If you've got solar panels and an EV, you're sitting on a goldmine of free motoring — but only if your charger can actually make use of that solar energy. The myenergi Zappi and Ohme Home Pro are the two most popular smart chargers in the UK, and both support solar integration. But they approach it very differently. The Zappi was built from the ground up for solar diversion. The Ohme was built for smart tariff optimisation, with solar bolted on. That fundamental difference shapes everything — and makes the choice between them more nuanced than you'd expect.

Quick Comparison

myenergi Zappi v2 Ohme Home Pro
Price (inc. install) ~£949 ~£799
Price after OZEV grant ~£599 ~£449
Charging speed 7.2kW (single-phase) / 22kW (three-phase) 7.4kW
Solar divert modes ✅ 3 modes (Fast / Eco / Eco+) ✅ Solar priority mode (via CT clamp)
100% solar charging ✅ Eco+ mode (zero grid draw) ❌ Supplements from grid when solar is low
Smart tariff integration ⚠️ Basic (schedule-based, via app) ✅ Intelligent Octopus, Agile, Go, E.ON
App quality Functional, dated UI Excellent, modern UI
On-unit display ✅ LCD screen with real-time data ✅ Colour LED display
Connectivity Wi-Fi (+ myenergi Hub optional) 4G
Made in 🇬🇧 UK (Lincolnshire) Designed in UK
IP rating IP65 IP54
Warranty 3 years 3 years
OZEV grant eligible ✅ ✅
## Solar Charging — The Heart of the Matter This is why you're here, so let's dive straight in. ### myenergi Zappi: Purpose-Built for Solar The Zappi was designed from day one as a solar-aware charger. It uses a CT clamp on your meter tails (or generation meter) to monitor your home's energy flow in real time, and it offers three distinct charging modes: **Fast Mode:** Charges at full power from the grid, ignoring solar entirely. Useful when you need a quick top-up regardless of source. **Eco Mode:** Prioritises excess solar energy but supplements from the grid to maintain a minimum 1.4kW charge rate. This means your car charges consistently even on cloudy days, while still making good use of solar whenever it's available. **Eco+ Mode:** This is the Zappi's party piece. In Eco+ mode, the charger *only* draws excess solar energy. If your panels aren't generating enough surplus (above 1.4kW), charging pauses. When the sun comes out and generation picks up, charging resumes automatically. The result? In Eco+ mode on a sunny day, you're charging your EV entirely for free. Zero grid draw. Zero cost. It's genuinely brilliant for maximising solar self-consumption, and no other mainstream charger does it as well. The Zappi also integrates with the wider myenergi ecosystem — including the Eddi (solar hot water diverter) and Libbi (home battery). If you're building a full solar energy system, the Zappi slots in naturally. ### Ohme Home Pro: Solar as a Secondary Feature The Ohme Home Pro supports solar charging via a CT clamp, but it's a less sophisticated implementation. In solar-priority mode, the charger favours excess solar energy but will always supplement from the grid when solar output drops. There's no equivalent of the Zappi's Eco+ mode — you can't set the Ohme to charge exclusively from solar with zero grid draw. For dedicated solar maximisers, this is a meaningful limitation. That said, the Ohme's solar mode works well enough for most solar panel owners who want to make use of excess generation without overthinking it. If your priority is "use solar when available, charge from the grid otherwise," the Ohme handles that fine. **Solar verdict:** The Zappi wins decisively for solar panel owners. The three-mode system gives you far more control over how solar energy is used, and Eco+ mode for 100% solar charging is something the Ohme simply can't offer. If solar diversion is your primary buying reason, the Zappi is the clear choice. ## Smart Tariff Integration — The Ohme's Strength Here's where the tables turn completely. ### Ohme Home Pro: Unmatched Tariff Optimisation The Ohme's killer feature is its deep integration with UK smart electricity tariffs. With Octopus Intelligent Go (6–8p/kWh off-peak), you tell the charger when you need the car ready and to what level. It communicates directly with Octopus's systems and schedules charging across the cheapest overnight slots — completely automatically. It also works with Octopus Agile (variable half-hourly pricing), Octopus Go, and E.ON Drive Anytime. The charger reads real-time prices and makes genuinely intelligent decisions about when to charge. On Intelligent Octopus Go, charging at 6–8p/kWh instead of the standard ~24p/kWh can save £300–£500 per year. That's real, tangible money that comes off your electricity bill automatically, every single month. ### Zappi: Basic Tariff Support The Zappi supports scheduled charging — you can set it to charge during your off-peak window (e.g., midnight to 6am). It works, and it's fine for simple dual-rate tariffs like Economy 7 or Octopus Go. But the Zappi doesn't talk to Octopus Intelligent Go's API, doesn't optimise for Agile's half-hourly variable pricing, and doesn't dynamically adjust charging based on real-time electricity costs. If your tariff has a fixed cheap window, the Zappi handles it adequately. If your tariff has variable pricing, the Ohme is in a different league. **Tariff verdict:** The Ohme Home Pro wins comprehensively for smart tariff users. If you're on Intelligent Octopus Go or Agile, the Ohme's automated optimisation is worth hundreds of pounds per year. ## The Best of Both Worlds — Can You Have Solar AND Smart Tariffs? This is the question that keeps EV forums up at night. And the honest answer is: it depends on your priorities. **If you have solar panels AND a smart tariff**, you ideally want a charger that can: 1. Charge from solar during the day (free) 2. Charge at the cheapest grid rate overnight (very cheap) The **Zappi** excels at point 1 but is basic on point 2. The **Ohme** excels at point 2 but is adequate on point 1. In practice, most solar panel owners with smart tariffs find the *tariff savings* are larger than the *solar savings* — simply because you drive more miles than your panels can charge during daylight hours, especially in a British winter. The Ohme's tariff integration generates more total savings for most households, even if the Zappi extracts more value from solar specifically. But if you have a large solar array (4kW+), work from home, and the car is parked during peak generation hours, the Zappi's Eco+ mode can deliver significant free mileage that the Ohme can't match. For a deeper dive into combining solar and EV charging, see our [solar panels and EV charging guide](/guides/ev-charger-solar-panels-uk/). ## App Quality ### Ohme App The Ohme app is excellent — one of the best in the EV charging space. Clean design, loads of useful data, and reliable: - Real-time charge status and power draw - Cost per session in pence (accurate with smart tariffs) - Smart schedule management with tariff awareness - Carbon intensity tracking - Historical usage trends Minor gripe: the app occasionally takes 30–60 seconds to update charge state when first opened. ### myenergi App The myenergi app is functional but shows its age. The UI is dated compared to the Ohme, and navigation isn't always intuitive. It does cover the essentials: - Real-time generation, import, and export data - Charge session history - Mode switching (Fast/Eco/Eco+) - Schedule management - Integration with Eddi and Libbi The myenergi Hub (optional accessory) is needed for full remote control and monitoring when away from home. Without it, you're limited to local Bluetooth/Wi-Fi control. **App verdict:** The Ohme app is significantly more polished and user-friendly. The myenergi app works but feels like it was designed by engineers rather than UX designers. For day-to-day use, the Ohme is more pleasant to interact with. ## Design and Build The **Zappi** is a larger, chunkier unit. It's got that industrial-functional look — it won't win design awards, but it's solidly built (IP65, fully waterproof) and made in the UK (Lincolnshire). The built-in LCD screen showing real-time generation and consumption data is a nice touch for solar enthusiasts who want a quick glance without opening an app. The **Ohme Home Pro** is more compact and modern-looking. It's not as weather-resistant (IP54 vs the Zappi's IP65), but it's perfectly adequate for UK conditions. The colour LED display is clean and attractive. **Design verdict:** The Ohme looks better; the Zappi is more robust. The Zappi's LCD screen showing live solar data is a genuine practical advantage for solar owners. Neither is ugly — they're just different philosophies. ## Price The Zappi typically costs around £949 including installation (from £779 for the unit alone). The Ohme Home Pro comes in at approximately £799 including installation. After the £350 OZEV grant, you're looking at roughly £599 for the Zappi versus £449 for the Ohme. That's a £150 premium for the Zappi — which is worth paying if solar diversion is your priority, given the Zappi's superior solar modes will save you more free solar energy over the charger's lifetime. If smart tariff savings matter more, the cheaper Ohme plus tariff optimisation delivers better total value. Both chargers are OZEV grant eligible (for renters, flat owners, and landlords). See our [OZEV grant guide](/guides/ev-charger-government-grant-uk/). ## Who Should Buy Which? ### Buy the myenergi Zappi if: - Solar panel maximisation is your top priority - You want Eco+ mode for 100% solar-only charging - You're building a myenergi ecosystem (Eddi, Libbi) - You want the most robust, weatherproof charger (IP65) - You like seeing live solar data on the charger's LCD screen - You value UK-made products - You're on a simple tariff (flat rate or Economy 7) where smart tariff integration isn't critical ### Buy the Ohme Home Pro if: - You're on Octopus Intelligent Go, Agile, or another smart tariff - Smart tariff savings matter more than solar maximisation - You want the best app experience - You have solar panels but also want automated off-peak grid charging - You want the lower total cost of ownership - You prefer a more compact, modern-looking charger ## Our Verdict **For dedicated solar maximisers:** The myenergi Zappi is the better charger. Eco+ mode for 100% solar charging, three distinct modes for different conditions, and seamless integration with the myenergi ecosystem make it the clear winner for anyone whose primary goal is maximising free solar energy. **For most UK EV owners with solar:** The Ohme Home Pro delivers better overall value. Its smart tariff integration saves more money in total for the majority of households — even those with solar panels — because tariff savings outweigh solar savings for most driving patterns and UK weather conditions. Its solar mode is adequate (not brilliant), and its app is significantly better. **The nuanced answer:** If you have a large solar array, work from home, and the car sits in the drive during peak solar hours, the Zappi's Eco+ mode gives you something genuinely valuable that the Ohme can't replicate. If you drive a lot, charge mainly overnight, and want the cheapest electricity regardless of source, the Ohme is the smarter choice. Both are excellent chargers. You won't regret either purchase.

Our Recommendation

myenergi Zappi — Best for solar panel owners who want maximum free charging.

Check Zappi Price →

Ohme Home Pro — Best overall value for smart tariff users with solar.

Check Ohme Home Pro Price →
--- ## Frequently Asked Questions ### Can the Ohme Home Pro charge 100% from solar like the Zappi? No. The Ohme's solar mode prioritises excess solar energy but will supplement from the grid when solar output drops. The Zappi's Eco+ mode can charge exclusively from solar with zero grid draw — pausing when solar is insufficient and resuming when it picks up. For true 100% solar charging, the Zappi is the only mainstream option. ### Is the Zappi compatible with Intelligent Octopus Go? The Zappi supports scheduled charging for off-peak windows, so you can set it to charge during Octopus Go's cheap-rate hours. However, it doesn't integrate with Octopus Intelligent Go's API the way the Ohme does — you won't get automatic, dynamic optimisation. You set a fixed schedule and it sticks to it. ### Can I use both solar and off-peak tariff charging with the Zappi? Yes — you can switch between modes manually or schedule them. For example, you could use Eco+ mode during the day for solar charging, then switch to Fast mode during your off-peak window for grid charging overnight. It's not automatic, but it's doable with some manual management. ### Which charger is better for a home battery system? The Zappi integrates natively with the myenergi Libbi home battery. If you're building a full myenergi ecosystem (solar panels, Zappi, Eddi hot water diverter, Libbi battery), everything works together through a single app. The Ohme doesn't have native home battery integration. ### Do I need a myenergi Hub for the Zappi? For local control via Bluetooth/Wi-Fi, no. But for full remote access, monitoring away from home, and app functionality, the myenergi Hub (purchased separately) is recommended. The Ohme's 4G connectivity handles remote access out of the box with no additional hardware. --- *See also: [Zappi v2 Review](/reviews/zappi-v2-review/) · [Ohme Home Pro Review](/reviews/ohme-home-pro-review/) · [Solar Panels & EV Charging Guide](/guides/ev-charger-solar-panels-uk/) · [Best Home EV Chargers UK 2026](/best-picks/best-home-ev-chargers-uk/)*

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