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 reliably scheduled charger. The Smart variant drops that to 8p/kWh. It connects directly through a compatible EV or through a supported charger; E.ON currently names zappi and Hypervolt for the charger-led route.
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 with a compatible EV, zappi or Hypervolt who want managed charging and whole-home cheap slots, including allocated periods outside the base window.
How It Works
The guaranteed window runs from 12am–6am. On a 7kW charger that is about 42kWh, enough to replace roughly 140 miles of typical EV driving. Next Drive Smart also schedules through the E.ON Next Home app. If E.ON allocates a daytime charging slot, the whole home receives the lower rate during that slot.
Peak or Boost charging outside a cheap slot uses the quoted peak rate, currently 30.63p/kWh for the Smart reference used here. Regional quotes vary. The 9p standard variant keeps the fixed overnight window without the managed connection.
Who It Suits
The representative 60p/day standing charge is high enough that the whole-home estimate matters. The Smart variant suits a household that can connect an eligible car or supported charger and will leave it plugged in long enough for E.ON to allocate charging. The 9p standard variant is the simpler fallback, but EDF GoElectric and Octopus Intelligent Go both undercut its EV rate.
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 a charger-led Smart connection, E.ON currently names the Zappi GLO and Hypervolt Home 3 Pro. A compatible EV can connect directly instead. Other chargers can still follow the standard Next Drive overnight window at 9p, but confirm the exact EV and charger in E.ON's eligibility checker before switching.
For a full comparison of all UK EV tariffs, see our tariff comparison guide. Compare this rate in the UK EV Charging Cost Index.
