TL;DR
- E.ON Next Pulse is the supplier's EV time-of-use electricity tariff. Off-peak window is 00:00 to 07:00 (7 hours), longer than Octopus Go's 4 hours but shorter than Intelligent Octopus's 6-hour controlled window.
- April 2026 headline rates in the East Midlands DNO region: 9.95p per kWh off-peak, 27.20p per kWh peak, 60.97p per day standing charge.
- No smart-charge control. The customer schedules the EV charger manually; E.ON Next does not manage charging on the customer's behalf.
- Open to households with a SMETS2 smart meter and a declared EV at the property. No vehicle compatibility list (unlike Intelligent Octopus).
- Best fit for EV households with a non-compatible vehicle or charger that cannot use Intelligent Octopus, plus heat pump and heavy off-peak users.
Last reviewed: May 2026
E.ON Next Pulse sits in a niche of the UK EV tariff market between Octopus Go (short cheap window, no compatibility constraints) and Intelligent Octopus (long controlled window, vehicle restrictions). Pulse gives a 7-hour off-peak window with no compatibility list, at a slightly higher off-peak unit rate than its closest competitor. For households with EVs that fall outside Octopus's compatibility list, or for non-Octopus customers who want a time-of-use EV tariff, Pulse is the main alternative.
How E.ON Next Pulse is structured
Pulse is a two-rate electricity tariff. The off-peak window runs from 00:00 to 07:00 each day, seven hours. The standard rate applies the other 17 hours. The standing charge is the regional cap level. Customers pay the off-peak rate for all electricity used during the cheap window, regardless of whether it goes to the EV, heat pump, washing machine, or kettle.
The tariff was launched in March 2023 and refreshed with new rates in April 2024 and April 2025. The April 2026 rate publication on the E.ON Next customer page brought the off-peak rate down by 0.5p following the Q1 2026 Ofgem cap announcement of 22 November 2025.
Pulse does not have a daily price ceiling or a smart-charge control feature. The off-peak hours are fixed and predictable.
The April 2026 rates and what they mean
Sample regional rates from the E.ON Next tariff page on 1 April 2026, inclusive of VAT, are below.
| Region | Off-peak unit (p/kWh) | Peak unit (p/kWh) | Standing charge (p/day) |
|---|---|---|---|
| East Midlands | 9.95 | 27.20 | 60.97 |
| London | 9.45 | 26.78 | 40.55 |
| South Wales | 10.15 | 27.50 | 61.92 |
| Yorkshire | 9.85 | 27.10 | 55.04 |
| North Scotland | 10.45 | 27.85 | 67.20 |
For a typical EV household charging at home with annual EV consumption of 4,000 kWh, of which 80% is shifted to the off-peak window, the annual saving against the Ofgem cap is around £560. That includes both the unit rate saving on EV charging and the off-peak rate applied to other small loads during the cheap window.
Comparison with Octopus Go and Intelligent
The three main EV tariffs on the UK market produce different outcomes depending on usage patterns. Here is a direct comparison at sample East Midlands rates.
Octopus Go: 4-hour window from 00:30 to 04:30, 8.5p per kWh off-peak. Charges roughly 28 kWh per night at 7 kW. Good for daily-commute charging; tight for fully depleted battery recharge.
E.ON Next Pulse: 7-hour window from 00:00 to 07:00, 9.95p per kWh off-peak. Charges roughly 49 kWh per night at 7 kW. Comfortable for fully depleted recharge from any driving pattern.
Intelligent Octopus: 6-hour core window from 23:30 to 05:30 with controlled extensions, 7.0p per kWh off-peak. Cheaper but requires compatible vehicle or charger.
The catch is that Pulse's longer window is paid for in unit rate. A household that only charges a small amount each night and never depletes the battery gets less from Pulse than from Go. A household that depletes the battery often or has a larger pack benefits from the extra hours.
Where it breaks: Pulse and Go are both single-rate during their cheap windows. Neither responds to grid conditions. Customers chasing the deepest negative wholesale prices should be on Agile, not Pulse or Go.
Eligibility and switching
To join Pulse, a customer needs a SMETS2 smart meter in half-hourly settlement, an existing E.ON Next account (or to switch in), and a declaration of an EV at the property. E.ON Next does not require evidence of the EV beyond the declaration.
The supplier offers Pulse to new customers and existing E.ON Next customers. Switching from another E.ON Next tariff to Pulse takes a few days. Switching from another supplier to Pulse follows the standard Ofgem switching timeline (five working days under the May 2022 rules), plus any smart meter mode confirmation if needed.
There is no minimum term and no exit fee on Pulse. Customers can move to another E.ON Next tariff or another supplier without penalty.
The practical setup with a smart charger
Pulse does not control the EV charger; the customer must configure the charger to charge during the off-peak window. Most home EV chargers have built-in scheduling: Ohme, Wallbox, myenergi Zappi, Indra, and the OEM units from Tesla, Hyundai, BMW all support time-of-use scheduling.
The schedule needs to match the off-peak window. Set the charger to begin at 00:00 and stop at 07:00. Some chargers default to common windows like 00:30-04:30 (Octopus Go) and need manual override to use the Pulse window.
The catch is integration. A charger configured for Octopus Intelligent's smart-control protocol may be reluctant to revert to a fixed-window schedule when the customer is on Pulse. Most chargers handle this cleanly; some require a factory reset or firmware update to switch modes.
For customers without a smart charger, a basic timer plug between the granny cable and the socket will work for slow charging. This is not suitable for 7 kW home installations; standalone scheduling on the home charger is the right approach.
Pulse for heat pumps and other off-peak loads
The 7-hour off-peak window benefits more than just EV charging. Heat pumps running through the night, hot water cylinders reheating in the small hours, and storage heaters charging during the window all get the off-peak rate. Pulse functions as a quasi-Economy 7 successor for households with heat pumps or other large overnight loads.
For a heat pump operating between midnight and 7am, the off-peak rate at 9.95p per kWh is comparable to Octopus Cosy's off-peak rate (12.99p) and noticeably cheaper. The trade-off is that Cosy has a second cheap window in the afternoon; Pulse does not.
Households with both an EV and a heat pump should compare Pulse against Cosy carefully. The right answer depends on whether afternoon charging of a hot water cylinder or thermal store matters; if yes, Cosy wins; if no, Pulse can be cheaper.
For households with neither EV nor heat pump, Pulse is the wrong tariff because the off-peak window does not naturally accommodate typical household consumption.
When Pulse is the wrong choice
Pulse is wrong for households without an EV or significant overnight load. The off-peak rate only applies during the 7-hour window; the standard rate applies the other 17 hours. A household that does most of its consumption during the day will pay more on Pulse than on a flat tariff.
It is wrong for households with compatible Intelligent Octopus hardware who can access a lower off-peak rate. The 1.5p per kWh difference compounds over an annual EV charging cycle.
It is also wrong for households that want a smart-charge service. Pulse leaves all the scheduling to the customer; for customers who want the supplier to manage charging, Intelligent Octopus is the alternative.
Heat pump and home battery interactions on Pulse
Pulse's 7-hour off-peak window is well-matched to heat pump and home battery use cases beyond EV charging alone. A heat pump running through the night can complete a long, gentle reheat cycle entirely within the cheap window, at 9.95p per kWh in the Eastern region. A home battery can fully charge during the same window and discharge through the morning and afternoon.
For a household with both a heat pump and a battery on Pulse, the combined saving against the Ofgem cap is around £800 to £1,100 per year for typical consumption. The heat pump saving comes from shifting flow temperature cycles into the cheap window. The battery saving comes from displacing peak-rate consumption during the day.
The catch is system sizing. A 5 kWh battery covers a typical household evening load through to bedtime; a 10 kWh battery covers the whole day on most weekdays. Battery sizes below 5 kWh deliver smaller savings because the stored energy runs out before the next cheap window.
Heat pump SCOP also matters. A SCOP of 3.5 means each off-peak kWh delivers 3.5 kWh of heat at 2.84p per kWh delivered. At the same SCOP and the peak rate of 27.20p, peak heat costs 7.77p per kWh delivered. The Pulse off-peak advantage is most pronounced for households running heat pumps overnight.
One detail in the small print to know
Pulse's off-peak window is fixed at 00:00 to 07:00 in the contract. The supplier reserves the right to amend the window with 30 days' notice, but has not done so since the tariff launched in 2023. Customers who depend on the specific hours should monitor any rate-change emails for proposed changes, although none are currently signalled in the supplier's product roadmap published in March 2026.
The other small-print item is that Pulse rates are reviewed each quarter alongside Ofgem cap announcements. Unit rates can rise or fall; customers receive notice of the change in the week before it takes effect. The off-peak window structure is the part that stays constant.
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. EV tariff terms, rates, and supplier comparisons change. Figures reflect E.ON Next, Octopus, 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
Does E.ON Next Pulse work with any EV model?
Yes. Pulse has no vehicle compatibility list. Customers schedule charging through the EV's own controls or a smart home charger.
Is Pulse available for all-electric homes without gas?
Yes. Pulse is electricity-only. Households without gas can take Pulse on their electricity supply and run heat pump or storage heater loads during the off-peak window.
Is the cheap rate applied to all electricity during the window?
Yes. Any consumption between 00:00 and 07:00 is billed at the off-peak rate, not just EV charging.
Is there an exit fee on this tariff?
No. Pulse has no minimum term and no exit fee. Customers can leave at any time.
What happens when the smart meter loses signal?
E.ON Next estimates missed half-hours based on the customer's typical load profile. Persistent comms issues should be raised with the supplier; the fix is typically a remote firmware update through the DCC.
Is leaving Pulse for a fixed tariff penalty-free?
Yes. Pulse is a variable smart tariff with no minimum term and no exit fee. The customer can move to a fix at any time.