The issues with granny charging and choosing a 7kW charger

[@MrEV]

Stop press! Ohme got in contact with me to confirm that they do also now support solar.

[@johnnodge4327]

Ohme does support solar charging. However it's more cost effective to export as much solar as possible, then charge the car on cheap rate. Octopus seems expensive to me. I'm with Eon Next, which give 7 hours at 6.7p, the remainder being 24.41p. I also get 16.5p export, so charging from solar makes absolutely zero financial sense.

[@SibodKent]

Yep, it's supported it since at least July last year as we had our Ohme installed then and it had the option.

[@toadinashotglass]

on which model? pro or the normal pod or both?

[@helipeek2736]

@@MrEV not only are they taking over the EV charging sphere but the entire Solar System too! HURAGH

[@MrNeeds]

@@toadinashotglass they are both the same, only difference is the unit screen and the tethered cable.

[@pigletsdaddy3052]

Simpson & Partners I'd be constantly trying to dry my hands under it.

[@AndyC2_]

😂😂😂😂

[@johnsanderson966]

Haha, I thought it looked like a paper towel dispenser.

[@NicolasRaimo]

I did make the same comment in my review of it ;) stylish thou

[@stuartgifford8672]

Ive been using granny charger for the last two years, me and wife both have electric cars, i work from home so not a big deal, i just pop the charger on my wifes car twice a week when she gets home from work, works for us.

[@markharding44]

I use the screen on my Zappi every time I plug the car in to enter the pin and start the charge. The pin is important because it’s public facing on an alleyway at the back of my house. I could use the app but it’s far quicker to just use the on device buttons. So in this particular situation he’s wrong a screen is very useful and the reason I went with a Zappi, it’s usp.

[@MrEV]

I had no idea it had that functionality actually. That's great!

[@Pablo-tw7tt]

@@MrEV Its brilliant. You see instantly that IOG has started a charge straight away and is draining your batteries at 3pm. ;-)

[@DanJHayes]

The Zappi also has a light when it's charging. I like how the Zappy handles the cable.

[@ChrisJakins]

I’m convinced that these are priced according to what they think the average EV owner can afford rather than what they are worth. There’s a lot of marketing nonsense going on. They price them as if we can still get a grant to subsidise them. As EVs become widely adopted we will see them get more competitive on price. Essentially it is just a switch in a plastic box. The money spent on a good electrician is well worth it, but I’m sceptical about the differences between devices.

[@northyorkshirechris5735]

Any product is priced at what they think the market will take. I have Hypervolt and to be fair to them, they are constantly developing the software and do provide good back-up. They’re onto Hypervolt 3 now, so are consistently developing the hardware. As Nick said, it’s a solid unit which you can hammer and it’ll easily take a jet washer too. Like everything, you get what you pay for.

[@Swwils]

They have about 30 USD of parts inside.

[@northyorkshirechris5735]

@@Swwils Great. But a few parts don’t make a product do they? It’s the manufacture, design, marketing, software development, ongoing support, distribution costs, packaging, product testing, patent registration etc. Profits need to be made, shareholders need paying, along with employees. Different markets also have different standards and regulations that need to be met and standards testing to attain marks like CE or UK CA. So the $30 of parts suddenly grows into far more, doesn’t it?

[@Swwils]

@northyorkshirechris5735 you can buy one delivered for £55.

[@NicolasRaimo]

@@Swwilsyou can buy a lot of things cheaper doesn’t mean they the same product, chargers are competitive market if someone could undercut them for same product and quality they would of. I’ve done a video breaking cost down of these units there’s a lot more in them than you think

[@silverghini2629]

22:40 Couldn’t agree more. The engineer who fitted my unit had no idea about where to fit the CT clamps or what setting to make on the unit. I ended up researching it and getting him back in to make the required changes!

[@jbuzzy]

Really enjoy your channel!!! I live in the USA, I use the Emporia charger. I'm retired and I don't drive that much so I charge once a week. I plug in when I get home for the day and at 9 pm the car starts to charge. From 9 pm to 6 am I pay 4.9 cent per kwh. I don't have solar but it is on my list of things to do. I'm not sure if I'll be grid tied or not. I Iike the idea of getting paid for the extra electricity but not the cost of that type of system. Keep up the great work and I can't wait till you get another Ioniq 5. I have the 2024 model and I just love the car. I am also a big fan of your wife's honesty and she makes me laugh ---- so much fun.

[@jasbo7288]

Me & my wife both have ICE cars but our son bought his first car an EV so wanted to give him peace of mind with home Charging..Through our energy supplier we had fitted the Ohme home pro last year and using OVO charge anytime he can charge his Peugeot e208 at 6.67p/kw and run it for next to nothing..Its been great and dead reliable..Keep up the good work mate..👍😁

[@misreb1]

Thanks for the video! Very timely. I just ordered my Zappi through Octopus. I think it is the best looking and functional (cable neatly tucked around it). The integration with battery and solar is a good future proofing. Sympsons looks like kitchen towel holder

[@drmexicoii]

This was a great video, covered all the important considerations. I went for the hypervolt and have been really pleased. The app is great but nick is right, as soon as you enable intelligent octopus you stop needing the native app. Although I love the live monitoring of the house draw, it's better than the octopus mini. Not sure if you're lining it up for a future video but worth talking about installation. I went with an independent installer as a) wanted the advice as to which charger to get and b) a quality installation by someone who would come back to fix any issues. So many people go with an energy company where the work is subbed out to the cheapest contractor. I wanted someone who I knew would do a quality job and spend all day on it, rather than bash out as many as they can in one day.

[@northyorkshirechris5735]

I’ve got a Hypervolt and love mine. I bought mine through Wickes - they subbed it out to a solid electrical company though. Was installed within 3 weeks.

[@kevinoconnor2051]

I received a free GiveEnergy charger when I ordered their All in one and Gateway. it does what I need but doesn't work with Intelligent Go (yet).Rumor has it it's coming soon 🙂 I tried to get my house fuse upgraded to 100 Amps as I thought I needed it for solar, house battery and EV but Northern Grid said I would need to have 3 phase installed. At a cost of course so I left it at single phase 80 Amps and have had no trouble so far, touch wood.

[@djm243]

I have a Hypervolt home 3 pro and it is supplied with either 5 or 10 meter cables. Pretty sure you can get a longer one if necessary. PS it is brilliant and super smart

[@twelvebears1971]

Love our Ohme Home Pro and works perfectly. Also it does have Solar integration and charging capabilities but as stated, I don’t use them because at the moment it would cost money vs exporting. Personally I’d also stick with a tethered cable just to remove the additional plug/socket connection.

[@mrpauly01]

I have a commando adaptor for the charging cable from Tesla (£42.00), a commando wall socket (waterproof & lockable) only £22 from Amazon and a 32amp breaker for my consumer unit (£12), 3m of 6mm cable to the outside commando socket fitted by an electrician (£80). Total £156.00 to enable Octopus off peak charging (23:30-05:30) which gives 30miles per hour (180 miles per night) for £2.80p. Why spend near £1000 for a fitted charge point as that represents 3 years worth of electricity (currently although that may change). I say “hay Siri” open Tesla bonnet, the frunk pops open, I plug in the lead at both ends (30 seconds) and my app has the schedule added…. THATS IT, simple & cost effective.

[@Hyfly13]

would that work for any car? I thought the "charger" had to hand-shake with the car? Or is only the charger fussy about that and the car just accepts the electrons?

[@mrpauly01]

@ from my limited understanding the handshakes is initiated by octopus when you inform them you have an EV eg you plug it in and they then have what they need. And as you put it, the car accepts the electrons so basically if you can charge from a granny socket you can charge from a commando socket (the primary difference is the throughput eg 2-3kw (13amp) vs 7kw (32amp).

[@eversleyowl]

@@Hyfly13 isn't that the difference between Go and Intelligent Go. Set up described above would work for Go, but not Intelligent Go. Cost effectiveness will be complicated to calculate as it will surely depend on how many extra day time hours you get when house is running on 7p rate and how much load shifting you can do to these times.

[@nigelk780]

Totally agree I have the same a dumb charge point 32a commando - 7kw. Cheap reliable and easy to replace if it does break. Im on IGO which is controlled direct to the car by octopus and I can do anything I need via the car app like charge limits , off peak etc. I also have a wifi contactor (breaker) on the supply so I can control the power on and off remotely by timer or manually. I have solar with a battery which makes things more complicated to ensure the battery charges and discharges when I want and not to the car. Intelligent charger really is only of benefit to those with vehicles that cant be controlled by IGO but the economics are iffy vs GO.

[@DSVWARE]

That would not work for detached garages that are far away if you cannot park in the front of your house

[@helipeek2736]

I'm sorry to disagree about tethered verses untethered. I have an Ohme ePod and ALWAYS remove the cable after use, as I can't stand seeing charging cables hanging off wall boxes plus the ePod is the only one that is small enough to fit where I need it to be - job done. Oh and the Ohme Helpdesk REALLY is a Helpful Desk!!

[@hughmp]

Not to mention you can just buy another cable if it gets damaged rather than employing an electrician

[@lordstevewilson1331]

If I ever get to own a house i will definitely go for hypervolt

[@DB25k]

Tethered or untethered... that is the conundrum.... 😅 great video nick and Tim..

[@mgortega07]

Love the info Mr Andrew ❤👍

[@edwyncorteen1527]

The Zappi is the size it is because it takes the charging cable wrapped round it with no issues. All Zappis are now made three phase only that is also compatible with a single phase supply, they have reduced the price of the three phase so it costs what the single phase used to. I have a Zappi and did not use it for solar charging last year as Nick is correct, I just set a very large export margin so it does not use any solar, I agree with you the Zappi is the best looking unit too!

[@leesmart1971]

I have the tethered Wallbox and it has a light ring that tells me when it's charging, in standby or waiting for a scheduled charge. The cable "drapes" across the top rather than wrapping all the way round but it does the job.

[@beerfantv]

I’ve got the Hypervolt. All good so far, & works well with Octopus intelligence EV. The app provides loads of data, you can see cost for each charge and stuff like that, I like the option to change the lights. Good advice on ordering the charger with the longest cable. Great video btw.

[@dougedworthy9733]

Good choice! I've an untethered Zappi because I sometimes need to park 5m away and need a 10m cable and other times park next to the zappi and don't want to trip over excess cable. I'm in the process of installing solar PV and battery storage, so I was pleased to hear the Zappi getting a thumbs up for its ability to work with all that. And, like you, I *do* take a look at the display from time to time. The only thing I don't like is the bright, multi-coloured LED indicator. It's a real light pollution maker, so I've masked mine with a piece of black gaffer tape.

[@chopper602]

Our Alfa Romeo Tonale Hybrid came with £1000 credit to install a home charger. We chose an Ohme tethered and so far it been perfect. It's a very neat install on the outside side wall of an integrated garage, almost next to the electricity meter cupboard . . .

[@silverghini2629]

8:43 Go for tethered and then get an adapter for when you need to charge the leaf.

[@normanhannaford9428]

I took loads of notes. thanks.

[@AndyM...]

Been charging my EV6 form a variable speed granny charger (max 16A) for the last 2 years no problems, in fact the EV6 hasn't even seen a DCFC since I've owned it. Nice wrap up of the other options though !!!

[@jcflippen1552]

Good video. I’ve had Hypervolt for nearly 3 years and very happy with it. No solar now as it’s 15p to export it.

[@mobill49]

I can recommend the Easee One. Had it since November 22 and no problems whatsoever. Also looks good as it's untethered. EON Next Drive tariff is good too.

[@peteglass3496]

Does it have usable access control, I'm looking for a solution for a workplace charger that need to be secure, discreet and untethered? The online info on their website is barely comprehensible, we just need it set up with an app that can give 3 or 4 people access without faff. Ta.

[@hmsq82]

​@peteglass3496 yes it does.

[@hmallett]

5:40 Wow, Nick is brave! Will he incur the wrath of Flaviana?

[@ingatestone100]

Probably 😂.

[@Paulruk]

have the 8m Ohme Pro tethered, its great and so much easier to use than untethered. I bought a backpack cover in white the same as our house colour and it just fits over the whole thing including cable. Keeps it out of the weather and blends in with the house better. Works well with octopus agile, although thinking of moving to Go as rates are rubbish lately. Cheers Andrew.

[@martindrabik9031]

Surprised to see that the Wallbox was missing from the selection as this was the one you gave as a prize and raved about it.

[@northyorkshirechris5735]

I had the Hypervolt installed last May and it’s given me consistently good charging results ie max charging rate. The choice of cable is 5m, 7.5m and 10m (not 14m), which neatly wraps around the unit. The app is good as it gives you some great analytics which you can download to PDF. The Hypervolt’s party piece is that you can set the front LED to give you a light display (eg ‘Knight Rider’ mode). As Nick says, it’s solar capable and I would emphasise his point about it being compatible with both the Octopus AND Ovo smart tariffs. Finally, another benefit is that you can simply lock and unlock the charger from the app - or set it to lock as soon as you unplug from the car. A nice security feature.

[@neilfennell6833]

We have a Zappi. I have used their support in the past and it was first class, although things can change I guess. The contactor went on ours and it was replaced within a couple of days by one of their guys. He also noticed that the installation did not meet the latest regs. Not our installers fault, it was correct when it was installed. Zappi updated the circuit breaker for the new regs FOC. Great support.

[@jonathanfarmer7109]

Had a Wallbox Pulsar Plus for the last 3 year on Intelligent Octopus. Never let me down once.

[@louishiggins8881]

I've had an Easee One charger (untethered) for just over two years - don't need to charge every day, so untethered looks neater (and it is a small box on the side of the porch 😂). Integrates with Octopus perfectly (for Cupra Born EV). Did have to call support once, apparently the supply voltage can actually vary quite a bit, and it was going out of "setup" range. They sorted the issue really quickly (remotely) 😁. I also used a specialist EV charger installer, rather than a general electrician, the guy was really good - so that was definitely worthwhile 😁.

[@davidspencer7254]

Love the fortnum and mason style charger, even though it looks like a hand sanitiser, but I can't picture a tethered version.

[@MrEV]

That'd be the fanciest hand sanitiser ever, but yes, now I can't un-see that!

[@makemineapint]

Solar 'costing you twice as much' - that's the current situation, but as more residential soal comes online the rates could well come down, also if you're G98 3.68kw limited and you have panels/Inverter(s) that can out produce that, the power is effectively free.

[@Trifusion1]

I’ve been charging my leaf off a 3-pin for 6 years now and found the 5 hours of cheap energy on Go is plenty. We’re going to get a long range next year and planning to stick with 3-pin. If we ever find ourselves doing more than 40 miles a day average then I’ll go to a rapid charger. Might cost a few quid but it’s a lot cheaper than these.

[@JimmyLager]

I charge our e-Niro with a Wallbox Pulsar Plus @ 11kW and it works great! 👌🏻

[@ashleycarr1275]

Hypervolt 3. It's been great.

[@robelee4484]

Hi Andrew, I went with Hypervolt, purely because they were one of the few to come with a 10 mts tethered lead.

[@budflanagan1262]

…as does the Ohme Pro, but as an optional extra.

[@silverghini2629]

I have solar and a battery and so went for a Zappi. Very happy with it. I don’t charge from solar as I can sell for 15p and buy for 6p. However, tariffs can change so I wanted the flexibility in case I needed to do so.

[@JK-NOT-JK]

Hypervolt 3 user. Seems solid - both stability and build quality. Never need to use the app though. Integrates with Octopus, so I use the Octopus app to set charging times and my car’s app to determine how much I want to charge too. Was on Ovo but I found it a PITA to use.

[@stephgray]

A big "in theory" for the Ohme talking to Octopus via Kia Connect, in my experience. Never yet managed to get properly intelligent charging going on my e-Niro, sadly. Lots of notifications from apps saying the car finished charging unexpectedly and some anxious nights before heading off on big trips...

[@mickinmerton8053]

I've got an Ohme Pro and use Kia Connect to my Soul. Particularly of late I have problems with the Ohme not reading the current charge of my car and hence it charging beyond the set limit. I have contacted Ohme support who told me to uninstall the Kia app then reinstall. That worked once next time if failed again.

[@Jaw0lf]

I have a Zappi, as I fitted a long time ago and wanted the solar to be able to charge my EV with the excess. As Nick said, this became senseless as the 7p overnight rate was setwith a 15p export. So now my Powerwall also fills up even in the summer, to allow more solar to be exported. I agree with tethered unless it was almost on the street where it may be too much temptation for someone to mess with. Certainly some nicer designs of wall chargers are now available to suit your eye and one that works with Octopus in the UK is certainly an easier way to ensure compatability. A great review of features by Nick.

[@gzhm610]

How do you get around Octopus Intelligent draining your powerwall when it starts earlier than the cheap rate? Thx

[@NicolasRaimo]

@@gzhm610 HOME ASSISTANT! but many wire the EV charger on a serpate CU so powerwall never chargers the car or see's it

[@M0j0]

I'm a fan of wallbox max. Never let me down once. Really smart and compact design without a breakout box needed. Does solar excess if that becomes a thing in the future. Works really well with Octopus intelligent. Connects via Bluetooth or WiFi, no sim needed! Highly recommended. Coming up to 2yrs ownership 👍

[@S0me0ne_S0meWhere_SaysHi]

He is right about the zappi being dated in design.

[@cloggsy1971]

I have a Wallbox Pulsar Plus charging my MG4 (so no API available from MG). Works well for me 👌🏻👍🏻 My daughter has an Ohme Home Pro for her Megane ETech. Again, works superbly 👌🏻👍🏻

[@scepticalcarols]

I love the Zappi, use the screen all the time so see what is going on with the solar. Don't chase tariffs much as have plenty of panel capacity and top up regularly 75% so always use solar to charge the Model Y.

[@kab7044]

I have a Zappi and no complaints, it’s reliable and easy to use.

[@K12beano]

Hilarious comments from Nick R about the looks of the Leaf! But otherwise it’s great to hear from someone so knowledgable - as a person who has never had home-charging (is there a trendy name for us “Nomads”?) all this was going to be Double-Dutch to me…but he does make it really accessible to my little brain! 👏

[@MrEV]

Don't diss the Leaf! 😃

[@K12beano]

@ Indeed - just leaf it out…..

[@MrEV]

[@AdamAugustPhoto]

13:41 only if you get paid for export. Don't forget not everyone does. Some people on the original FIT scheme get paid for generation not export & some who took out rent-a-roof schemes get paid nothing. I fall into the latter category, so I charge on solar whenever I can. Over my first year of EV ownership with the Zappi I've charged 35% solar, 65% grid (off peak). Sorry for the rant, I just get annoyed by people making blanket statements, saying that it doesn't make sense to charge from solar.

[@Muppetkeeper]

You’re right. Also power prices will change, and not all people will be on EV cheap overnight tariffs for other reasons, such as I’m on Octopus Cosy, because my heat pump will always use far more electricity than my car.

[@sargfowler9603]

We have an ICS charger and are very happy with it. A granny charger is ok, but they’re slow and can blow the breaker if you have it on with something else. Getting it to come on with a cheap overnight rate requires a timer too.

[@MichaelSmith-us9ch]

I have the Ohme plug in as in the video. It sits on the front of the house 15ft from the public pathway. I keep the cable in the car. It takes to much less space than other chargers. I use the app only to approve the plug-in. The Octopus Intelligent takes care of everything else. I have solar but would never use it to charge as my FIT is so much more than the overnight import cost.

[@patrickjr11]

I have an eo mini untethered from octopus. Had it for 4 years because the location is quite tight, right at the front of the house and I wanted a charger that people could walk past the house and not notice. And in that it has been a great success. I had a leaf so I also went through untethered because of the type one cable but now have a type two car but did not need to change anything. If I needed to I would absolutely go with that ohme unit for exactly the same reasons.

[@jimvince7877]

Andrew I have the original Ohme charger tethered been very reliable and always found support very good 👍 and works well with octopus intelligent

[@benregler9872]

I've got the Tesla charger it's great for my needs I like how you point and press the button on the plug which lifts the charging flap 😊. There is no PEN protection built in You can have 3 phase but no solar

[@jason8966]

How many times will you not be able to fully charge the Leaf with the 3-pin anyway? Use the tethered charger for the Niro and the 3-pin for the Leaf, I have the exact same setup

[@MrEV]

That's a really good point. And come to think of it, my LEAF only charges at 3.3kW anyway so it's not a massive speed increase! (And yes, I'm kicking myself...)

[@robinbennett5994]

Especially if he expects to move in a few years. A quick calculation tells me that a 24kWh charge once a month at 27p/kWh over 10 years would just about add up to the price of getting a new Zappi.

[@darrylrichman]

I fully realize that this channel is focused on the UK, but here in California, you get almost nothing for your solar export, regardless of time of day, and public chargers cost on the order of $0.56/kWh. I have a level 2 charger that does know when my solar would otherwise be exported and uses it to charge my car, and I use this feature all the time. Maybe the UK will never get to the point that power is basically free in the middle of the day when solar is so prevalent, but if it does, the economy of things will probably look more like what I'm experiencing now.

[@northyorkshirechris5735]

The problem here is that the price of UK electric is tied to the cost of the most expensive means of electric production, which is natural gas. So although we have lots of renewables, we don’t really benefit in terms of pricing. My daytime rate is 25p (31 cents) p/kWh and the overnight EV rate is 7.5p (9 cents) p/kWh. Public charging can be ridiculously expensive, with 79p (98 cents) p/kWh not being uncommon. The UK Government are currently undertaking a consultation (called ‘REMA’) concerning how electric is priced, hopefully with a view to delinking the renewables from fossil fuel electric production.

[@mynameiskeith21]

I have the Ohme e pod, it’s been flawless in use, plus after use I put the cable safely away, no cable on display to be stolen, a problem soon to be prevalent I suspect.

[@johncoe530]

I’ve been using a nanny charger for the last 12 Months with my 500e. Gets roughly 30% charge during the 5 hours Octopus Go cheap period. This has worked well for me, only have to use public charging when a distance away from home. However, I would prefer a dedicated charge point and to use IOG. Like you I would prefer an untethered charge point and am strongly leaning towards the Zappi. The only thing holding me back is finding a decent electrician to fit it. Not too keen on using Octopus or any of the national EVcharger companies as I feel that they push their installers to do many jobs each day. I’ve had electrical work done in the past by trade registered electricians and have not been impressed by the work. Still looking for somebody I can trust.

[@neilt]

Zappi is obviously the best choice. Dont forget it can also manage an Eddy device to use surplus solar power to heat water.

[@johnnodge4327]

I agree, tethered all the way, and the Ohme homr pro works well. Have you considered Eon Next? Octopus isn't as competitive for either cheap rate time or cost, and solar export is less. We currently export as much as we can at 16.5p, then charge the EV at 6.7p per kWhr between 00:00 and 07:00. Eon Next also fix the rate in 12 month increments, which octopus doesn't do.

[@R08Tam]

E.on Next sent me a £1,800 bill for 2 days of gas. Their billing system is utterly useless. 😊

[@bartvanhoof6278]

Here in Spain ... we moved at the end of last year and had a home charger installed by Octopus in December ... just went with what they recommended ... V2C Trydan. The other option was Ohme Home Pro but they said we should take the Trydan ... so, okay. - Communal garage with our own spot (i.e., everyone can see the charging unit hanging on the wall). - Tethered - good, reaches all corners of the garage spot, should we change EV. - Intelligent - yes, but we are on Octopus Go, so no real need for it. - Load balancing - amazing, must-have. - It looks nice, the logo is illuminated (LED - not sure if it indicates charging or not) and there's a tiny screen showing power use in the home. - App - meh, never use it other than checking the total charged at the end of the month to calculate the cost of EV charging. - Can add solar ... but seeing as we live in a duplex apartment that's not going to happen any time soon. - Can add battery ... maybe in a future home update. What I miss: - Integration with a home network/Matter/Thread (in our case Google) ... but would probably never use the functionality. :) The previous home had a Wallbox Pulsar Plus ... but to be honest, the V2C is better ... although the Wallbox was excellent too. Agree with EV Nick on all points.

[@shakeyaims]

I use a type 1 to type 2 adapter on my Leaf as it only charges at 3.3kW. Easily obtained through Aliexpress. So you could have a type 2 tethered.

[@R08Tam]

I got my first EV in 2017 and took advantage of the government grant to get a 7kw charger. It lasted 4 years. So I paid £600 for a Wallbox which lasted 1 month. It was replaced free of charge but only lasted one day. Since then I have used the granny charger with a waterproof timer socket that charges on Octopus Go. I don't plan to waste my money on a "charger" anytime soon.

[@jacko101]

Octopus intelligent go has cheaper off peak rate and longer off peak hours than standard octopus go.

[@stewartj00701]

I got the Victron charger, awesome charger!

[@Muppetkeeper]

Me too, been waiting for a month for my Zappi to be fixed correctly, 2kW charging is a pain in the ass, but doable, just.

[@bollinger1000]

I have a wallbox tethered charger, I charge every night on octopus no problems whatsoever, its also a nice neat design.

[@hollyco]

Great video, very entertaining, better than Ant & Dec.

[@remotaurog]

More vids like this MrEV, to get the wall charger fitted here in Ireland cables at the cabinet need to be updated to 16mm trails ,200+vat or you can wait a year to get it done for free.plus they fit smart meter free,only if you don't mind sharing your data with provider, these chargers are way over priced for what is in them.

[@ianroper2812]

I’m literally about to have an Andersen fitted. It now has a 7 year warranty. It’s more aesthetically pleasing and comes in many colour combinations, and the cable and plug is hidden inside the unit behind brushes, so keeps the cable cleaner. I’ll let you know how I get on.

[@MrEV]

It's a beautiful looking charger!

[@drmexicoii]

I very nearly went with an Anderson as the looks and the warranty were very appealing. But the lack of octopus intelligent integration was a deal breaker for me in the end.

[@EddyValle-c5y]

Hi Andrew, we have a Zappi here in Australia, have had for several years now, we can’t fault it. In Oz we get very little feed in tariff payment, so keeping an eye on solar is important to us. We charge both a eNiro and Atto 3. One question would have been, what is the life expectancy ( under normal conditions) for these units?

[@ar6904]

Before my 7kw charger was installed I used the granny charger with OVO. Got 7p kWh for the full charge. Plus the household rates were cheaper. Don’t always assume octopus is the cheapest. I bought the zappi and one of the reason was because it has a button. Don’t need to get your phone up and use an app also if the internet is down you can just plug and play.

[@peterengland6153]

I would want the one with the simplest Home Assistant Integration. Do any of them have that?

[@NicolasRaimo]

I know ohme and zappi do, the others may do but I’ve not reviewed them for some time

[@5kram]

I have Ohme e-pod works well for me, have to use the app though as I have it configured so that the lights go off and you also have to approve the charge before it charges the car.

[@DSVWARE]

I'm certain charger companies would ask you to "try with a different cable" if the charger develops a fault, so an additional cost or inconvenience if you cannot borrow from anyone With a tethered unit it's all or nothing

[@davidgates3498]

What about vehicle to load. When will that be available?

[@stukaseptember]

I have an Ohme pro and it's great.

[@russell-60]

Other home pro ( tethered) all day long. Had it for 3 +years and no issues. Small discrete 'charger'. With Octopus intelligent go no issues. And electricity for the whole house is at the same rate as the car!

[@bshah4831]

We have two EVs so we have a Andersen A2 wall charger and an external standard socket as a backup.

[@KennethPaul]

I've got the Simpson & Partners charger. Can't fault them, great service, quality is absolutely fantastic, stunning design and can be used entirely offline with just Bluetooth if you want plus no subscription. I'll disagree on tethered though, I prefer untethered so I can change the cable myself if it gets damaged. I can hide it away when we want something to look neater. Plus Simpson and Partners do a matching cable hook which is fully painted to match the charger and made of metal just quality all round

[@MrEV]

That sounds great!

[@johnbrown3471]

I installed a Zappi because at the time it was future proofed for everything. I like the pin lock and have no issue with its appearance. You used to be able to get through to support, now you have to book a call back. I was able to untether/unlock the cable from the charger via the screen when for some reason the car (MG5) appeared to have locked it. (might have been pilot error, dunno) I also like to occaisionally look at the app ie at how many kw has been added.

[@markhenness424]

Good choice

[@eversleyowl]

Interesting and timely, as we have just bought our first EV and now need a charger. I think we are going with the Ohme based on a few factors. We want something Octopus Intelligent Go compatible, the Ohme is the smallest and in untethered form the cheapest (though Nick has made me think about the tethered), finally we have no solar and given orientation of our house and number of trees around us think it is unlikely we will ever get it. What was it about the point on not using solar to recharge the car that made you seem resistent? The fact exporting solar and using grid power to charge the EV being both cheaper and greener seemed pretty compelling to me.

[@colinphillipson4830]

I've had a BP Chargemaster sold as smart for 6 years but is anything but smart however still works as a dumb unit and on Octopus Go with solar and batteries. I've just bought and received an Ohme Home Pro with an 8 meter Type 2 lead so I can join the Intelligent Octopus Go tariff as I have the same Kia e-Niro 4+ as you which is incompatible with IOG. Consider getting a tethered unit and buy a Type 2 to Type 1 adapter for the LEAF. I'm also doing a project of upgrading my consumer electric cupboard wiring layout so when the IOG creates slots outside of the off-peak period the battery won't drain first. This entails fitting two Henley Blocks and the CTs positioned correctly so the battery CT doesn't see the EV live power draw as home use. You may also see this being mentioned with a well known You Tuber soon.

[@davidphillips2497]

I have a tethered zippi, which works fine, although a bit expensive. I never use my solar for the reason stated. Also I’m very glad it tethered, so I don’t have to wrestle the cable each time and the wrap around storage is great. Bit disappointed the app doesn’t monitor my solar generation, but my Tesla app does that anyway. I quite like the design, but it’s inside the garage, so who cares.

[@rainerinedinburgh5807]

At 18:27 Nick says "With the app, why do you need a screen?". Well, it works both ways. With a screen, why do you need an app? I hate using apps, and I'm also uncomfortable about making my data available to companies to sell. A granny charger has neither screen nor app! If it's too slow, just get a 32 Amp Commando socket installed (on a dedicated connection to your consumer unit, if necessary via a PEN fault box) and then you can plug a 7 kW portable charger into that. That's what I'm hoping to do soon (using 13 Amp granny for now), having just got my first ever EV four weeks ago, a used Hyundai Kona (4 years old).

[@paguk2000]

I have the Hypervolt very pleased the charger can be sold with 5 7.5 and 10m

[@alimehr-m3r]

I have the hypervolt 3 pro. Looks great and not as large as the zappi. Tethered is so much easier to use. I can also lock my charger on the app so no one can use it without my permission. Although I doubt people would bother doing that

[@peted7295]

We have two vehicles one PHEV using type 1 and a full EV with type 2, so a tether is no use. finally, keeping the cable in the car except when charging minimises the risk of cable theft.

[@johniooi3954]

Ohme Home Pro. Do not have car API linked to OHME app as that seems to be the biggest cause of issues. Only charge during the day on IO as I use it to keep house costs down by charging when needing to use more electric in house. So will often only add 20% to car to cover that period. No issues at all with charger.. tethered all the way as cable stays in car nice & clean.

[@terrymackenzie6784]

Get any charger that is compatable with IO Go but also think about what may be compatible with your home battery systerm as the most commen problem people have is discharging the home battery into the car when you don't want to

[@btnbiker]

Hi Andrew hope you have settled into your new home. My trusty Pod Point is playing up, PP want £600 for an upgrade. Real men go untethered they look so ugly tethered and I use a curly type 2. My neighbour as a hypervolt and the cable gets very hot unless he completely unwinds it

[@mintychris1]

What if you have a Solaredge home hub with battery and EV charger? Any possibility with intelligent Octopus?

[@normanreidy7778]

Lads, enjoyed the vid 😉 Thanks very much, looking at the future of chargers. Just after a big storm here in Ireland. Any recommendations or views on vehicle to home, and vehicle to grid enabled chargers ? Would be interested in your thoughts 🫡

[@NicolasRaimo]

Soon as I have ones I can talk and show in a review ill put the video up :)

[@rappermusician]

Useful we went with an EO which is alright ,when I changed our isp and got a new router getting the app to work has been problematic though

[@rhiantaylor3446]

You can buy a cable that looks a lot like your granny cable but which operates at up to 32A - I paid about £100 for mine new (6m long) and I can take it with me when I move house. Clearly it doesn't use a 13a plug/socket but rather the commercial 32a Commando plug/socket. You still need the same dedicated cable and MCB at your consumer unit. Also, I use Charge Anytime from Ovo and their 7p charging tariff is available at all times of day/night but they get to choose when you get the current set against your preset charge level e.g. 80% and the end time i.e. by 7:30 am.

[@richardblayney5898]

You could get a tethered type 2 and adapter for type 1 🤷‍♂️