Cheapest time to charge an electric car in the UK
Independent site. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by or connected to Octopus Energy Ltd. This guide is based on Octopus's own public documentation and the live data shown, which we link below. Tariff terms change, so always check Octopus's current terms for your own situation. This is general information, not financial or energy-switching advice.
On a half-hourly tariff like Agile there is no single cheapest time to charge an electric car: it changes every day with the wholesale market. What is reliable is the method: avoid the evening peak, and charge in the cheapest block of hours that is long enough to add the energy you need.
The rule of thumb
- Octopus says Agile prices are more expensive when the electricity in the grid is dirtier, usually between 4pm and 7pm, so plugging in as soon as you get home from work can be an expensive way to charge.
- In the data on this site the cheapest blocks are often overnight, and sometimes around the middle of the day. Which block wins changes daily, so look at the live numbers rather than assuming.
- If prices go below zero, that is the best time of all. See negative electricity prices explained.
Cheapest 4-hour charging windows right now
These are the cheapest 4-hour windows still to come in each region, using today's prices and tomorrow's once Octopus has published them:
| Region | Cheapest 4-hour window | Average price |
|---|---|---|
| Eastern England A | 09:00–13:00 | -4.12p |
| East Midlands B | 09:00–13:00 | -4.08p |
| London C | 09:00–13:00 | -4.08p |
| Merseyside & North Wales D | 09:00–13:00 | -4.16p |
| West Midlands E | 09:00–13:00 | -4.12p |
| North East England F | 09:00–13:00 | -4.12p |
| North West England G | 09:00–13:00 | -4.12p |
| Southern England H | 09:00–13:00 | -4.12p |
| South East England J | 09:00–13:00 | -4.16p |
| South Wales K | 09:00–13:00 | -4.16p |
| South West England L | 09:00–13:00 | -4.20p |
| Yorkshire M | 09:00–13:00 | -4.08p |
| South Scotland N | 09:00–13:00 | -4.12p |
| North Scotland P | 09:00–13:00 | -4.23p |
Live data as of 25 Oct, 02:31 GMT. Prices in pence per kWh including VAT where Octopus publishes it; standing charges are not included. Times are UK local time.
Worked example (London, from the live data): the cheapest 4-hour window right now is 09:00–13:00 at an average of -4.08p. A 7kW charger can add up to 7kWh for every hour it runs, so 4 hours could add up to 28kWh. 28kWh × -4.08p = −£1.14, in other words you would be paid about £1.14 for the electricity (on Agile, when prices are negative). Your car may charge more slowly than the charger's maximum, and some energy is lost as heat, so use your own figures.
How much energy do you need?
Cost is simply the energy you add multiplied by the price. Charger power is in kW, and a charger running at 7kW for one hour delivers 7kWh at most. To add 14kWh you need at least two hours on a 7kW charger, or four hours at 3.5kW. So the longer windows matter if your charger or car is slower. A two-hour window is enough for a small top-up; a bigger charge needs a longer window, or two separate cheap blocks.
Making it automatic
You do not have to be awake at 3am. Many cars and home chargers have a schedule or smart-charging setting, so you plug in and it starts in the cheap period. Octopus also says Agile customers can use its API to programme smart devices. Check what your own car or charger supports.
If you are not on Agile
- On Tracker the price is the same all day, so timing does not change the unit price.
- Octopus also sells EV-focused tariffs, such as Octopus Go and Intelligent Octopus Go. They work differently, with set cheap periods, and we do not cover their rates here, so compare them on Octopus's site.
Cheapest times in your region
More guides
- What is Octopus Agile and how does it work? – Half-hourly prices, the 4pm update, plunge pricing and who Agile actually suits.
- Octopus Tracker explained – One price a day, where it comes from, the formula, the cap and the 12-month term.
- Cheapest time to run a washing machine or dishwasher – Live cheapest windows while you're awake and at home, plus the fire-safety advice you should know.
- What are negative electricity prices and why do they happen? – Why wholesale prices drop below zero, and where it is happening in today's data.
- Agile vs Tracker: which is cheaper? – An honest comparison, with today's Agile and Tracker prices side by side.
Sources
- Octopus Energy: Agile Octopus
- NESO: The weekend of free electricity?
- Octopus Energy public API: product data (tariff descriptions, price caps)
- Live prices: Octopus Energy public API, cached by this site and refreshed every 15 minutes.
Last reviewed 2026-10-24. Found something out of date? Octopus's tariff terms and prices change, so treat their own pages as the final word.