E.ON Next for EV owners: is Next Drive worth it?

Affiliate disclosure: this post contains an E.ON Next referral link. If you use it, we both get a £50 retail voucher redeemable at 100+ retailers. It doesn't change the price you pay.

If you drive an EV and charge it on a standard tariff, you pay about three times what an overnight EV rate costs. E.ON Next's standard rate averages 26.322p/kWh across its 14 regions under the October 2026 price cap. Its overnight EV tariff, Next Drive, is 8.5p/kWh. For an EV doing 8,000 miles a year, that gap is worth about £410 a year on the charging alone.

Should you switch to E.ON Next's Next Drive (or Next Drive Smart)? And how does it compare to Octopus Go and Intelligent Octopus?

I was an E.ON Next gas customer for four years, from when my supplier Bulb collapsed in late 2021. I'm not an EV owner myself, so this is research-led rather than experience-led, but with the bonus that I know E.ON Next's billing, app, and customer service inside out from years of bills.

Quick answer

Against a standard tariff, yes. Next Drive saves an 8,000-mile driver about £410 a year on charging, and E.ON Next handles the switch end-to-end. Against Octopus Go's 12-month fix it is 0.90p/kWh cheaper overnight and 2.73p cheaper at peak, with no exit fee; against Go's variable price it is 0.90p cheaper overnight and 0.97p dearer at peak. Next Drive Smart comes out ahead of every Octopus EV tariff on a year's bill. Next Drive is not the cheapest EV tariff, though, and the saving shrinks in a home that uses a lot of electricity in the day: the 18 hours outside the window cost 8.85p/kWh more than E.ON's standard rate. The main reasons not to: you don't have a smart meter, or you can't plug in between midnight and 6am.

What's the difference between Next Drive and Next Drive Smart?

E.ON Next has two EV tariffs and they're not interchangeable. The practical difference:

Off-peak rates and Next Drive Smart's 34.322p average are from E.ON Next's EV tariff page (opens in new tab), correct at 28 October 2026, for Next Drive Fixed V37 and Next Drive Smart V7.9. The regional peak rates, Next Drive's average and the standing charges are from E.ON Next's public tariff API (opens in new tab), read on 8 November 2026; averages are across E.ON's 14 regions. Each version is fixed for 12 months, but a new version can launch at different rates; check current prices before signing up.

Next Drive Smart is cheaper at both times of day: 2p/kWh less overnight, about £46 a year on ~2,300 kWh of charging, and 0.85p less at peak in every region. Smart needs a compatible EV and charger, so plain Next Drive is the fallback when yours isn't on the list, not the cheaper option.

The savings: a worked example

Take a fairly typical UK EV driver:

• 8,000 miles a year
• Real-world efficiency: ~3.5 miles/kWh
• Annual electricity need: ~2,300 kWh

E.ON Next's own figure is £476 a year, for Next Drive Smart on the same 8,000 miles at 3.33 miles per kWh, about 2,400 kWh of charging, against its 26.322p standard rate.

Both figures count the car only. Everything else the house uses outside midnight to 6am pays the peak rate, which E.ON sets 8.85p/kWh above its standard rate on Next Drive and 8.00p above on Next Drive Smart, in every region. A home using Ofgem's typical 2,500 kWh a year, none of it in the window, pays about £221 more for it on Next Drive, which takes the £410 down to about £189. The standing charge is a flat 57.143p a day on both EV tariffs, from £38 a year less than Next Flex's in Merseyside and North Wales to £52 more in London.

Shifting heavy loads (dishwasher, washing machine, tumble dryer) into the window claws that back, because the 8.5p rate applies to all electricity used between midnight and 6am, not just the car: each kWh moved saves about 26.7p against Next Drive's average peak.

Eligibility and requirements

To get on Next Drive or Next Drive Smart, you need:

1. A smart meter that sends half-hourly readings: SMETS2 ideally; some SMETS1 meters work but check at signup.
2. An electric or hybrid vehicle you own or lease: a home battery on its own doesn't qualify.
3. A working direct debit: same as any E.ON Next tariff.
4. For Next Drive Smart specifically: a compatible smart charger. E.ON Next publishes the current compatibility list and can supply one as part of the charger + tariff bundle (opens in new tab).

If you don't have a smart meter yet, E.ON Next will install one as part of the switch. Expect a 4–8 week lead time depending on your area. You'll be on a standard tariff during the gap.

How Next Drive Smart works

The "Smart" version differs in how it dispatches charging. Standard Next Drive gives you 8.5p/kWh for any electricity used between 12am and 6am, whether you're charging the car, running the dishwasher, or boiling the kettle at 3am for a midnight tea.

Next Drive Smart adds a layer: it schedules your compatible car's charging through the E.ON Next Home app, overnight and sometimes in the day, and bills the whole home at 6.5p/kWh during any daytime slot it schedules, not just the car. In practice, you plug in when you get home, set your "ready by" time in the app, and the system handles the rest. You only pay the peak rate, 34.322p/kWh on average, if you boost-charge or charge outside the app during peak hours.

It's the same logic as Intelligent Octopus, just on a different list of compatible chargers.

Next Drive vs Octopus Go vs Intelligent Octopus

On a year's bill for 8,000 miles of charging and a 2,500 kWh home, averaged across the 14 regions, Next Drive Smart comes to about £1,216, below every Octopus EV tariff: Intelligent Octopus Go Flexible, the cheapest smart Octopus option at that mileage, comes to about £1,275. Plain Next Drive sits mid-table at about £1,283, behind Octopus Go Variable (about £1,270) and ahead of Go's 12-month fix (about £1,363). EDF's GoElectric undercuts Next Drive at about £1,252, and Next Drive Smart only with its £60 Smart Charging credit (about £1,192), which EDF can cut. Our EV tariff comparison has every tariff's rates, cheap hours and exit fees, region by region and by mileage.

Who is Next Drive best for?

Good fit:

• EV owners with a smart meter who can plug in overnight
• Anyone who wants a simple fixed off-peak window, at a rate fixed for 12 months, without needing a specific smart charger
• Plug-in hybrid drivers (smaller batteries fit the 6-hour window comfortably)

Less ideal:

• EV drivers who genuinely need daytime fast-charging at home (no home tariff fixes this; use public DC chargers for top-ups instead)
• Households that use most of their electricity in the day, which costs 8.85p/kWh more than on E.ON's standard tariff
• Very high-mileage drivers with short overnight charging windows (check whether six hours at 7kW (~42 kWh) covers your daily need)
• Anyone whose smart meter isn't reporting correctly to E.ON Next (sort that out before switching to a time-of-use tariff, or you'll end up on the peak rate by default)

The referral angle

If you're going to switch anyway, switching via a referral pays you a £50 retail voucher (M&S, Argos, Ticketmaster, and 100+ others). Same £50 goes to whoever shared the link. The voucher lands once your first direct debit clears, usually within four weeks of switching, and it applies regardless of which tariff you choose.

Get your E.ON Next £50 referral here →

FAQs

Is E.ON Next Drive cheaper than Octopus Go?

It depends which Go. Octopus sells it two ways, and Next Drive beats the 12-month fix at both times of day: 8.5p/kWh against 9.40p overnight, and 35.172p against 37.90p at peak, averaged across the 14 regions, with no exit fee where the fix charges £50. Against Go's variable rates, Next Drive is still 0.90p cheaper overnight but 0.97p dearer at peak (34.20p), so a year's bill for 8,000 miles and a 2,500 kWh home comes to about £1,283 on Next Drive and £1,270 on variable Go. Next Drive's window is also an hour longer (12am–6am against 12:30am–5:30am), which matters only if five hours won't refill your battery. The full comparison has the current rates.

Do I need a smart charger to get on Next Drive?

No, not for Next Drive Fixed. Any home charger or 3-pin plug-in will get you the 8.5p/kWh rate as long as you charge between 12am and 6am. Next Drive Smart is the version that requires a compatible EV and charger, because E.ON schedules the charging through its app. E.ON Next publishes the current compatibility list and sells bundled charger-plus-tariff packages.

Does the Next Drive off-peak rate apply to my whole home or just the car?

The 8.5p/kWh rate applies to all electricity you use in the 12am–6am window, not just the car. If you can shift the dishwasher, washing machine, tumble dryer, or any other heavy electricity use to overnight, you get the off-peak rate on those too. The rule cuts both ways: everything outside the window pays the peak rate, 8.85p/kWh above E.ON's standard rate.

Can I switch to Next Drive without a smart meter?

No. Time-of-use tariffs need a smart meter to record what you used in each half-hour. E.ON Next will install one as part of your switch if you don't have one; expect a few weeks' wait for installation. You'll be on the standard variable tariff during the gap, so the savings only start once the smart meter is in.

What happens if I charge during peak hours?

You pay the peak rate, and on both tariffs it is above E.ON's standard rate. On Next Drive Fixed it is set for the year and averages 35.172p/kWh across E.ON's 14 regions. On Next Drive Smart it averages 34.322p, and only boost charging or charging outside the app pays it, since daytime slots E.ON schedules are billed at 6.5p. Either way, it's roughly four times the off-peak rate or more, so try to avoid daytime home charging if you're on either tariff. Use public DC fast chargers for top-ups, or schedule your charging properly using the app.

Is Next Drive Smart's peak rate higher than Next Drive Fixed's?

No, it is lower, by 0.85p/kWh in every region: 34.322p against 35.172p on average. Its overnight rate is lower too, 6.5p against 8.5p, so Next Drive Smart is the cheaper of the two at every hour. Plain Next Drive is the choice when your car or charger can't smart charge.

You might also like

• Best EV tariffs UK: cheapest over a year, by region
• Octopus Energy vs E.ON Next: which is cheaper, and which pays more?
• Is E.ON Next worth it? A review after 4 years
• E.ON Next vs British Gas referral: which gives you more?
• EV charger installation: guide to home EV charging in the UK

Useful links (official resources)

• E.ON Next EV charger + tariff: https://www.eonnext.com/electric-vehicles/charger-and-tariff (opens in new tab)
• E.ON Next EV tariff guide: https://www.eonnext.com/electric-vehicles/guides/ev-tariffs-explained (opens in new tab)
• Ofgem energy price cap: https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/energy-price-cap (opens in new tab)
• Citizens Advice energy guidance: https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/energy/ (opens in new tab)

Both E.ON Next EV tariffs are 12-month fixes with no exit fee, so the rates above hold for a year from the day you join, and you can leave early at no cost if your charging pattern changes.

Ad Get your E.ON Next £50 referral here (opens in new tab)