Why a solar-aware EV charger matters
If you have solar panels (or are planning to), the right EV charger turns midday surplus into "free" miles. The Myenergi Zappi and Ohme Pro have dedicated "Eco+" modes that wait for solar surplus and ramp the EV charging rate to match — so the car only draws what the panels are exporting, never pulling from the grid.
Without a solar-aware charger, your charger pulls a constant 7.4kW the moment it starts, regardless of what the solar is doing — meaning much of the energy comes from the expensive grid, even on sunny days. With Eco+ mode, on a sunny weekend you can add 80-120 miles of range purely from solar surplus, at zero marginal cost.
Zappi vs Ohme vs Pod Point — which to choose
Zappi (Myenergi): best solar integration. Three modes — Fast (use grid), Eco (mix), Eco+ (solar surplus only). Made in the UK (Stafford, Staffordshire). £899-£1,099 installed depending on options.
Ohme Pro (Ohme): best off-peak integration. Auto-detects Octopus tariffs and only charges during cheap windows. Tethered. Slick app. £799-£999 installed.
Pod Point Solo 3: simplest, most ubiquitous. Robust hardware. Solid app but less smart than Zappi/Ohme. £849-£949 installed.
Hypervolt 3: best-looking, integrated load balancing for multi-EV homes. £999-£1,199 installed.
We stock all four and don't have a margin preference — we recommend on use case (solar-led, off-peak-led, multi-EV, aesthetics-led).
How the install works
Survey: we either visit (free) or assess via photos of your consumer unit, meter, and proposed charger location. We need to confirm spare capacity in your main fuse, route from CU to charger, and an external waterproof point.
Installation: most jobs take 3-5 hours. We mount the charger, run the cable (clipped externally or chased internally per your preference), fit the necessary isolators and earth, and configure the app. We test on-charge with your vehicle before leaving.
G98/G99 notification: chargers above 16A require DNO notification. We submit this for you. For most Midlands homes on a 100A main fuse this is approval-by-default — no waiting.
EV charger grants and tariffs in 2026
OZEV EV chargepoint grant (£350) — applies to renters and flat-owners, plus chargers installed at work car parks. We file the paperwork.
EV-friendly tariffs: Intelligent Octopus Go charges at ~7p/kWh between 23:30-05:30 — and the smart charger holds your car's overnight charging to that window. Equivalent fuel cost: ~£1.40 per 100 miles vs ~£18 per 100 miles on petrol at £1.45/litre.
For multi-EV households or large vehicles (Tesla Model X, Ford F-150 Lightning, etc.), we also configure three-phase 22kW chargers where the supply allows.