ScottishPower has launched a new tariff that allows electric vehicle (EV) owners to charge their cars at a discounted price during off peak hours.

The Big Six supplier says the cost of charging an EV through the new ‘SmartPower Green EV January 2021’ tariff will be a tenth of the cost per mile of running a petrol car.

Drivers will be able to take advantage of cheaper prices between midnight and 5am and using the energy supplier’s smart EV charger, powered by Wallbox, allows the charging to be scheduled in advance through a smartphone app.

ScottishPower adds the cost saving is based on a comparison between electricity unit rate per mile (1.06p) and petrol cost per mile (11p) between a Hyundai Kona EV and Hyundai Kona petrol engine utilising off-peak charging at 4.736p/kWh.

The news follows a previous fixed tariff launched by ScottishPower and its recent announcement to go 100% green.

The electricity supplied under the tariff is backed by Renewable Energy Guarantee of Origin (REGO) certificates from Ofgem, which demonstrates a given share of energy was produced from renewable sources.

To qualify for the tariff, EV drivers must be a ScottishPower customer with a smart meter already installed at the point of taking the tariff.

CEO Keith Anderson said: “A tariff that enables drivers to charge their vehicle for up to 10 times less than the cost of petrol is a game changer. ScottishPower wants to help customer benefit from electric vehicles as quickly as possible as that will help improve air quality and cut carbon quicker. Helping cutting the cost of motoring will help people switch to electric vehicles faster.”