Top smart and dynamic electricity tariffs compared

About Top smart and dynamic electricity tariffs compared

Smart and dynamic electricity tariffs price power by the hour, so what a plan shows at the start is only part of the bill. The figure that sets the floor is the unit rate, the one that keeps running whatever you do is the standing charge, and the one that decides whether you can walk away is the exit fee. This ranking pulls together 44 brands selling smart plans, and they sit in different markets, so every figure is quoted in the currency that brand charges in. Entry prices here start at a median of €19.99, while unit rates run €0.05 to €0.38 and standing charges reach €78. The trade-off at the centre of the ranking is flexibility against predictability. A dynamic plan can follow cheaper hours, but it hands the price risk to the household and usually asks for a smart meter. A fixed term does the reverse: it locks the rate and asks for commitment instead.

How we picked

Scores here combine cost, offer and trust. Cost carries the weight 40%, offer 40% and trust 20%. Cost weighs the figures a household feels every month: the unit rate, the standing charge and any exit fee. Offer weighs what sits behind the price, so the range of plans, the length of the contract and whether a smart meter is needed. Trust weighs the size of the supplier, how long it has traded, the legal entity behind the brand and the support routes it opens. Figures come from the suppliers' own published material, meaning tariff pages, condition sheets, rate tables and legal notices. Each entry keeps the qualifier the source used, and each price is left in the currency the supplier quotes, which matters here because most of these brands bill in euros and a few do not. Partners are listed first and everything after that follows on score, so a commercial arrangement never has to pass as an editorial judgement. 44 brands were considered for this category.

Our top picks

1. 1. Budget Thuis Internet

   Budget Thuis Internet sits in this ranking as a large supplier that puts a dynamic option in the core book rather than at the edge. Its mix of fixed, variable and dynamic runs alongside a customer base of 1,000,000, and the renewable share is 100% on certificates terms. Terms run 12 and 36 months where a fixed rate is chosen, and support reaches chat, phone and help centre. The limit is geography: it sells in NL only, so its rates say nothing about other markets. Eon Next, ranked next, offers a wider tariff mix including a tracker and a longer support list.

   • Top download speed (Mbps): 1,000
   • Upload speed (Mbps): 1,000
   • Price from: €3.75

   Pros

   • Download and upload match at 1,000 mbps and 1,000 mbps, so sending a large file is as quick as downloading one.
   • The setup fee is €0, so nothing has to be budgeted to get connected.
   • Contract terms run 12 and 24 months, so you can take the shorter commitment rather than the longest one.
   • A discount for multiple lines is available, which suits a household running more than one phone line.
   • Mobile sits on the KPN network with 5G, so broadband and a phone line can come from one provider.

   Cons

   • Broadband terms run 12 and 24 months and a rolling monthly option is not among the terms listed, so moving home early still means a commitment.
   • Coverage sits in a single market, NL, so anyone living outside the Netherlands should set this provider aside.
   • Support runs on chat, phone and help centre only, with no email channel listed for questions that need a written trail.
   • Mobile roaming runs on fair use terms across 43 countries, so frequent travellers should expect limits on use abroad.

2. 6. Powerpeers

   Powerpeers sits near the top of this ranking because its book is built around dynamic pricing: its tariffs cover dynamic, fixed and variable, so a household can move between a moving price and a fixed rate under a single roof. The dynamic contract prices at €0.11 to €0.30 a unit on a standing charge of €0.21 to €0.39, and the book runs on 100% renewable power. Terms run 12, 24 and 36 months on the fixed side, support reaches email, chat and phone, and gas sits alongside electricity. Endesa, ranked next, has a longer term ladder and a much larger customer base, though its mix of fixed, time of use and ev holds no dynamic option.

   • Fixed terms: 12, 24, 36
   • Unit rate: €0.11 to €0.30
   • Standing charge: €0.214 to €0.394

   Pros

   • Electricity and gas sit in the same range, since electricity and gas covers both fuels and a household on both can stay with a single supplier.
   • Commitment length is a choice rather than a fixed default, with terms of 12, 24 and 36 available.
   • The fixed contract is backed by 100% renewable electricity, which suits shoppers who want a green tariff alongside a set price.
   • Support runs on email, chat and phone, so customers can pick the channel that suits them rather than settle for a single route.

   Cons

   • Unit rates run €0.11 to €0.30, and the upper end sits well above the lower end, so an accurate budget matters.
   • Tariff types stop at dynamic, fixed and variable, leaving out the time-of-use and prepay choices electricity-ratings lists in fixed, ev and time of use.
   • On unit rate the ranking is 4 of 23 brands, so the strong standing charge position does not carry over to consumption.

3. 7. Endesa

   Endesa sits just behind Powerpeers in this ranking on reach and stability rather than a moving price. It serves Spain, Canarias and Baleares across ES and PT, counts 12,700,000 customers and has traded since 1944, which is a long record behind a contract. The unit rate is €0.12 on a standing charge of €2.85, and the exit fee is €0, so leaving early costs nothing in the published terms. Its mix of fixed, time of use and ev runs to 12, 36 and 60 months at the top end, and support reaches email, chat and phone. 100Green, ranked next, is a smaller British supplier with a similar exit fee and a fully green book.

   • Fixed terms: 12, 36, 60
   • Exit fee: €0
   • Unit rate: €0.12

   Pros

   • Exit fee of €0 means a fixed term can be ended early without a charge, which is unusual in this group.
   • Unit rate of €0.12 and standing charge of €2.85 sit at the competitive end of the suppliers listed here.
   • A tethered home charger costs €1,099 with installation included, gives power of 7.4 to 22 kW and carries a warranty of 3 years.
   • Electricity and gas sit under electricity and gas, so both fuels come from a single supplier.
   • Support runs on email, chat and phone, which covers phone, chat, email and a help centre.

   Cons

   • Tariff choice is narrower than some rivals: fixed, time of use and ev covers fixed, time-of-use and EV, while Powerpeers lists dynamic, fixed and variable.
   • A green tariff does not appear in fixed, time of use and ev, though Electricity Ratings includes fixed, ev and time of use.
   • Coverage is limited to Spain, Canarias and Baleares, so households in other markets need a different supplier.
   • Standing charge of €2.85 sits on top of €0.12, so low-usage homes carry a larger share of the bill in fixed costs.

4. 8. 100Green

   100Green earns its place in this ranking as the green option, with 100% renewable power sourced on ppa terms. The export rate of £0.12 pays households that push power back to the grid, and the mix of fixed, variable and green covers fixed, variable, green, electric vehicle and time of use. A smart meter is required. The trade-off is commitment: fixed terms run 12 months, the only length offered, and support reaches phone, email and chat. Niba, ranked next, offers more term freedom and a much smaller standing charge.

   • Fixed terms: 12
   • Exit fee: £0
   • Renewable share: 100%

   Pros

   • Renewable electricity at 100%, with the supply behind it coming from a power purchase agreement.
   • Own generation is rewarded: exports are paid at £0.12.
   • Both fuels come from one supplier, with electricity and gas covered on the same account.
   • Support runs on phone, email and chat, so a household can reach a person or self-service.

   Cons

   • A smart meter is required for the electric vehicle tariff, so meter status decides who can take that plan.
   • Fixed terms run for 12 months only, so no longer fixed term is listed for anyone wanting a rate locked for years.
   • Supply covers GB only, so a household outside that market has to look elsewhere.

5. 9. niba: best for lowest-standing-charge

   Niba takes the lowest-standing-charge label in this ranking, and that figure is what separates it: €0.091 against a ranking median of €15. A small standing charge keeps the floor low however the dynamic rate moves, which is the number most households in this category weigh. The unit rate is €0.12, the exit fee is €0 and the export rate is €0.06, with 100% renewable power. The limits are narrow ones: support runs on email, phone and help centre, terms run 12 months, and it serves Iberian Peninsula only. Ma Petite Facture, ranked next, does not require a smart meter and serves 380,000 customers.

   • Fixed terms: 12
   • Exit fee: €0
   • Unit rate: €0.119

   Pros

   • An exit fee of €0 means switching costs nothing, which places niba in the no exit fee group.
   • Renewable supply of 100% covers the whole plan, and an export rate of €0.06 rewards rooftop solar.
   • A standing charge of €0.091 keeps the fixed part of bills small for light users.
   • Tariffs run fixed, time of use and dynamic (fixed, time of use and dynamic), so you can pick how your price moves.
   • Support runs on email, phone and help centre, so written, spoken and self service help are all available.

   Cons

   • The unit rate of €0.12 sits above the cheapest tariffs in the comparison, so heavy users pay more for each unit.
   • Sales cover ES only, across the Iberian Peninsula, so there is nothing on offer for households elsewhere.
   • Endesa and Electricity Ratings both list an electric vehicle tariff, while the niba range is fixed, time of use and dynamic.
   • Live chat is not part of email, phone and help centre, so quick answers may have to wait on email or the phone.

6. MP10. Ma Petite Facture

   Ma Petite Facture sits in the middle of this ranking because it removes a usual condition: a smart meter is not required, which is unusual in a category where most suppliers do ask for it. Its renewable share is 100% on certificates terms, the exit fee is €0 and terms run 12, 24 and 36 months. Support reaches email, chat and phone and it serves 380,000 customers in FR. The published mix of fixed, variable and green holds no dynamic option, so it ranks here on the rest rather than on the headline feature. Budget Thuis Internet, ranked next, does list a dynamic tariff.

   • Fixed terms: 12, 24, 36
   • Exit fee: €0
   • Renewable share: 100%

   Pros

   • An exit fee of €0, ranking 1 of 29 on that measure, keeps switching cheap.
   • Tariff types run fixed, variable and green under a single supplier, and fuels cover electricity and gas for a dual fuel household.
   • Renewable content of 100%, made good through certificates.
   • A smart meter is not required, so a conventional meter and ordinary readings are enough.
   • Support runs on email, chat and phone, giving a phone route alongside chat, email and a help centre.

   Cons

   • Renewal is the sharp end: prices after a fixed term in this group sit at €29.40, while entry prices list at €23.03.
   • Fixed terms run 12, 24 and 36, so a longer block means a longer wait before you can move or renegotiate.
   • The supplier operates in FR only, which narrows the comparison to a single market.
   • An EV charging tariff is not among its tariff types (fixed, variable and green), where Endesa lists that type in fixed, time of use and ev.

What to look for

Unit rate

The median unit rate across this ranking is €0.19, and the band runs €0.05 to €0.38. Use that band as the yardstick for each brand's own figure.

Standing charge

The median standing charge here is €15, with the lowest at €0.09 and the highest at €78. A standing charge does not move with your usage, so it shapes the bill whatever the dynamic rate does.

Exit fees

Exit fees rarely bite in this category: the median is €0 and the upper quartile is €0, with the top of the range at €58.11. Still check the figure on the plan you want, since Eon Next charges £25 to leave.

Smart meter

A smart meter is required by 64.3% of the suppliers here, and 35.7% do not ask for it. That requirement decides whether a smart tariff is open to you at all.

Renewable basis

The green claim is built on certificates for 66.7% of this ranking, own generation for 23.3%, and power purchase agreements for 10%. The basis tells you how the claim is sourced.

Support

A help centre is on offer from 90.7% of the brands here, phone from 79.1% and chat from 46.5%. In a category where prices move daily, the route to a human matters.

Frequently asked questions

Top smart and dynamic electricity tariffs compared by country

• France
• Germany
• Italy
• Netherlands
• Spain
• United Kingdom
• United States

The data behind this ranking

All data and the CSV