Choosing a Home EV Charger: Hypervolt, Zappi, Ohme or Andersen?

The best home EV charger depends on how you use your car: Zappi suits homes with solar panels, Ohme suits drivers on smart overnight tariffs, Hypervolt is a compact all-rounder and Andersen is chosen for its design. HB Electrical Bristol supplies and installs home EV chargers from £1,299 + VAT, depending on the charger and cable route, with a 5-year warranty on the installation.

Choosing a home EV charger can feel harder than choosing the car. There are plenty of brands, lots of apps and a fair amount of marketing. The good news is that the reputable chargers all do the core job well. The right choice comes down to how you use your car, how you pay for your electricity and how you want the finished installation to look on your home.

What Actually Matters When Choosing

Before comparing brands, it helps to be clear about what you need. These are the questions we ask every customer.

• Do you have solar panels, or plan to? Some chargers are built around using your own solar generation. If you do not have solar, that feature adds little.
• Are you on, or considering, an EV tariff? Many energy suppliers offer cheaper overnight rates for EV drivers. A charger that schedules around your tariff can make a real difference to running costs.
• How important is the look? The charger sits on the front or side of your home for years. Some people want it discreet, others want something that complements the house.
• How many cars, and who uses them? Households with two EVs, or with visitors who charge, may want a different setup from a single-car home.
• Where will it go? The position of your meter, consumer unit and parking space often shapes the installation more than the charger itself.

New home chargers sold in the UK must include smart functionality, so every model we recommend can be scheduled and controlled from an app. The differences are in how they go about it.

Hypervolt, Zappi, Ohme and Andersen

We work with reputable, tried-and-trusted brands. Here is how the four we are asked about most tend to differ, in general terms.

• Hypervolt: known for a compact, modern design and straightforward app control. A good all-rounder for homeowners who want a neat unit that does not dominate the wall.
• Zappi (myenergi): best known for its solar-diversion modes, which can send surplus solar generation into your car rather than exporting it to the grid. A natural choice if you have solar panels or plan to add them.
• Ohme: focused on tariff-aware smart charging, working with your energy tariff to charge the car when electricity is cheapest. Popular with drivers who mainly charge overnight.
• Andersen: a design-led charger for those who like the finer things. Chosen when the appearance of the charger on the house matters as much as the technology inside it.

We also install Rolec and other quality brands. If you have already chosen a charger, we are happy to fit it. If not, we will talk through how you use your car and recommend the option that suits you best, without pushing a particular brand.

Tethered or Untethered

Most chargers come in two versions, and it is worth deciding before you order.

• Tethered: the charging cable is permanently attached to the unit. You simply unhook it and plug in. Convenient for everyday use, especially if you charge every night.
• Untethered: the unit has a socket and you use your own cable. It gives a cleaner look on the wall and suits households with different vehicles, but you need to keep a cable to hand.

Neither is better in every case. Tethered is the more popular choice for daily convenience, while untethered appeals to people who prioritise a tidy appearance or have more than one type of car.

What Installation Costs

Supplied and installed, home EV chargers start from £1,299 + VAT. Zappi, Hypervolt and Ohme Pro are from £1,299 + VAT, Simpson & Partners from £1,399 + VAT and Andersen from £1,599 + VAT. The price depends mainly on two things: the charger you choose, and how far and how neatly the cable needs to travel from your consumer unit to the charger position.

• Closest to the starting price: a charger mounted next to the meter or consumer unit, with a short, simple cable route.
• Adds to the price: longer cable runs, concealed routes, premium chargers, or work needed on your consumer unit before the charger can be connected.

Sometimes the easiest cable route is not the best cable route. We are happy to spend extra time finding a cleaner, neater and more professional finish, with cables clipped straight or concealed where possible. Every installation includes the correct electrical protection, full testing and commissioning, and a handover so you know how to use the charger and its app. Every EV charger we install is backed by our 5-year full warranty cover on the installation.

Do You Need a Survey?

Not always. If the charger is going right next to your electric meter, or on the other side of the wall from your fuse board, a couple of photos of those areas are usually enough for us to give you a fixed quote.

If the route is more complex, for example across a driveway, through several rooms or to a detached garage, we will visit the property and draw up options. That way you can choose the installation that works best electrically and looks right on your home. On a survey we look at:

• The best position for the charger, relative to where you park
• The neatest and least intrusive cable route
• How cables will be concealed or clipped
• Your existing electrical installation and available capacity
• Correct electrical protection for the new circuit
• How the finished installation will actually look on your property

If your consumer unit needs altering or upgrading first, we can include that in the same quote. You can read more about how we work on our EV charger installation page, or see examples of our EV charger installations around Bristol.

Frequently Asked Questions