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 you're on a standard tariff, you're paying roughly three times more for electricity than you need to. The Ofgem price-capped rate sits at around 24.7p/kWh. E.ON Next's overnight EV tariff is 9p/kWh. For a typical EV doing 8,000 miles a year, that gap is worth roughly £350–£500 a year.

The question this post answers: should you actually switch to E.ON Next's Next Drive (or Next Drive Smart)? And how does it compare to Octopus Go and Intelligent Octopus, the two EV tariffs most comparisons start with?

I've been an E.ON Next customer for four years (gas switched over when my supplier Bulb collapsed in late 2021; electricity added later). 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

For most EV drivers, yes, Next Drive is worth switching to — it's one of the cheapest off-peak EV rates in the UK, the eligibility is straightforward, and E.ON Next handles the switch end-to-end. The main reasons not to: you don't have a smart meter, your charging pattern is irregular, or you've already locked in something better (Octopus Go is closely comparable; Intelligent Octopus can be marginally cheaper if your car or charger is on the compatibility list).

Next Drive vs Next Drive Smart

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

Rates verified against E.ON Next's tariff pages and the April 2026 price alert, accurate as of April 2026. Energy rates change — check current prices before signing up.

The 1p/kWh gap between Next Drive and Next Drive Smart looks small but adds up: for a typical EV using ~2,300 kWh/year off-peak, that's around £23/year. The downside is Next Drive Smart needs a compatible smart charger (extra kit cost or a compatibility check), and the peak rate is fixed at 26.354p/kWh — so if you can't always charge in-window, the maths can flip in favour of plain Next Drive.

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 marketing quotes a figure of ~£500/year in savings, which assumes a heavier driver (closer to 12,000 miles/year). The realistic range for most households is £350–£500/year depending on mileage, efficiency, and how much of your charging falls into the 12am–6am window.

If you also shift other heavy loads — dishwasher, washing machine, tumble dryer — into the off-peak window, the savings stack up further because the 9p/kWh rate applies to all electricity used in that window, not just the car.

Eligibility and requirements

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

1. A smart meter — SMETS2 ideally; some SMETS1 meters work but check at signup.
2. An electric vehicle, plug-in hybrid, or home battery — proof may be requested.
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.

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 actually works

Where the "Smart" version earns its name is in how it dispatches charging within the off-peak window. Standard Next Drive gives you 9p/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 talks to your compatible smart charger and dispatches charging to the cheapest minutes within the off-peak window (and occasionally beyond it, if grid conditions allow). In practice, you plug in when you get home, set your "ready by" time in the E.ON Next app, and the system handles the rest. You don't see a difference on the bill unless you boost-charge during peak hours — in which case you pay the fixed 26.354p/kWh peak rate.

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

Next Drive vs Octopus Go vs Intelligent Octopus

The two suppliers most EV drivers compare here:

Octopus rates above are approximate and change quarterly — check current prices before switching.

A few takeaways:

• For a fixed, predictable off-peak window with no smart-charger needed, Next Drive at 9p/kWh and Octopus Go at ~8.5p/kWh are nearly identical on price. The deciding factor is usually whichever supplier you'd prefer for the rest of your bill, your app preference, and customer service expectations.
• For smart auto-dispatched charging, Intelligent Octopus is typically the cheapest on paper, but the EV/charger compatibility list is narrower than Next Drive Smart's. Check your car and charger before assuming you can get on it.
• E.ON Next's six-hour off-peak window is the longest among the major EV tariffs. That matters if you have a slower home charger (7kW or below) or a larger battery (~60 kWh+) — you can get more energy in per night, which means fewer days where you wake up to a battery that hasn't quite topped up.

Who Next Drive is best for

Good fit:

• EV owners with a smart meter who can plug in overnight
• Anyone who wants a simple fixed off-peak window without needing a specific smart charger
• Plug-in hybrid drivers (smaller batteries fit the 6-hour window comfortably)
• Home battery owners who can shift consumption to off-peak

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
• 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 about four weeks after your first direct debit — and crucially, it applies regardless of which tariff you choose. Next Drive customers qualify just like everyone else.

Get your E.ON Next £50 referral here →

FAQs

Is E.ON Next Drive cheaper than Octopus Go?

They're within a fraction of a penny per kWh. Next Drive is 9p/kWh for a 6-hour off-peak window (12am–6am). Octopus Go is around 8.5p/kWh for a 5-hour window (12:30am–5:30am). The longer Next Drive window often makes up for the slightly higher unit rate, especially for slower home chargers or larger batteries. For an exact comparison, plug in your annual kWh usage rather than just comparing unit rates — and check current rates, which change quarterly.

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 9p/kWh rate as long as you charge between 12am and 6am. Next Drive Smart is the version that requires a compatible smart charger, because it dispatches charging within the off-peak window. 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 9p/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. This is one of the more under-appreciated parts of Next Drive — you don't have to be charging the car to benefit.

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. On Next Drive Fixed that's the Next Flex standard variable peak (currently ~24.7p/kWh). On Next Drive Smart it's a fixed 26.354p/kWh. Either way, it's roughly three times the off-peak rate, 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 really higher than Next Drive Fixed's?

Yes — at the time of writing, Next Drive Smart's peak is fixed at 26.354p/kWh while Next Drive Fixed peaks roughly track the Next Flex variable rate (~24.7p/kWh). The Smart version gets you a cheaper off-peak rate (8p vs 9p) but a slightly higher peak. If your charging discipline is variable and you sometimes top up during the day, plain Next Drive may actually be cheaper overall.

You might also like

• Octopus Energy vs E.ON Next referral: which gives you more?
• Is E.ON Next worth it? An honest 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
• E.ON Next EV tariff guide: https://www.eonnext.com/electric-vehicles/guides/ev-tariffs-explained
• Ofgem energy price cap: https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/energy-price-cap
• Citizens Advice energy guidance: https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/energy/

For most EV drivers, Next Drive is the simplest path to overnight charging savings — a 6-hour off-peak window, 9p/kWh, no smart-charger requirement, and ~£350–£500/year in savings versus a standard variable tariff. If you want the absolute cheapest rate and your kit is on the compatibility list, Next Drive Smart shaves another penny off.

Get your E.ON Next £50 referral here