TL;DR
- E.ON Next Drive is the supplier's older EV tariff, launched in 2022 and still available to existing E.ON Next customers. Off-peak window is 00:00 to 05:00 (5 hours).
- April 2026 headline rate: 8.50p per kWh off-peak in the East Midlands region, against a peak rate of 27.20p and a 60.97p daily standing charge.
- Drive is closed to new sign-ups in some periods. Customers should check current availability on the E.ON Next site before switching.
- The 5-hour window is tighter than Pulse's 7-hour window but the off-peak unit rate is lower. Households with smaller charging needs save more on Drive.
- No smart-charge control. Customer manages the EV charger schedule independently of the supplier.
Last reviewed: May 2026
E.ON Next Drive is the older sibling of Pulse. The structure is similar: two-rate time-of-use, off-peak window concentrated overnight, no smart-charge feature. The differences are the length of the off-peak window and the headline rate. Drive is cheaper per kWh in the cheap window but has fewer hours to use it. For households whose EV charging fits inside the tighter 5-hour window, Drive is the cheaper option. For households that need more hours, Pulse is the right choice within the E.ON Next stable.
How Drive is structured
Drive runs a 5-hour off-peak window from 00:00 to 05:00 each day. The standard rate applies the other 19 hours. The standing charge follows the regional Ofgem cap level. Customers pay the off-peak rate for any electricity consumption during the cheap window.
The tariff was launched in October 2022 as E.ON Next's first dedicated EV product. It has been refreshed several times, most recently with new rates announced on 24 November 2025 alongside the Ofgem Q1 2026 cap publication. The April 2026 rates reflect the small unit rate fall that followed the cap announcement.
Availability has been variable. E.ON Next closed Drive to new sign-ups in early 2024 when Pulse launched, reopened it in March 2025, and the current 2026 status is "open to existing E.ON Next customers, with availability for new customers reviewed quarterly." Customers should check the supplier site before assuming availability.
The April 2026 rates by region
Sample regional rates from the E.ON Next tariff page on 1 April 2026, inclusive of VAT.
| Region | Off-peak unit (p/kWh) | Peak unit (p/kWh) | Standing charge (p/day) |
|---|---|---|---|
| East Midlands | 8.50 | 27.20 | 60.97 |
| London | 8.10 | 26.78 | 40.55 |
| South Wales | 8.70 | 27.50 | 61.92 |
| Yorkshire | 8.40 | 27.10 | 55.04 |
| North Scotland | 8.95 | 27.85 | 67.20 |
The off-peak unit rate sits roughly 1.45p per kWh below Pulse's equivalent rate, but the window is two hours shorter. The trade-off is straightforward: cheaper per kWh, fewer kWh available.
Direct comparison with Pulse
The choice between Drive and Pulse depends on a household's typical overnight EV consumption.
For a household charging a 60 kWh EV from 20% to 80% (36 kWh per session) twice a week, total weekly off-peak need is 72 kWh. A 7 kW home charger delivers 35 kWh in 5 hours; the household needs to spread one of the sessions across two windows on Drive, or use one session on Pulse and have time to spare.
For a household with an EV plus a heat pump running overnight, Pulse's 7 hours cover the heat pump's typical overnight cycle plus the EV charging. Drive's 5 hours are tight for both.
For a household with a small EV (40 kWh battery, occasional charging only) Drive's 5 hours are plenty and the lower unit rate pays back.
Where it breaks: Drive customers who upgrade to a larger EV or add a heat pump often find the 5-hour window inadequate and switch to Pulse mid-contract. The supplier allows this move without exit fee, but customers sometimes notice the issue only after several months of higher bills.
Eligibility and the closed/open status
Drive is restricted to E.ON Next customers in 2026. New customers from other suppliers cannot directly join Drive on switch-in; they must first move to a standard E.ON Next tariff, then switch internally to Drive.
Eligibility requires a SMETS2 smart meter in half-hourly settlement and a declared EV at the property. Like Pulse, there is no vehicle compatibility list. The customer schedules the EV charger directly.
The supplier reviews Drive availability quarterly. The trend through 2024-26 has been toward steering new sign-ups to Pulse, with Drive retained as a legacy option for customers who prefer the shorter-window structure.
Setting up the charger schedule
The customer must configure the EV charger to charge between 00:00 and 05:00. Most home chargers support time-of-use scheduling: Ohme, Wallbox, Zappi, Indra, and OEM chargers from Tesla, Ford, Hyundai, and others. The schedule needs to begin at 00:00 sharp; some chargers default to 00:30 which loses 30 minutes of cheap-window time.
EV onboard scheduling is an alternative. Many newer EVs allow charging windows to be set in the car's app. Tesla, BMW, and Polestar all handle this cleanly.
The catch is the home charger and the car both trying to schedule the charge. If both are programmed, the more restrictive schedule wins; in practice this can mean the charger starts at 00:00 and the car only accepts current from 00:30, losing 30 minutes. The fix is to set the schedule on one device and leave the other on always-allow.
Drive for non-EV loads
The off-peak rate applies to all electricity consumption during the window, not just EV charging. Households can also benefit from cheap rates on a heat pump cycle, hot water cylinder reheat, dishwasher delay timer, or other shiftable loads.
For a heat pump running through the night, the 8.50p off-peak rate is competitive with Cosy's off-peak rate and undercuts Pulse. The 5-hour window is shorter, which constrains how much heating load can be shifted compared to Cosy or Pulse, but for fabric-efficient homes that hold heat through the morning, the math still works.
A home battery can also be charged during the off-peak window and discharged through the day. With a 5 kWh battery the saving is around £70 a year against the Ofgem cap, before any solar offset.
When Drive is the right choice
Drive works for E.ON Next customers with modest EV charging needs (under 30 kWh per night on average), small or efficient heat pump loads that fit a 5-hour window, and a willingness to manage charger schedules manually. The cheaper unit rate rewards lower off-peak consumption.
It does not work for households with large EVs charging from low state of charge frequently, for households that have grown into a heat pump and battery setup since first joining, and for new customers who would have to switch in via the standard variable first.
The customer profile most often well-served by Drive is the single-EV household on a moderate daily commute, ideally with an EV battery under 50 kWh. That cohort is small but real and consistently saves more on Drive than on Pulse.
The closed-to-new-customers question and what it signals
Drive's availability for new customers has been variable through 2024-26. The supplier reviews availability quarterly and has alternated between open and closed states based on commercial considerations. Pulse, the newer EV product, has been continuously available to new customers since launch.
The likely commercial logic is that Drive's lower unit rate and shorter window combination targets a specific customer cohort (smaller EV, modest charging needs) that is less profitable than the Pulse cohort. The supplier prefers to direct new customers to Pulse where economics are better and the longer window matches a broader profile.
For existing E.ON Next customers, Drive remains accessible through internal tariff switching. A customer who would benefit from the Drive structure (small EV, low overnight consumption, no heat pump) can request the switch through the customer portal. The supplier does not actively encourage the move, but does not refuse it.
The product is also useful as a reference point. Drive's pricing structure tells observers what E.ON Next is willing to offer in a competitive corner of the market. The continued existence of Drive alongside Pulse suggests the supplier sees value in serving the smaller-EV niche, even if commercially second-rank.
For customers planning a new switch to E.ON Next specifically for Drive, the practical advice is: check current availability before assuming. The supplier's tariff page is updated weekly. A customer who plans around Drive availability and finds it closed at switch-in needs a fallback plan.
A practical comparison footnote on Drive availability
Customers shopping for E.ON Next EV tariffs in 2026 should check Drive's status on the supplier's tariff page before assuming it is available. The supplier maintains a status indicator that clearly marks open or closed to new customers. The page also lists Pulse alongside, so the customer can see both options on the same screen and choose the available one.
For customers who specifically want Drive's structure and find it closed, the alternatives within E.ON Next are Pulse (longer window, higher unit rate) or the standard variable. Outside E.ON Next, Octopus Go is the closest equivalent product on similar economics.
One more consideration: customers who joined E.ON Next on Drive during a previous open period can usually keep the tariff even if it is later closed to new sign-ups. The supplier's commercial closure decisions are forward-looking, not retroactive. Existing Drive customers should not feel pressure to switch off just because the product is closed to others.
Editorial disclaimer. Kaeltripton is an independent UK finance publisher. This article is general information for UK adults making their own decisions, not regulated financial advice. Tariff availability, rates, and structures change. Figures reflect E.ON Next and Ofgem publications dated before the last-reviewed date at the top of this page. For complaints, refunds, or vulnerable-customer protection the formal route runs through the supplier first and then the Energy Ombudsman.
FAQ
Is Drive open to new customers?
Availability is reviewed quarterly. In May 2026 it is open to existing E.ON Next customers, with new customer availability variable. Check the supplier site before assuming access.
How does Drive compare to Pulse?
Drive has a 5-hour window at 8.50p per kWh; Pulse has a 7-hour window at 9.95p per kWh. Drive wins on per-kWh cost; Pulse wins on flexibility.
Is switching from Drive to Pulse possible without leaving E.ON Next?
Yes. Existing customers can move between the two without exit fees. The move takes a few days.
Does Drive include a smart-charge feature?
No. The customer schedules the EV charger directly. E.ON Next does not control charging.
Could Drive be retired in future?
E.ON Next has not announced a retirement. The supplier reviews availability quarterly and may close it to new sign-ups again in future.
Does Drive require a smart meter?
Yes. Drive requires a SMETS2 smart meter in half-hourly settlement. Customers without a smart meter cannot access Drive's off-peak band.