Cutting your running costs
EV electricity tariffs in Northern Ireland
The charger gets the car charged. The tariff decides what it costs you. Get the two working together and a full charge in Northern Ireland can come down to a few pounds, done quietly overnight while you sleep.
The idea in one line
Electricity overnight is cheaper than electricity during the day. An economy or EV tariff gives you that lower night rate, and a smart charger makes sure your car only fills up during those cheap hours. Charge at the wrong time and you pay full price; charge at the right time and you pay a fraction of it. If you already know how this works and just want the rates, you can compare every NI EV tariff side by side.
The key facts, checked 1 August 2026
Power NI launched Northern Ireland's first EV-specific electricity tariffs (EV Nightshift and EV Anytime) and is no longer the only supplier with one: Share Energy sells Share EV, and on current rates it is the cheaper of the two dedicated night tariffs. Every other NI supplier uses an Economy 7 off-peak rate to the same effect. Either way, the saving comes from moving your charging into the cheap night window.
- What Economy 7 is
- Seven hours of cheaper units overnight. In NI the night window runs 1am to 8am in winter and 2am to 9am in summer.
- The night rate you charge on
- Roughly 15.5p to 19p per unit at NI's verified overnight rates, against day rates of 32p to 37p on the same EV tariffs.
- A 7kW charger overnight
- Pulls 7 units an hour, so about £1.25 an hour at Power NI's EV Nightshift night rate (17.79p a unit) or £1.09 on Share EV (15.56p), against roughly £2.60 an hour by day.
Last reviewed: 1 August 2026. Rates verified against supplier pages and the Consumer Council NI comparison (full table below). Energy prices move, so check the live rate before you switch. For the running-cost maths on a full battery, see our cost to charge an electric car guide.
How EV tariffs work in NI
There are now two routes to a cheap overnight rate in Northern Ireland. The first is a dedicated EV tariff, from Power NI (EV Nightshift) or Share Energy (Share EV): a low overnight unit rate between 1am and 8am (2am to 9am in summer) and a higher rate the rest of the day, for drivers who charge at home. The second is Economy 7, which every NI supplier offers. It splits your usage into a day rate and a cheaper night rate over the same seven-hour window.
Economy 7 was built for storage heating; for EV drivers it is a gift, because charging is the one big load you can move entirely into the cheap window. You keep your normal daytime usage and simply shift the car's charging to night. Either route needs a meter that records day and night usage separately, so if you are on a single-rate meter today, getting a day and night meter fitted is the first step. Rates and the exact off-peak hours change, so confirm the live figures with your supplier before you switch. But the structure is stable: a lower price per unit at night, which is precisely when an EV wants to charge anyway.
Power NI's EV tariffs: EV Nightshift and EV Anytime
Power NI was the first Northern Ireland supplier to sell tariffs built specifically for EV drivers, and it is no longer the only one: Share Energy's Share EV is covered below. You have to own or lease an electric car to go on one, and EV Nightshift keeps the same overnight window as Economy 7. The rates below are Power NI's published figures for Monthly Direct Debit with online billing, including VAT, checked 1 August 2026.
EV Nightshift
A cheap overnight rate for charging while you sleep. Needs a day and night meter, which Power NI arranges with NIE Networks if you do not have one.
- Night rate (1am to 8am)
- 17.79p per unit
- Day rate
- 37.20p per unit
- Standing charge
- 13.55p per day
EV Anytime
One flat rate around the clock, no night window to plan around. Suits high-mileage drivers who top up at any hour, and it works on a keypad or standard meter.
- Single rate (all day)
- 30.53p per unit
- Standing charge
- 13.55p per day
Source: Power NI electric vehicle tariff, checked 1 August 2026. Some guides still say Northern Ireland has no EV-specific tariff; that stopped being true when Power NI launched these. To make either tariff pay, you need a charger that only pulls power in the cheap window: a tariff-aware unit like the Ohme can sync to your rate and do it automatically.
Share Energy's Share EV
Share Energy sells the other dedicated EV tariff in Northern Ireland, and on current rates it is the cheaper of the two. Share EV is a day and night tariff on exactly the same off-peak window as Power NI, 1am to 8am in winter and 2am to 9am in summer, so it needs a day and night meter too. The rates below are Share Energy's published Billpay and direct debit figures including VAT, checked 1 August 2026.
Share EV
Sold on Billpay or direct debit, and on a keypad at the same unit rates with a higher standing charge of 16.67p per day.
- Night rate (1am to 8am)
- 15.56p per unit
- Day rate
- 32.04p per unit
- Standing charge
- 13.33p per day
Source: Share Energy residential tariffs, checked 1 August 2026. That puts Share EV 2.23p a unit below EV Nightshift at night and 5.16p below by day. It is not the whole story, though: Power NI's single-rate EV Anytime at 30.53p undercuts Share EV's day rate, so a household that charges during the day, or cannot take a day and night meter, may still be better off there. We put the three side by side in our comparison of the best EV tariff in Northern Ireland.
NI Economy 7 rates by supplier
If neither dedicated EV tariff suits you, Economy 7 is the other route to a cheap overnight rate, and every NI supplier offers it. The table shows each supplier's standard published Economy 7 rate including VAT. Direct Debit and online-billing discounts cut these further (up to a capped amount), so treat them as the headline figure, not the final price. Where we could not confirm a current rate today we link the supplier's own page rather than print a stale number.
| Supplier (Economy 7) | Day rate | Night rate | Standing charge | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power NI | 39.65p | 18.95p | 13.7p/day (ex VAT) | Power NI, Jul 2026 |
| SSE Airtricity | 39.17p | 19.11p | 10.22p/day | SSE Airtricity, Jul 2026 |
| Click Energy | Check current rate (usually a lower night rate; confirm on the day) | Click Energy | ||
| Budget Energy | Check current rate (prices changed in January 2026) | Budget Energy | ||
| Share Energy | 32.04p | 15.56p | 13.33p/day | Share Energy, 1 Aug 2026 |
Unit rates include 5% VAT unless marked otherwise; standing charges are as published. Power NI and SSE Airtricity are shown at their standard published Economy 7 rates (SSE Airtricity's are from its current tariff sheet, prices effective 1 November 2025). Electric Ireland left the NI domestic electricity market in September 2025 and its customers moved to Power NI, so it is no longer a switching option here. For an independent, regularly updated comparison of every NI Economy 7 tariff, see the Consumer Council NI Economy 7 price comparison.
1
Get on an off-peak tariff
An economy or EV tariff with a cheaper night unit rate, on a meter that records day and night separately.
2
Fit a smart charger
One that can schedule charging, so the car only draws power inside your cheap window, automatically, every night.
3
Plug in and forget it
Connect when you get home. The charger waits for the off-peak rate, fills the battery, and you wake up ready to go.
Why the smart charger matters
A dumb charger pushes power whenever the car is plugged in, which means you might charge straight through the expensive evening peak. A smart charger lets you set the off-peak window once, then it holds the car back until the cheap rate starts. Some, like Ohme and the myenergi Zappi, can sync with your tariff so they always target the cheapest hours without you touching anything.
That scheduling is the difference between a tariff that saves you real money and one that does nothing because you charge at the wrong time. It is worth choosing your charger with the tariff in mind.
Set the charger up right from day one
Get 3 quotes from vetted NI installers who fit smart, tariff-ready chargers. Tell them you want to charge on an off-peak tariff and they will set the scheduling up so you are saving from the first night.
Already weighing solar into the mix? See our guide on charging your EV from solar panels.
Get 3 quotes for a smart, tariff-ready charger
No obligation. We match you with up to 3 NICEIC-registered installers covering your area.
EV tariffs in NI: common questions
Which suppliers offer an EV or economy tariff in NI?
Two suppliers now sell EV-specific tariffs in Northern Ireland. Power NI was the first, with EV Nightshift, a cheaper overnight rate for charging between 1am and 8am (2am to 9am in summer), and EV Anytime, a flat single rate for high-mileage drivers. Share Energy sells Share EV, a day and night tariff on the same overnight window, at 15.56p a unit at night and 32.04p by day including VAT (checked 1 August 2026). SSE Airtricity, Click Energy and Budget Energy offer an Economy 7 tariff instead, which gives the same cheap overnight window without being badged for EVs. Electric Ireland left the NI domestic market in September 2025, so it is no longer a switching option. Rates move, so confirm the current figures with your supplier before you switch. The principle is the same whoever you are with: pay less per unit overnight, then do your charging then.
Is Power NI's EV Nightshift cheaper than Economy 7?
For overnight EV charging, slightly. Power NI's EV Nightshift night rate (17.79p per unit including VAT on Monthly Direct Debit with online billing, checked 1 August 2026) sits just under its standard Economy 7 night rate of 18.95p, and the day rate is a little lower too. Both charge in the same 1am to 8am window (2am to 9am in summer). If you are already a Power NI customer with an EV, EV Nightshift is usually the tariff to ask about; if you are with another supplier, an EV or Economy 7 tariff is your route to the cheap overnight rate.
Do I need a special meter for an economy tariff?
Economy tariffs use a meter that records day and night usage separately, so the off-peak units are billed at the lower rate. If your home does not have one, your supplier arranges it. A smart charger then makes sure the car only pulls power during those cheaper hours.
How much can an EV tariff actually save me?
The off-peak unit rate can be a large fraction of the day rate, so charging an empty battery overnight instead of during the day can cut the cost of a full charge significantly. The exact saving depends on the rates you are on, your battery size and how much you drive, but for most NI drivers the overnight habit is where the running-cost win lives.
Will charging overnight be enough for my driving?
For most people, comfortably. A 7kW charger adds roughly 25 to 30 miles of range per hour, so a typical overnight window refills far more than the average daily drive. You plug in when you get home and wake up to a full battery, charged at the cheap rate.
Does the charger I choose matter for tariffs?
Yes. You want a smart charger that can schedule charging to your off-peak window, and ideally one that talks to your tariff so it charges automatically when power is cheapest. Chargers like Ohme and myenergi Zappi are built for exactly this. We can match you with installers who fit them.