British Gas claims new EV charging rate cheapest in the UK

British Gas is claiming to offer the cheapest way to charge an electric vehicle (EV) in the UK with its Hive SmartCharge service.

Users can benefit from a 4p/kWh discount off their EV tariff night rate when they plug in their EV for more than six hours over the period of 12am to 5am, with the amount automatically credited to their energy bill each month.

Drivers just need to enable the free SmartCharge feature in the Hive app.

The longer a car is plugged in, the more a driver can save, explains British Gas. If an EV is plugged in for six hours or more, British Gas will credit the customer 4p for every kWh of charge they use and 2p for every kWh if a car is plugged in for less than six hours.

Combined with British Gas’ Electric Driver tariff, users could be paying an effective rate of just 4.95p/kWh for EV charging if they plug in overnight between 12am to 5am, it says.

Kim Royds, director of mobility at Centrica New Business and Net Zero, said: “We’re committed to making the transition to net zero simple and affordable and electric vehicles play a key part in this.

“Through our innovative SmartCharge offering, we’re helping EV owners take charge of their energy bills and access the cheapest EV charging rate on the market while also helping manage the demand on the grid.”

SmartCharge provides EV drivers with cheaper energy by working out the best times to charge your vehicle.