Ohme and Zappi are the two dominant smart home EV chargers in the UK. Both are OZEV-approved, both support Octopus Intelligent, and both cost roughly the same. But they take different approaches. Here's the head-to-head from an installer who fits both.
The fundamental difference
Zappi is built for solar homes. The standout feature is Eco+ mode: it only charges the car when your solar generation exceeds household consumption. This means genuinely free charging from surplus solar — typically 1,500–3,000 miles free per year for a 4 kW system in the UK.
Ohme is built for tariff arbitrage. Its standout feature is the tariff library — it integrates with 20+ UK time-of-use tariffs and automatically schedules charging in the cheapest windows. If you're on Octopus Intelligent, OVO Drive Anytime, or EDF GoElectric, Ohme handles the smart scheduling automatically.
Solar integration comparison
| Feature | Zappi v2.1 | Ohme Home Pro | |---|---|---| | Solar diversion (Eco+) | Yes — only charges from surplus | No | | Solar-aware charging | Yes | Basic — no Eco+ equivalent | | Works without solar | Yes (Boost mode) | Yes | | Requires CT clamp for solar | Yes (Harvi if off-consumer-unit) | Only for basic monitoring |
Winner for solar homes: Zappi, clearly. Zappi's Eco+ mode is genuinely useful and saves £100–£200/year on a typical 4 kW system by using surplus solar rather than expensive grid power.
Tariff integration comparison
| Feature | Zappi v2.1 | Ohme Home Pro | |---|---|---| | Octopus Intelligent Go | Yes (latest firmware) | Yes (pre-certified) | | OVO Drive Anytime | No | Yes | | EDF GoElectric | No | Yes | | Octopus Flux / Go / Cosy | Manual scheduling | Auto-scheduling | | Tariff library size | 3 | 20+ |
Winner for non-solar tariff users: Ohme, clearly. If you don't have solar and you're choosing based purely on tariff arbitrage, Ohme integrates with more suppliers and handles the scheduling automatically.
Price comparison
- Zappi v2.1 7 kW: £999 fitted
- Zappi 3 (latest): £1,150 fitted
- Ohme ePod 7 kW: £799 fitted
- Ohme Home Pro (tethered): £899 fitted
- Wallbox Pulsar Plus (for comparison): £899 fitted
Ohme is £100–£200 cheaper than Zappi. For solar homes, the Zappi's Eco+ mode easily pays for itself in free solar charging within 2 years.
App comparison
Ohme's app is slightly cleaner on UI. Zappi's myenergi app shows the full ecosystem (including eddi hot water diverter, Libbi battery). If you're going deeper into the myenergi ecosystem, Zappi wins because everything connects.
Which should you buy?
Choose Zappi if: - You have solar panels (non-negotiable — Eco+ is a significant financial advantage) - You're building a myenergi home energy system - You don't mind paying the £100 premium
Choose Ohme if: - You don't have solar - You want the widest tariff integration - Budget is a factor (ePod at £799 is the cheapest OZEV-approved smart charger)
If you have solar and are trying to decide: Zappi. The solar diversion feature alone recovers the price difference in the first season.