Electric vehicle (EV) energy tariffs
Charge smarter, pay less with our EV two-rate tariff. Get super-cheap electricity at night – just 7.9p per kWh between 12am-5am. Plus, we've lowered our day rate, so that's cheaper too. Win-win!
Already with us? Access your online account and change to our EV tariff.
How our EV tariff stacks up versus other suppliers
Example costs based on a customer living in London (SW2) where 33% of the electricity used is during off-peak hours. Prices correct as of 2 May 2024. Competitor prices taken from their website. For a fair comparison we’ve chosen a similar EV tariff that works for any car or charger.
Lower offer
British Gas EV tariff
- Off-peak rate
- 7.9p per kWh
- Off-peak hours per week
- 35 hours
- Example cost at 3,900 kW of electricity
- £966.61
- Example cost at 5,000 kW of electricity
- £1,201.52
Competitor offer
Octopus Go
- Off-peak rate
- 9p per kWh
- Off-peak hours per week
- 28 hours
- Example cost at 3,900 kW of electricity
- £1,000.56
- Example cost at 5,000 kW of electricity
- £1,242.90
If you regularly charge your car during peak times or use significantly higher or lower amounts of electricity than the average EV owner, your actual yearly costs will be different to our estimates.
Not yet got an EV charger at home?
Charge your EV for less with the UK’s cheapest EV rate.1
Already have a Hive EV charger? You could get a 4p/kWh saving on all your EV charging with Hive SmartCharge if you get your electricity from us. Combine this with our Electric Driver tariff, and you could be paying just 3.9p/kWh if you plug in overnight between 12am – 5am.
If you’ve already got an EV charger from another brand, then you can still benefit from our EV tariff. Get a quote and see what you could save.
If you’re yet to buy an EV charger, our market-leading FreeCharge offers 12 months of free home2 charging when you buy a Hive EV charger and get your electricity from us.
Why choose our EV tariff?
- It works for all EV drivers with any make of EV and with any home charger.
- Our EV tariff is a smart “two-rate tariff”, which charges different rates for peak and off-peak hours.
- Between 12am-5am every day you’ll get a super low off-peak price for electricity. That's 35 total off-peak hours every week to charge your car.
- We keep the daytime rate for our EV tariff as close as possible to our normal electricity rates, so you get great value.
Save more with our EV tariff
There are no rules on what you can use the cut-price electricity for during off-peak hours. As well as charging your EV during off-peak hours you could:
- Use higher-energy appliances, like washing machines and dishwashers.
- Charge up your smartphones, laptops and tablets.
Stay in control of your EV energy bill
- Use your charger or EV management app to schedule your EV charges during the cheaper night-time hours.
- Get a free electricity smart meter upgrade to help keep an eye on your spending.
How to get our EV tariff
- It’s available to all new and existing customers.
- You’ll need to have an electric vehicle you charge at home. We might ask you to prove this.
- You’ll need a British Gas electricity smart meter. If you don’t have an electricity smart meter - or if you have one fitted by another provider - we’ll upgrade you to one of our smart meters, at no extra cost.
- You’ll have to pay by Direct Debit.
How we quote an electric vehicle tariff
When you sign up to our EV tariff, we’ll estimate your annual costs. We base this on how much electricity you’ve used in the past. If we can’t find these details, we’ll base this on the average amount EV owners normally use.
Average EV owners typically charge their vehicles about three times a week during off-peak hours, and twice a fortnight during peak hours using 10kWh of electricity a time. Our estimate assumes that 33% of the electricity you use is during off-peak hours.
Please note, factors like car age, charging habits and electricity usage could mean your actual yearly costs differ from our estimate.
Get half-price electricity every Sunday
Save even more and join hundreds of thousands of British Gas customers using their smart meters to save money on their bills with PeakSave Sunday. You’ll need to be a British Gas energy customer to sign up for PeakSave. Registration required.
Charge your EV for less. Switch to our EV charging tariff
See how much you could save by switching to our EV tariff that lets you charge your electric vehicle for less.
Frequently asked questions
Is it worth getting an electric car tariff?
Electric vehicle energy tariffs might not offer the best value if your driving patterns mean you don’t charge much at home or need to regularly charge your car during peak hours. For many EV households though, an EV tariff could be a good option.
Get an EV tariff quote online and we’ll show you prices for our standard tariffs as well, so you can compare.
Is my daytime electricity rate higher on this EV tariff to offset the cheaper night time rate?
Our EV tariff is a two-rate tariff, that gives you cheaper electricity overnight. This means you can charge your car – or use your washing machine, dishwasher etc and take advantage of the lower priced electricity.
We’ve tried to keep the daytime rate for our EV tariffs as close as possible to our normal electricity rates, but they are higher.
When you get an energy quote online we’ll show you our EV tariffs and our standard tariffs so you can choose what’s right for you.
How do I sign up for this EV tariff?
If you’re an existing customer, log in to switch to get the EV tariff. If you’re a new customer, you can get a quote for our EV tariff in a few minutes online.
Does this EV tariff work with Economy 7?
Unfortunately, our EV tariff doesn’t work with Economy 7. If you switched to this tariff, your storage heaters won’t work properly, so it’s better for you to stay on a special E7 tariff.
Does this EV tariff work with solar panels?
Yes, we fit smart meters for customers with solar panels and micro generation equipment in their home.
Why do I need an electricity smart meter to sign up for your electric vehicle energy tariff?
A smart meter tells us exactly when you’re using your electricity. We need to know how much energy you’re using during the day and during the cheaper night-time hours so that we can give you an accurate bill.
Without an electricity smart meter, you won’t be able to get the lower unit rate at night.
Do I need a gas smart meter to sign up for this electric car tariff?
We would always recommend fitting a gas smart meter, but in the case of the Electric Driver tariff you only need an electricity smart meter. If you wish to install a gas smart meter, please speak with our customer representative when signing up for the Electric Driver tariff.
What if I want to switch from this EV tariff?
You can change to another one of our tariffs or another energy supplier at any time.
What happens if I move home while I’m on this EV charging tariff?
If you're moving home, we’ll need to check that you have the correct set up at your new home, just give us a call and we’ll look into signing you up for an EV tariff again.
What if I want to sign up for your EV charging tariff, but it’s not possible to install smart meters in my home?
Most homes are suitable for smart meters. Sometimes we won’t find out that we can’t fit your smart meter until our engineer comes to install one. If this happens, you can stay on the Electric Driver tariff, but you won’t get the cheaper night time rate.
However, it probably makes sense to switch to another tariff – just give us a call and we’ll be happy to recommend one, or you’ll be able to change tariff in your online account.
Additional information
Based on electricity prices correct as of 18/04/2024. When you plug in your EV for 6 hours or more covering the period of 12am to 5am, you’ll qualify for a 4p discount off your EV tariff night rate of 7.9p/kWh for all electrical consumption. 4p/kWh discount also applies at any other time of day on any other British Gas electricity tariff if your EV is left plugged in for 6 hours or more.
By managing your charger with Hive SmartCharge we’ll give you a credit each month with money back directly on your British Gas bill.
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FreeCharge is only available for customers with a Hive EV Charger (purchased on or after 19th October 2023) and a British Gas Electricity Tariff and Smart Meter. Maximum consumption limits apply. Please read the FreeCharge Terms & Conditions and FAQs on the Hive website.