British Gas EV tariff: rates, times and is it worth it?

How EV Power works

EV Power is a two-rate fixed tariff. From midnight to 5am every day you pay 9.5p/kWh for everything you use, which British Gas counts as 35 off-peak hours a week. At other times you pay a higher day rate. British Gas says it works with any make of EV and home charger, so you set the timer on the car or charger.

British Gas matches the electricity with 100% renewable energy through certificates. Its quote assumes 46% of your electricity falls in the off-peak window.

Two naming points. The product page calls the tariff EV Power; older blogs and a 2021 terms document call it Electric Driver. And British Gas shows no contract end date on the public page.

Rates in October 2026

At 9.5p, EV Power is level with Octopus Go (which has a 00:30 to 05:30 window) and just under E.ON Next Drive’s 9.53p, which runs six hours with no exit fee. It is 2.84p above EDF GoElectric and 1.9p above Intelligent Octopus Go.

What British Gas does not publish:

• the day rate (it says only that it keeps it as close as possible to its normal rates, but higher);
• the standing charge;
• the exit-fee amount (it says you may pay exit fees depending on how long is left, and switching to another British Gas tariff is free);
• the VAT basis of the 9.5p. If the rate includes 5% VAT, it is about 9.05p at 0%, and if the zero rate lapses on the same pre-VAT price from 1 April 2027 it would be 9.98p (our derivations).

Without a day rate and standing charge, we cannot place EV Power in our whole-home cost comparison. Ask for a quote; British Gas shows its other tariffs alongside, so you can compare.

What you need

• A smart electricity meter. British Gas fits one free if you need it.
• To pay by Direct Debit.
• An EV you charge at home. British Gas says it may ask you to prove this.
• No Economy 7. British Gas says the tariff does not work with it, because storage heaters would not run properly.

New customers join on any British Gas electricity tariff first, then switch once the smart meter is connected. If British Gas cannot fit a smart meter, you stay on EV Power without the cheaper night rate. It works with solar panels.

Hive Power+ and Charge Power

Hive Power+ needs a compatible charger and a smart meter in credit mode. It takes 25% off the electricity the charger uses in Power+ mode, credited monthly in arrears. On EV Power, British Gas quotes an equivalent of 7.125p/kWh (9.5p less 25%), which is about 2.14p a mile. British Gas says you could drive 9,000 miles for £195; that works out at 3.3 miles per kWh and 7.125p, and it excludes standing charges. The discount does not apply to the standing charge.

British Gas now fits the Sync Energy Wall Charger 2 as its Hive charger, from £999 (VAT basis not stated), and new Hive charger customers get £20 of Zapmap credit, equivalent to 100 free public miles. Our energy-supplier chargers guide covers the hardware.

Charge Power is a separate British Gas tariff for homes with an EV, a home battery and solar: a 50% discount on the unit rate from midnight to 5am, with the full standing charge still payable.

Who it suits

Existing British Gas customers who want an EV tariff without switching supplier, and who can take a quote showing the full costs.

Homes with a Hive charger, where Power+ brings the car’s rate to 7.125p. That is close to Intelligent Octopus Go’s 7.6p, though Intelligent Octopus Go also gives the house the cheap rate for six hours.

EV, battery and solar homes, who may fit Charge Power.

It suits less well anyone who wants the longest window (EDF has seven hours against five here), anyone who needs a published exit fee, or anyone on Economy 7.

British Gas itself says that if you do not charge much at home, or have to charge at peak times, you will not get the most from an EV tariff. Compare it against Intelligent Octopus Go and EDF GoElectric using whole-home annual costs rather than the night rate alone.