Zappi vs Ohme: which home EV charger?

Both are good smart chargers, both charge at the same speed, and both work with the popular cheap overnight EV tariffs. The real differences are how you want the cable, whether you have solar panels, and the screen.

Ryan fits the zappi, so that is the one in his photos. The comparison below uses each maker’s own published specification, checked on 22 September 2026.

Side by side

	zappi GLO	Ohme Home Pro
Maker	myenergi	Ohme
Tethered or untethered	Either	Tethered. Ohme’s untethered model is the ePod
Tethered cable	6.5m	5m, with an 8m upgrade
Maximum power	Up to 7kW	7.4kW
Solar	Built to use surplus solar	Listed as solar charging compatible
Smart tariffs	Works with Octopus Intelligent and other smart and off-peak tariffs	Works with all energy tariffs, including Octopus Intelligent
Display	Light-up status indicator, controlled by app	Colour screen on the unit
Made in	UK	Designed in the UK

In practice, the 7kW and 7.4kW figures charge a car at the same speed. A normal house supply gives about 7kW whatever the charger says.

If you have solar panels

This is where the zappi earns its reputation. It was built from the start to watch what your panels are exporting and send that surplus into the car instead. On a sunny day, a car parked on the drive can fill up for nothing.

Ohme lists the Home Pro as solar compatible too. If solar is your main reason for buying, ask exactly how each one does it on your setup, because that detail matters more than any spec table. The zappi is the one Ryan fits and knows.

If you want the cable attached

Both come tethered. The Ohme’s standard cable is 5m, and the zappi GLO’s is 6.5m. If the car parks nose-in on a long drive, the extra length can save moving the charger or buying an extension.

If you want a tidy wall

The zappi GLO comes untethered, with a socket on the front and no cable hanging off it. You use the cable that came with the car. The Ohme Home Pro is tethered only, so for untethered from Ohme you would be looking at the ePod.

What it costs to have one fitted

All three are 7kW and all three charge a car overnight, so the gap between them is small next to the difference the install itself makes.

Charger	Fitted
Untethered 7kW	£850 + VAT (£1,020 inc VAT)
Tethered 7kW	£950 + VAT (£1,140 inc VAT)
Solar-diverting 7kW	£1,050 + VAT (£1,260 inc VAT)

A standard install is up to 10 metres of cable, the charger’s own circuit and protection, the app set up, testing, the certificate and building control. The EV charger estimator asks the seven questions that change it and sends the lot to Ryan.

Which one would we pick?

If you have solar, or might add it: the zappi. If you want a screen on the unit to see what it is doing without opening an app, the Ohme has one. If neither matters to you, both do the everyday job equally well, so go on price, cable and how it looks on your wall.

Questions people ask

Do I need a smart charger?

Yes. Since 2022, new home chargers sold in Great Britain have to be smart, meaning they can be scheduled and respond to signals from the grid. Both of these are.

Can I get a grant for either?

Possibly, if you rent or own a flat with off-street parking, or only have on-street parking and are fitting a cross-pavement channel. Homeowners with a driveway are not eligible. The details are in the EV charger cost guide.