EV tariffs

E.ON Next Drive (9.5p) and Next Drive Smart (8p) vs Intelligent Octopus Go (7.6p): the unit-rate maths

Last checked 16 Oct 2026 · E.ON rates read on eonnext.com · PlugLater

E.ON Next has two EV tariffs: Next Drive, a fixed overnight window for any car, and Next Drive Smart, which smart-charges an eligible car or charger. Both are compared here with Intelligent Octopus Go. The E.ON rates below were read on eonnext.com/tariffs/next-drive on 16 October 2026.

E.ON rates read on eonnext.com, 16 October 2026
	Intelligent Octopus Go	E.ON Next Drive Smart	E.ON Next Drive
Off-peak rate	7.6p	8p	9.5p
Window	23:30–05:30 + up to 6 h smart slots	00:00–06:00 + smart charging	00:00–06:00
Peak / day rate	34.95p–38.82p by region	33.122p (E.ON footnote, region not stated)	Not published on the tariff page
Standing charge	42.29p–66.74p a day by region	Quote only	Quote only
Car and charger	Compatible car or supported charger	Eligible EV and charger	Any
Meter	Smart meter, half-hourly reads	Smart meter, half-hourly consent	Smart meter, half-hourly data
Exit fee	£50 (fixed)	None	None

On 16 October 2026 the E.ON page still said Next Drive Fixed V35 is 9.5p/kWh from midnight to 6am (footnote 4), and that Next Drive Smart is 8p/kWh off-peak with a peak rate of 33.122p/kWh for boosts and non-smart charging (footnotes 2 and 3). E.ON dates that Smart footnote “information correct at 15 October 2026” and does not say which region the 33.122p applies to, so check your quote. Octopus’s figures are its 12-month fixed version, which Octopus listed as on sale until 20 October 2026.

Worked example: 8,000 miles in a Kia EV3

The Kia EV3 Long Range uses 279 Wh a mile on EV-Database’s figures: 3.58 mi/kWh, so 8,000 miles is 2,235 kWh. If all of it is charged in the cheap hours:

Intelligent Octopus Go at 7.6p: £170.
E.ON Next Drive Smart at 8p: £179 (£9 more than Intelligent Octopus Go).
E.ON Next Drive at 9.5p: £212 (£42 more than Intelligent Octopus Go, and £33 more than Next Drive Smart).

Both windows are six hours, so a 7.4 kW wallbox adds up to 44.4 kWh a night on either. For the EV3 Long Range that is about 159 miles.

The day rate matters more than the car

All three are whole-home tariffs: the off-peak rate covers everything you use in the window, and the day rate covers everything else. A household’s non-car use is often a bigger number than the car’s, and most of it is in the day. With the peak rates published that day, a kWh used in the day costs 33.122p on Next Drive Smart and 34.95p–38.82p on Intelligent Octopus Go, depending on region. Next Drive’s day rate is only in a quote.

So the useful comparison is your own year: (your night kWh × each night rate) + (your day kWh × each day rate) + 365 × each standing charge. Your smart meter data gives the kWh, and a postcode quote from each supplier gives the rest.

Which fits which household

Car supported by Intelligent Octopus Go or Next Drive Smart: both smart tariffs are open to you. The night rates are 0.4p apart; the day rate and standing charge in your quotes will decide it.
Car or charger not supported by either: Next Drive (9.5p, 00:00–06:00) or Octopus Go (9.5p, 00:30–05:30) work with any EV. Next Drive’s window is an hour longer.
Want no exit fee: E.ON says neither Next Drive tariff has one; the Intelligent Octopus Go fixed version has a £50 fee.
Want charging outside the night window: both smart tariffs can schedule charging outside it at the low rate, if you let them control it.

Other suppliers’ EV tariffs are in UK EV tariffs compared, and Octopus’s two are compared in Intelligent Octopus Go vs Octopus Go. For the EV3’s per-charge costs see cost to charge a Kia EV3.

Questions people ask

Is E.ON Next Drive cheaper than Intelligent Octopus Go?

Not at night: Next Drive is 9.5p and Next Drive Smart is 8p, against 7.6p on Intelligent Octopus Go. Both E.ON rates were on eonnext.com on 16 October 2026. For 8,000 miles in a Kia EV3 Long Range (2,235 kWh) that is £212, £179 and £170. Next Drive is £42 more than Intelligent Octopus Go, and £33 more than Next Drive Smart. E.ON’s footnote peak rate of 33.122p is below Octopus’s regional day rates, so overall cost depends on how much you use in the day.

What are E.ON Next Drive’s off-peak hours?

Midnight to 6am every day, for the whole home, on both Next Drive and Next Drive Smart. E.ON says that is 42 off-peak hours a week.

Do I need a smart charger for E.ON Next Drive?

Not for Next Drive, which works on a fixed window. Next Drive Smart needs an eligible EV and charger. Both need a smart meter that sends half-hourly data.

Is this financial advice?

No. It compares published rates on one day. Get a quote for your postcode from each supplier before you switch.

Not financial advice. These are worked examples from published rates and EV-Database consumption estimates, for planning only. Your own tariff, day rate, standing charge, car, driving and weather will change the numbers. Check your bill and your supplier’s current terms before you switch or buy anything.

Sources

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