How to Choose a Home EV Charger

There are dozens of home EV chargers on the UK market. Most do a similar job. But the right choice depends on how you drive, how your home is wired, and what you want from charging day to day.

At Rrev, we're approved installers for five of the UK's best home chargers. We don't earn more from selling you one over another — so this guide is genuinely about helping you find the right fit, not the most expensive one.

Step one: do you need 7kW or more?

Almost every home EV charger in the UK runs at 7.4kW on a standard single-phase supply — and for the vast majority of drivers, this is more than enough. At 7kW, you add around 30 miles of range per hour of charging. Plug in overnight and you'll wake up to a full battery.

Some properties have a three-phase supply, which opens up 22kW charging. This can be useful for households with two EVs or very large batteries, but it's relatively rare in domestic settings. If you're not sure which you have, we'll check during the site survey.

Tethered or untethered?

This is the first real decision — and it comes down to convenience versus aesthetics.

Our take: for most single-car households who charge every day, tethered wins on pure convenience. Over 300-plus charges a year, the seconds add up. If aesthetics matter, you have two EVs, or you prefer a tidier wall, untethered is the smarter long-term choice.

Smart charging — and why it matters

All new home EV chargers sold in the UK are required to be "smart" under the EV Smart Charge Points Regulations 2021. In practice this means they can be scheduled, monitored, and controlled via an app — and crucially, they can integrate with smart energy tariffs.

Octopus Intelligent Go

If you're with Octopus Energy or considering switching, Intelligent Go is one of the most compelling reasons to care about which charger you buy. The tariff offers overnight charging at around 7p/kWh — compared to a standard rate of around 25p/kWh. Customers on Intelligent Go typically save over £700 per year compared to charging at the standard rate.

The key is that some chargers integrate directly with the Octopus app, allowing it to automatically schedule charging during the cheapest slots without you lifting a finger. Others require manual scheduling. If you're on Octopus or plan to be, it's worth checking direct compatibility before choosing your charger.

Solar integration

If you have solar panels or are planning to install them, some chargers can actively prioritise charging from surplus solar generation rather than drawing from the grid. The Zappi from MyEnergi is the standout choice here — its ECO and ECO+ modes will only charge the car using excess solar power, pausing automatically when generation drops. The Hypervolt Home Pro also offers solar charging modes with real-time usage tracking.

Load balancing

If your home's main fuse is 60A or 80A, a load balancing charger can monitor your household consumption in real time and automatically reduce the charger's output to avoid overloading the supply. This can sometimes remove the need for a main fuse upgrade. The Hypervolt Home Pro and Sync Energy Wall Charger 2 both include dynamic load balancing as standard.

Choosing a charger — our five recommended models

These are the chargers we install. We've chosen them because they're well-built, well-supported, and suited to different needs — not because of margin.

Practical things to check before you decide

Cable length — measure before you order

If you're going tethered, measure the distance from where the charger will be mounted to your car's charging port — then add a metre or two for slack. Charging port position varies significantly between vehicles. Most standard cables are 5m or 7.5m; the Hypervolt Home Pro offers an optional 10m cable if you need the reach.

Wi-Fi signal at the charger location

Most smart chargers need a reliable Wi-Fi connection to function properly. Check your signal at the planned installation point — garages and outbuildings are often weak spots. Some chargers (including the Sync Energy Wall Charger 2) include 4G as a backup, which eliminates this concern entirely.

Conservation areas and listed buildings

For most homeowners with off-street parking, planning permission is not required for an EV charger installation. However, if your property is in a conservation area, is listed, or is leasehold, there may be additional requirements. We'll flag this during the site survey if it applies to you.

The Rrev approach

We carry out a free site survey before every installation. We'll look at your parking setup, your electrical supply, your energy tariff, and what you actually need from a charger day to day — then recommend the right model for your property, not the most expensive one.

We're approved installers for all five chargers listed above. Whichever you choose, the installation is carried out to the same standard — neat containment, proper certification, and a charger that works first time.