The cheapest EV heat pump tariff saves you around £450 a year versus a standard variable rate
The combined electricity bill for a home running both an electric vehicle and a heat pump typically lands between £2,800 and £3,400 a year, according to DESNZ and Ofgem data from 2026 Q1 (DESNZ, 2026; Ofgem, 2026). Dedicated time-of-use tariffs can cut that bill by 15–20%, which translates to annual savings of £400–£500.
The best EV heat pump tariff saves around £450 a year versus a standard variable rate. OVO Energy's EV & Heat Pump tariff offers the lowest off-peak rate at 7.5p/kWh with a 5-hour cheap window, while British Gas Electric Driver & Heat provides a 6-hour window at 8.0p/kWh.
- Combined EV and heat pump bill averages £2,800–£3,400 a year.
- Dedicated tariffs cut bills by 15–20%, saving £400–£500 annually.
- OVO Energy's EV & Heat Pump tariff offers 7.5p/kWh off-peak.
- British Gas Electric Driver & Heat gives a 6-hour cheap window.
- Savings depend on heat pump COP, EV battery size and daily mileage.
- The cheapest EV heat pump tariff saves you around £450 a year versus a standard variable rate
- How an EV heat pump tariff works
- Quick numbers — top three tariffs compared
- The direct answer — which tariff is most cost-effective for a typical household
- Eligibility requirements — what you and your home must meet
- How to verify your installer and tariff compliance
- The trade-off — higher peak rates mean you must shift your usage
The exact saving depends on three variables: your heat pump’s coefficient of performance (COP — the ratio of heat output to electricity input), your EV’s battery size, and your daily mileage. A household with a COP of 3.0 and a 60 kWh EV driving 10,000 miles a year will see different savings than one with a COP of 2.5 and a 40 kWh EV covering 8,000 miles.
How an EV heat pump tariff works
These tariffs offer lower per-kWh rates during off-peak hours (typically 4–6 hours overnight) and higher rates at peak times. The cheap window is designed to fill both an EV battery and a heat pump’s thermal store, which can be a buffer tank or an underfloor heating slab (Energy Saving Trust, 2026).
Unlike standard EV-only tariffs, the cheap period is long enough — often 4–6 hours — for a heat pump to preheat a home for the following day. During those hours, the heat pump runs at full output, warming the fabric of the building or a buffer tank, so it can coast on lower output during peak-rate hours (Ofgem, 2026).
This design makes the tariff a genuine dual-purpose product, not just an EV tariff with a longer cheap window tacked on.
Quick numbers — top three tariffs compared
| Tariff name (Supplier) | Off-peak rate (p/kWh) | Peak rate (p/kWh) | Daily standing charge (p/day) | Cheap window duration (hours) | Minimum EV or heat pump requirement |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OVO Energy — EV & Heat Pump | 7.5 | 32 | 52 | 5 | MCS heat pump + eligible EV |
| British Gas — Electric Driver & Heat | 8.0 | 34 | 55 | 6 | MCS heat pump + eligible EV |
| E.ON Next Drive & Heat | 6.5 | 35 | 50 | 4 | MCS heat pump + eligible EV |
Rates sourced from supplier tariff pages accessed in 2026 Q1. Heat pump eligibility is verified via the MCS register (MCS, 2026).
Which tariff is most cost-effective for a typical household
For a home with a 10 kW heat pump (COP 3.0) running 8 hours daily and an EV doing 10,000 miles a year, OVO’s 5-hour window is the best fit. It balances a long enough cheap period for the heat pump to preheat the home (typically 2–3 hours) while still charging a 60 kWh EV battery fully (Energy Saving Trust, 2026).
British Gas’s 6-hour window is better if your heat pump runs in a larger home or you drive more than 12,000 miles a year, because the extra hour allows more thermal storage or a larger EV battery top-up. E.ON’s 4-hour window is only suitable if your heat pump has a buffer tank that can store heat, or if you can stagger EV charging across two nights (DESNZ, 2026).
If you have a smaller heat pump (6–8 kW) and a shorter commute, the lower off-peak rate on E.ON’s tariff (6.5p/kWh) could still beat OVO’s 7.5p rate, provided you can fit all your consumption into 4 hours.
Eligibility requirements — what you and your home must meet
You must have an MCS-certified heat pump installed, which you can verify on the MCS register at mcs.uk.com (MCS, 2026). Your EV must be registered on the supplier’s list of eligible vehicles — most tariffs require a plug-in car or van, but some also accept plug-in hybrids with a minimum electric range (Ofgem, 2026).
You must have a smart meter that records half-hourly consumption, because the tariff needs to track when you use electricity to apply the correct rate. Some tariffs also require you to have a heat pump buffer tank or underfloor heating to make the most of the cheap window, as these allow the heat pump to store thermal energy during off-peak hours (MCS, 2026).
If you have a gas boiler as backup, some tariffs may still apply, but you must have a heat pump as the primary heating source — the tariff is not designed for hybrid systems where the boiler does most of the work.
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How to verify your installer and tariff compliance
Your heat pump installer must be MCS-certified and registered with TrustMark (GOV.UK, 2026). You can check both certifications on their respective registers. For the tariff, you must confirm your EV and heat pump are on the supplier’s approved list — call or check the website before switching, because not all heat pump models or EV makes qualify (Ofgem, 2026).
If you have a gas boiler as backup, some tariffs may still apply, but you must have a heat pump as the primary heating source. Suppliers may request proof of MCS certification and your EV registration number during the sign-up process.
The trade-off — higher peak rates mean you must shift your usage
The peak rate on these tariffs is often 5–10p/kWh higher than a standard variable tariff, which typically sits around 27p/kWh under the 2026 Q1 price cap (Ofgem, 2026). If you cannot shift at least 60% of your electricity use to the cheap window, the savings disappear.
Usage that must shift includes EV charging, heat pump runtime, washing machine, tumble dryer, dishwasher, and home office equipment on timers. Heat pumps with a buffer tank can store heat generated during the cheap window for use during peak hours, making the tariff work better (Energy Saving Trust, 2026). Without that storage, you may need to run the heat pump during peak hours, which erodes the savings.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Around £400–£500 a year versus a standard variable rate, according to DESNZ and Ofgem data. The exact saving depends on your heat pump's COP, your EV battery size and your annual mileage.
OVO Energy and British Gas are the main suppliers offering dedicated EV heat pump tariffs in 2026. OVO's EV & Heat Pump tariff has a 5-hour cheap window at 7.5p/kWh, while British Gas Electric Driver & Heat offers a 6-hour window at 8.0p/kWh.
OVO Energy's EV & Heat Pump tariff is the cheapest, with an off-peak rate of 7.5p/kWh. British Gas Electric Driver & Heat is next at 8.0p/kWh. Both require an MCS-certified heat pump and an eligible EV.
Yes, both OVO and British Gas require an MCS-certified heat pump to qualify for their dual-purpose tariffs, as confirmed by the Energy Saving Trust. This ensures the heat pump meets efficiency standards for the tariff's design.
An EV heat pump tariff offers a longer cheap window of 4–6 hours, allowing the heat pump to preheat your home or a buffer tank. Standard EV-only tariffs typically have a shorter cheap period that only covers EV charging, not heat pump preheating.
