OctoTariffs

Supplier comparison

Octopus Energy vs E.ON Next: prices, Next Drive and switching

Octopus vs E.ON Next compared on standard variable prices in your region, Next Drive and Next Drive Smart against Octopus EV tariffs, and switching checks.

Edited by Rob Gibbs. Published: . Guidance reviewed: .

Methodology · Corrections

Quick answer

E.ON Next’s standard variable tariff and Octopus Flexible are both held to the regional price cap. The live table shows how Flexible has compared with the cap in your region.

For EVs, E.ON Next has two routes. Next Drive is a fixed tariff with a six-hour midnight-to-6am window and no exit fees. Next Drive Smart is a cheaper managed-charging version for eligible cars and chargers.

Octopus offers more choice beyond EVs, including half-hourly Agile, daily Tracker, Cosy for heat pumps and several export tariffs.

Standard variable prices in London

E.ON Next's standard variable tariff cannot charge more than the Ofgem price cap for your region. Below, Octopus Flexible is measured against that cap month by month. If Flexible is under the cap, it is under the most E.ON Next can charge on its standard variable tariff.

Over 12 complete months, this tariff came in under the Ofgem cap in 12 of them.

Monthly cost on this tariff against the Ofgem price cap, most recent month last
MonthThis tariffCapDifference
October 2025£68.40£68.70−£0.30
November 2025£66.20£66.49−£0.29
December 2025£68.40£68.70−£0.30
January 2026£71.52£71.93−£0.41
February 2026£64.60£64.97−£0.37
March 2026£71.52£71.93−£0.41
April 2026£64.44£64.61−£0.16
May 2026£66.59£66.76−£0.17
June 2026£64.44£64.61−£0.16
July 2026£68.81£69.83−£1.02
August 2026£68.81£69.83−£1.02
September 2026£66.59£67.57−£0.99

Both columns cost the same 2,500 kWh a year on the typical household consumption pattern, on a direct-debit basis — the basis the cap itself is set on. A negative difference means this tariff was cheaper. The cap is a cap on what you can be charged, not a price anyone is billed, so this compares this tariff against the maximum a capped tariff could have charged the same household.

E.ON Next smart and EV tariffs

Summarised from E.ON Next's own pages. Published rates are headline figures checked on the date shown and can vary by region; they are not quotes.
E.ON Next productWhat it offersNearest Octopus option
Next DriveEVA one-year fixed EV tariff with a whole-home off-peak rate from midnight to 6am, published at 8.5p/kWh, and no exit fees. Source, checked 2026-10-30.Octopus Go in London
Next Drive SmartEVA managed-charging version with a published 6.5p/kWh whole-home rate from midnight to 6am. It needs an eligible EV and charger and half-hourly consent, and boost charging at peak is billed at the peak rate. Source, checked 2026-10-30.Intelligent Octopus Go in London
Next Smart SaverTime of useA banded smart tariff with off-peak periods from 5am to 4pm and 7pm to 2am, and a super off-peak period from 2am to 5am. Source, checked 2026-10-30.No direct equivalent

Octopus is likely the better fit if…

  • You want to follow wholesale prices

    Agile (half-hourly) and Tracker (daily) have no direct E.ON Next equivalent.

  • You have a heat pump

    Cosy Octopus gives three cheaper heating periods a day.

  • You export solar power

    Octopus has flat and half-hourly export tariffs, plus Flux for solar and battery homes.

E.ON Next is likely the better fit if…

  • You want a six-hour EV window without a supported-charger requirement

    Next Drive’s midnight-to-6am window is open to EV owners without managed charging.

  • You want to be able to leave a fixed EV tariff early

    E.ON Next says Next Drive has no exit fees.

  • You prefer bands to half-hourly prices

    Next Smart Saver gives predictable cheaper periods across most of the day.

Before you switch

  • Compare the full annual cost (unit rates plus 365 days of standing charge), not the headline off-peak rate.
  • Check exit fees on your current fixed tariff. Switching in the last 49 days of a fix is fee-free under Ofgem rules.
  • Take a meter reading on the switch date so the closing and opening bills agree.
  • On a managed EV tariff, check what any boost or unmanaged charge costs. Some tariffs bill it at the peak rate.

The full timeline is in how to switch to Octopus.

Questions people ask

Is E.ON Next Drive Smart cheaper than Intelligent Octopus Go?

Compare the off-peak rate, window length, peak rate and standing charge for your region. Both need an eligible car or charger. Use the regional Intelligent Go page for the current Octopus figures.

Will my supply be cut off when I switch?

No. The same wires, pipes and meter carry on supplying you; only the company billing you changes. Most switches complete within five working days.

Why does this page compare Octopus with the price cap rather than with the other supplier’s rates?

Ofgem sets a regional ceiling on the unit rate and standing charge of every standard variable tariff, and the large suppliers price their default tariffs at or close to it. The cap is published for every region, so it gives a like-for-like benchmark we can measure each month. Rival fixed and smart tariffs are quoted individually and change often, so we list their published rates with the date we checked them instead.

Other supplier comparisons

Primary sources