own a zappi or a Hypervolt, and want a six-hour window with a low peak rate for the rest of the house.
How It Works
Set your charging timer to start at midnight and you have until 6am at the off-peak rate. On a 7kW charger that is 42kWh — enough to fill any Tesla from nearly empty. The peak rate of 28.64p/kWh is one of the lowest here, which matters if a lot of your household usage falls outside the window.
The Smart variant is not a smart-scheduling product in the Octopus sense: there is no vehicle API and no dynamic half-hours. The approved charger is an eligibility condition, not a feature.
Who It Suits
The 60p/day standing charge is the highest of the eight, so this tariff needs volume to pay for itself. It suits high-mileage drivers with a large battery, on the Smart variant, who already own the hardware. At 9p on the standard variant it is beaten on rate by EDF GoElectric and Octopus Intelligent Go and matched by British Gas EV Power.
Cost Breakdown
These figures isolate EV charging electricity. They do not include household use or postcode-dependent standing charges.
| Scenario | Cost per full charge | EV electricity only (10k miles) |
|---|
| E.ON Next Drive Smart (8p/kWh) | ~£4.80 | ~£229 |
| E.ON Next Drive standard (9p/kWh) | ~£5.40 | ~£257 |
| EDF GoElectric (6.99p/kWh) | ~£4.19 | ~£200 |
| Standard variable (~26.11p/kWh) | ~£15.67 | ~£746 |
Compatible Chargers
For the 8p Smart rate, E.ON names the Zappi GLO and the Hypervolt Home 3 Pro. Anything else — a Tesla Wall Connector, an Ohme Home Pro — will run the tariff perfectly well on a timer, but at the 9p standard rate.
For a full comparison of all UK EV tariffs, see our tariff comparison guide. Compare this rate in the UK EV Charging Cost Index.
