Best home EV chargers on sale in 2025 - tested, reviewed and rated
With so many to choose from, picking a home charger for your electric vehicle can be tricky, so we tapped into thousands of users’ experiences to find the best (and worst)...
Around 300,000 electric vehicle (EVs) home chargers for were installed in the UK last year, taking the total number to more than 700,000, according to charging network data provider Zap-Map. And the home charger market is set to expand exponentially over the coming years as EV sales increase and new petrol and diesel cars are phased out. be using the charger a couple of times a week at least, you’ll want it to be easy to live with and simple to operate.
The number of home chargers for electric vehicles (EVs) in the UK passed the one million mark at the end of 2024, according to data provider ZapMap.
That might sound like a lot, but when you consider that there are 28.6 million homes in the UK and two-thirds of them (19 million) have driveways that would allow their owners to have an EV charger fitted, there’s still plenty of scope for expansion in the sector. Indeed, it’s estimated that around 300,000 new units are likely to be added each year. And that means choosing a home charger will currently be on the minds of many.
Some brands might already ring a bell, including Andersen, Hive and Pod (which recently changed its name from Pod Point). But many of the other names out there will probably be unfamiliar to those new to EVs.
This makes it hard to know if you’re dealing with a dependable supplier, and to gauge the customer service that a brand will provide if you have any issues with the unit or software. How quickly will it be able to help, and will it cover the cost of any repairs?
Making the right choice is important because buying a home EV charger can be expensive. While some chargers are provided for free when you buy a new EV, most users have to make a considerable investment.
To help EV owners make more informed choices when buying a home charger, we surveyed 6231 users on everything from the ease of initially ordering their charger to the quality of the ongoing customer support. Our readers’ insights have enabled us to assess what it’s like to live with units from 11 popular home charger suppliers, to highlight the best and to show which brands to avoid.
Best home EV chargers 2025
1. Hypervolt
Rating 5 stars
An exceptionally low fault rate and a high level of satisfaction over the way issues were dealt with propel Hypervolt into first place. Only 14% of users surveyed reported any glitches, and those were all resolved by the company at no cost to customers.
It was also quick to respond when things went wrong; 39% of faults were fixed within 24 hours and a further 46% in less than a week. Only 8% were out of action for more than 30 days. The UK-based company has offered home chargers since 2021 and provides a three-year warranty as standard, upgradable to five years at extra cost. It supplies wallboxes with or without installation, enabling buyers to choose their own electrician if they wish.
Hypervolt customers paid £500-£1000 for their wallboxes and £500 for installation, making the brand around average for costs.
What Car? review Hypervolt Home 3 Pro
Tester Lawrence Cheung
Price £1239 (fitted) hypervolt.co.uk
“I’ve had my Hypervolt Home 3 Pro charger since July 2024 and it’s been very easy to live with. I’ve used it on a variety of cars, from the pure electric MG Cyberster to the plug-in hybrid Toyota Prius, and it has reliably charged them up with no problems at all.
"The unit is quite far away from my wi-fi router, and it initially had trouble linking with it when I tried using the app. However, I’ve tried a couple of different plug-in wi-fi extenders to help out and, while it’s still not seamless, I’ve found one made by TP-Link that has noticeably improved matters.
"Meanwhile, the app had a big update this year. As before, its home page allows you to choose the grid or – if you have them – solar panels (or a mixture of both) to charge the car. Now, though, the graphics have been tidied up for a neat display of live data on which energy source is being used.
"You can lock the charger, check the charging speed and the cost of electricity, or set a schedule via the app, plus a new feature caters for a home battery system, enabling you to set the charger to draw power from it only when you want, such as when it’s cheaper than using the grid. ”
=2. Andersen
Rating 4 stars
Andersen is the only UK charger company with its own in-house installation team, and it does an excellent job, impressing 99% of survey respondents.
Every customer gets a named contact to help with initial questions and for ongoing support, helping Andersen to keep 84% of respondents happy with the way faults were dealt with – the highest of the 11 brands in our survey. The fault rate is fairly high, though, at 28%. And while the company covered the cost of most repairs (87%), those who did have to contribute paid up to £250. In addition, 11% of respondents who suffered a fault said it was still to be resolved.
Andersen upped its warranty to an industry-leading seven years in 2024, and while its wallboxes were pricier than others, it recently introduced a more affordable model and fixed-price standard fitting.
What Car? review Andersen Quartz
Tester Alex Wolstenholme
Price from £1095 (fitted)
"The Quartz might be the cheapest charger Andersen offers, but so far I’ve had no problems with it since having it installed earlier this year. The installation process was quick and easy, with only one prior home visit required, and both the surveyor and fitter were friendly and helpful and happy to answer any questions.
"I appreciate the compact size and sleek design of the charger, and the fact that it is designed and built in the UK. It certainly looks like £695 well spent. I opted for the 7kW version, but there’s also a 22kW option for those households that have a three-phase electricity supply. So far, I have experienced no problems with hooking it up to any of the vehicles I’ve tried.
"The app works well, giving you all the key information (such as charging speed, electricity used, and cost) as well as the ability to lock the charger. If there was one downside, it would be that this information is only accessible via the app; on the actual charger, there is nothing displayed except a light to tell you when electrons are flowing. It’s worth saying that the Quartz Vision does offer that for an extra £100, though."
What Car? review Andersen A3
Tester Claire Evans
Price Charger £995, premium wood front £200, fitting £395 andersen-ev.com
“I've had my A3 charger for more than a year now, and not had any problems with it. I drive a lot of different electric cars, and one or two have failed to charge overnight when I've scheduled charging to start when my cheap electricity rate kicks in.
"However, a quick email chat with my concierge confirmed that this was because the cars had effectively 'gone to sleep' and didn't wake up when the charger wanted them to. The issue was resolved by also programming the cars to start charging at the same time as the charger.
"I really like the fact that the A3 is made from sustainable materials, and that I could order it with a Cotswold Oak Accoya front panel and cream casing so it matches the style of my 120-year-old cottage. The wooden front and metal casing are both looking great still and haven't been affected by the harsh weather we can get where I live.
“I appreciate having the ability to wrap the charging cable away inside the unit, so it looks neat and tidy and isn't seen by anyone visiting the house. It's also useful to have a light inside the lid of the wallbox to make it easier to use in the dark.
“I used the phone app initially to set up my preferred charging schedules, but now that is done I only need to plug in a car and leave the charger to it."
=2. Wallbox
Rating 4 stars
Wallbox was founded in 2015 and sells home chargers in 117 countries. Customers told us they were extremely happy with both the installation of their units (it earned a 96% approval rating here), and the fact that Wallbox dealt with all problems, leaving no one with a defective charger.
Most of the charging systems we were told about worked faultlessly, and only 13% of them had any issues. Of these, 80% were fixed at no charge to the customers, and the rest cost £100 or less to put right.
However, getting things put right could be a protracted process. Only 20% of faults were fixed within 24 hours, 20% took up to a week and the rest took up to 30 days to rectify.
Wallbox provides a three-year warranty, and pricing is around average, with most of our respondents saying they’d paid £1000- £1500 for the box and installation.
What Car? review Wallbox Pulsar Max
Tester Doug Revolta
Price £1245 (fitted) wallbox.com
“I’ve had my Wallbox home charger for just over a year and it hasn’t missed a beat so far. It’s always been effective and simple to use, charging various EVs with ease.
"Due to limitations at my house, the unit’s location is too far from my wi-fi router to allow it to connect, preventing me from being able to control it (and access its charging history) through the myWallbox app.
"As things are, I need to be standing next to the charger and use my smartphone’s wi-fi in order to access those functions through the app, and also to deliver any over-the-air updates to the charger.
"This means my phone has to be left next to the charger while updates take place. Fortunately, there haven’t been many updates and they’ve never taken more than a few minutes each. These limitations at my house also made installation of the charger more complicated.
"While my not being able to use the smart features hasn’t prevented me from being able to use the charger, I would recommend that you investigate the suitability of your wi-fi set-up before deciding on an installation if your charger is likely to be far from the router."
4. Ohme
Rating 4 stars
Ohme was established in 2017 and is the official charger provider for a number of car brands and for the Motability scheme.
Many respondents (96%) said installation was quick and easy, and Ohme has the joint lowest (alongside Wallbox) proportion of reported faults at 13%, so users find its units mostly reliable.
However, Ohme doesn’t make it to the top of our rankings because 27% of those who reported issues said problems with their systems had not been fixed. Better news is that 35% of problems were sorted out in a day or less and a further 24% in less than a week. What’s more, 98% of repairs performed were free, and no one had to pay more than £50.
Many of the chargers are fitted for free, and paid-for units mostly cost up to £1000 fitted. The warranty period is three years.
What Car? review Ohme ePod
Tester George Hill
Price from £949 (fitted)
"The installation process for the charger was straightforward, starting with filling out a couple of surveys on the Ohme website and selecting the location for the charger.
"I wanted it mounted on a post beside my garage, but this would have required £842 of groundworks, so I opted to mount it on a supporting column of the garage instead.
"I chose the ePod for its compact, discreet design; you can barely see it on the wall. After installation, I set up an account on the Ohme app, which is really intuitive, showing key information, such as costs and charging speeds.When I’m using it to charge my Skoda Elroq, I can precondition the car and set charge limits.
"Charging is easy; I can either just plug the car in and it starts immediately, or I can schedule it via the app. The ePod has dynamic charging, which means it syncs with my energy provider to charge when electricity is cheapest.This makes it far more economical than using public chargers.
"The wallbox has three touch-sensitive buttons that you can press to start, pause and stop charging, but, thanks to the app, I haven’t had any need to use them."
What Car? review Ohme Home Pro T2
Tester Mark Pearson
Price £999 (fitted) ohme-ev.com
“I’ve had my Ohme Home Pro T2 charger since September 2022. Elecology did the original installation, that firm being Ohme’s approved fitter in my area. Elecology initially surveyed where the charger would be placed, utilising photographs I sent of my incoming electricity supply, electricity meter location and the area where I wanted the charger placed – on the wall just in front of my garage. The installation process took four hours.
“So far, my Ohme has been utterly reliable. I’ve used it on a variety of EVs, from a Fiat 500e to a Volkswagen ID Buzz, and it’s proved remarkably consistent in its performance. Hooking up any of these cars is easy, because the wallbox comes with an integrated five-metre cable, which can be looped around a handy wall-mounted cradle when not in use.
“There’s also a large and intuitive panel on the wallbox that is very easy to use, as is the accompanying phone app, through which you can start and monitor the charging process. I use the app nearly all the time for my charging.
“It’s a 7kW charger, and it takes about eight hours to fully charge the 54kWh battery in my current Peugeot e-308 SW from close to zero.”
=5. Easee
Rating 3 stars
Norwegian company Easee has been around since 2018. In the UK, it offers just one 7.4kW home charger, the Easee One, as well as two 22kW options (these require a three-phase power supply, which few UK homes can support).
Easee was our top-rated home charger company in 2024, but it’s taken a bit of a tumble this year. Most customers (96%) rated the installation process highly, citing the installers as top notch and professional. However, the brand’s aftersales service is rated as poor; 37% of our survey respondents told us that the problems with their chargers hadn’t been addressed. Only 15% of the units we were told about had any issues, though, with a common complaint being that the units consistently charged at below the expected 7.4kW rate.
While 87% of the issues were sorted out for free and the rest cost £50 or less to put right, remedial work was slower than average in some instances. Only 13% of problems were fixed within 24 hours, 38% took up to a week and 13% up to a month.
Some Easee home chargers were supplied and fitted for free, but most cost between £500 and £1000 for the wallbox and an average of £500 for fitting. The brand’s chargers come with a three-year warranty.
"The Easee One is intelligently designed and simple to use. The wallbox is compact and the plug inserts at a 45-degree angle so the cable doesn’t stick out too far from the wall, and it will drain quickly if rainwater gets into the socket.
“The charging lead can either be locked into the charger so it’s always ready to be used, or you can unlock it via the app and tuck it away in a garage or in the boot of your car.
“Starting the charging process is just a matter of connecting the cable to the car and clicking ‘start’ in the app; a bar on the wallbox lights up to let you know it’s charging. There are no controls on the unit, but the phone app is very easy to understand and operate. It also enables me to view data about previous top-ups and get invoices for charging. And it’s reassuring that the unit can receive over-the-air updates, so it shouldn’t become obsolete.
“There’s a handy plug release button on the wallbox that you can press to unplug the cable if it doesn’t unlock automatically.
“My charger has worked faultlessly since it was installed a year ago. It builds up to 7kW quickly and its performance hasn’t deteriorated over time.”
=5. Myenergi
Rating 3 stars
While Myenergi fared well in some areas of our survey, it isn’t always good at looking after customers with faulty chargers.
Of the users who spoke to us, 27% said their complaints remained unresolved. The most common concern was wallboxes that developed faults and needed to be replaced; this issue was cited by nearly 50% of the survey respondents who said they’d had a problem. There were also software issues and problems with the brand’s app.
Where the company did fix problems, it did so for free in 96% of instances, but a small proportion of customers had to pay £500 or more to get their chargers fixed.
Thankfully, repairs were carried out reasonably swiftly, with 18% of problems sorted out in 24 hours, a third taking up to a week to resolve, and most of the remaining issues rectified in less than a month.
Myenergi’s overall fault rate of 20% is average, and 93% of its customers were happy with the installation process. Prices, too, are around average, with customers paying between £500 to £1000 for the wallbox and £500 for installation.
The standard warranty runs for three years, and this can be extended to five years for an additional charge.
=5. Pod
Rating 3 stars
One of the UK’s largest EV charger providers, Pod (previously called Pod Point) was founded in 2009 and has installed more than 250,000 devices since.
Among our survey respondents, 90% were happy with installation, but while only 17% of the units went wrong, owners told us Pod wasn’t able to fix 29% of them, leaving those inoperable all or part of the time. Problems included issues with the charging app, internet connectivity, software and wallbox.
Pod took care of the costs for 95% of the units it fixed, but the remaining 5% cost users between £100 and £500 to put right. Help was provided quickly for most users; 29% of faults were sorted out within 24 hours and a further 24% in less than a week.
Value is strong, too; not only are Pod chargers competitively priced, the brand is also unique in offering a subscription for its chargers, which allows customers to pay a monthly fee rather than an upfront lump sum to buy their charger. The brand provides a five-year warranty for its units.
“My home charging solution for EVs isn’t ideal; the only place to install a device is in my detached garage, whose puny electricity supply allows only 3kW charging. However, given that I don’t cover huge miles and don’t have to top my car up all that often, this set-up is usually perfectly adequate.
I’ve had the Pod Point Solo 3S for just over a year. It has a tethered cable and cost £1049 fitted (£50 more than the untethered version). It’s capable of receiving power from solar panels (which I don’t have) and can be scheduled to run at specific times. However, I’ve got it set to manual mode, because I don’t have a low-rate overnight energy tariff and prefer to start the charging process straight away.
I’ve had to reset the Solo 3S a couple of times when charging hasn’t started, but I don’t believe that’s the device’s fault. Other than that, the charger has worked a treat on all the EVs I’ve topped up at home.
I don’t use the charger’s wall-mounted holster (for holding the plug off the ground) in the garage; it’s tidier to loop the cable around the charger when it’s disconnected from the car.”
8. Indra
Rating 3 stars
Indra home charger users reported the highest proportion of problems (65%) of all 11 brands we’re reporting on. However, the company sorted out 89% of the problems at no cost to customers. Most issues related to the wallbox, but there were also some complaints about the charging app.
Assistance was pretty swift in the instances where Indra stepped in and helped. It sorted out 17% of glitches in 24 hours and a further 39% in a week or less, but 22% of issues took more than a month to get fixed. Customers were also pretty happy with the installation process; the brand kept 90% happy here.
Indra’s latest chargers come with a five-year warranty, but some older models have three years’ cover. While some chargers were supplied and installed for free as part of a new car package, most cost up to £1500 in total for the box and fitting.
What Car? review Indra Smart Pro
Tester Chris Haining
Price £949 (fitted, white) indra.co.uk
“It’s a case of second time lucky with my Indra Smart Pro, a unit that’s still on sale for the same price as it cost two years ago. When mine was initially fitted, the smart features were unreliable, but Indra replaced the unit for free. The new one has tripped out a few times, but the smart features all work.
The connection between it and my phone has been rock solid, enabling me to schedule overnight charging. Alternatively, I can plug the car in when I get home from work and hit the boost button icon on the Indra app. I haven’t yet found a car that won’t communicate with it. There’s also a large boost button on the wallbox that gives a visual and audible signal when activated, and a multi-coloured status indicator light on the box.
The Smart Pro is solar-ready, so if I fit panels to my roof, I’ll be able to set the charger to draw its power from those, rather than from the mains. While it’s not the most attractive charger, I’m pleased that I opted for an untethered unit; I’d rather connect the cable when I need it than leave it dangling untidily the whole time. The unit feels solidly built and as if it will last a long while, too.”
=9. Hive
Rating 3 stars
Part of the British Gas group, Hive made its name with app-controlled central heating and has expanded into home charging.
Although 85% of our correspondents were happy with installation, Hive’s chargers suffer a high fault rate, with 40% of owners reporting an issue. This is compounded by a low fix rate; 31% of faulty units weren’t put right, and 4% of users said issues that were found during installation weren’t rectified.
Only 15% of the faults reported were rectified within a day; a further 15% took up to a week, and nearly two-thirds of owners were left unable to charge for between a week and a month. The only saving grace is that all the work on the 59% of units that were fixed was done without charge.
Hive provides three years of warranty, and the cost, including installation, is around average, at up to £1500 all in.
What Car? review Hive EO Mini Pro 3
Tester Stuart Milne
Price £1239 (fitted) hivehome.com
"Hive supplied my EO Mini Pro 3 in May 2025. The installation process was very easy, not least because it was replacing an existing Hive charger. Arrangements were initially made online, and subsequently via a very helpful, UK-based call centre.
"Communication was first-rate throughout, and the charger was fitted quickly and tidily by installers from British Gas, who took time to show me how it operates. It’s worth noting that since then, a third party (ChargedEV) has taken over the fitting of Hive chargers.
"The tiny EO Mini Pro starts charging almost instantly, unlike my previous Alfen, which chuntered away for a few moments. There’s a light to show if it’s charging, and you can deactivate the unit to prevent anyone from stealing electricity. So far, it’s charged a number of EVs and plug-in hybrids faultlessly.
"It has built-in load balancing to avoid overloading my electricity supply, and it’s compatible with solar panels. I can monitor, schedule, commence and end charging via the same Hive app that operates my smart heating and lighting, although non-Hive customers can operate their Mini Pro 3 via EO’s own app.”
=9. Rolec
Rating 3 stars
UK-based company, Rolec, has specialised in outdoor electrical equipment for 35 years and its home EV chargers were among the first when launched in 2007.
Although Rolec does well on installation, keeping 91% happy, its overall rating is dragged down by a fairly high fault rate and some reports of poor aftersales service.
We were told that 26% of set-ups had a defect, mostly relating to the wallbox, and that a third of them weren’t fixed by the company. Only half of the remedial work carried out was free, leaving 38% of owners with bills of up to £250 and 12% paying more than £500 to fix their chargers. Remedial work was slow in many instances, too. Only 20% of fixes were performed within 24 hours and 60% of owners had to wait up to a week.
Rolec’s latest trio of home chargers all come with a three-year warranty.
What Car? review Rolec Zura
Tester Oliver Young
Price £1249 (fitted) rolecserv.com
"I’ve had my Rolec Zura since May 2023 and I haven’t had anything to complain about recently. I can come home, plug a car in and (without fail) a notification pops up on my phone, telling me that the charger’s companion app, called Monta, has scheduled an overnight charge. It’s a quick, easy process and handy for days when it’s pouring with rain and my first thought is to sprint indoors after arriving home.
'Although I don’t need to open the app to start charging, I tend to do so anyway just to check everything is working properly.There were a few premature stops in charging a while ago (some caused by a loose connection, others unexplained), so I check the app to ensure I catch any issues early.
"A light on the wallbox changes colour to visually confirm that the car is charging, but I’ve never paid much attention to it because it’s easier to rely on the app, which sends me a notification if a charging session stops for any reason.The app also tracks the charging speed and cost and tells you when charging should be complete.
"The Zura is still on sale and is one of the three Rolec chargers available."
11. EO Charging
Rating 2 stars
This UK-based company specialises in fleet charging solutions. It also manufactures and supplies home EV chargers for various providers, as well as marketing them itself.
A respectable 94% of users were happy with the installation process, but 38% of their chargers went wrong and EO Charging has been poor at rectifying faults. Indeed, two-thirds (61%) of them have yet to be fixed at all, although the rest were fixed for free – in 24 hours or less in 23% of cases.
Faults reported included problems with the wallbox and its internet connectivity, as well as with the charging app. Some owners were also angry about EO Charging’s decision to drop app support for its older Mini Pro 2 charger. As a result, users will lose all smart features, including the ability to schedule a charge in line with cheap off- peak energy tariffs.
After complaining, one customer was offered a £200 goodwill payment, later upped to £400 on the condition that they sign an agreement to say nothing negative about the company online in the future, and to remove previous disparaging remarks. Having to install a replacement smart charger sooner than expected would leave the customer seriously out of pocket.
EO Charging’s units come with a three-year warranty and are priced at around £500 to buy, plus a similar amount to install.
Home EV charger ratings in detail
| Rank | Company | Installation | Reliability | Fault repairs | Overall rating |
| 1 | Hypervolt | 5 | 4 | 5 | 5 |
| =2 | Andersen | 5 | 3 | 5 | 4 |
| =2 | Wallbox | 5 | 5 | 3 | 4 |
| 4 | Ohme | 5 | 5 | 3 | 4 |
| =5 | Easee | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 |
| =5 | Myenergi | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| =5 | Pod | 4 | 4 | 2 | 3 |
| 8 | Indra | 4 | 1 | 3 | 3 |
| =9 | Hive | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| =9 | Rolec | 4 | 3 | 2 | 3 |
| 11 | EO Charging | 4 | 2 | 1 | 2 |
Other home EV brands tested
Cord
What Car? review Cord EV Zero
Tester Steve Wilbur
Price from £949 fitted, cord-ev.com
"Ordering my Cord charger was simple via a web form. The unit arrived the following day and it was installed a week later. Despite a tricky cable route, the installation went smoothly and I was helped to set up the app on my phone.The tethered cable can be wrapped around the unit when not in use and a holster is provided for the plug, although – because it causes the plug to stick out a long way – I find it easier to leave the capped plug on top of the wallbox.
"I was asked to use a pre-production app that Cord was developing. It didn’t include every feature that the final app will have, but I was able to set it up to work with my Scottish Power tariff, which gives me a lower unit cost during periods at night and over the weekend. The app also allows schedules to be created for daily charging times.
"Once the app is set up, you need only choose whether you want to schedule a charge or begin charging immediately, and an Insights tab shows your charging history. Over the first six months of use, the charger and app have proved straightforward to use, although there have been a few teething issues, such as might be expected with an unfinished app. Cord and its software people have been very responsive in dealing with these issues, though, and the user interface has been improved during my time with the charger."
What Car? review Cord One
Tester Matt Saunders
Price £999 fitted, £575 charger only cord-ev.com
“I chose the Cord One to replace a 10-year-old, 3.7kW Polar wallbox. It has a long, seven-metre tethered cable, and it looks quite neat.
“Installation was a little complicated. After the survey, Cord’s fitting agent, PlugMeIn, insisted I remove the old charger myself and part-disassemble the wooden cabinet containing the household electrical consumer unit to enable better access. The old charger had an isolator switch, so I was happy enough to oblige, but I was surprised that it wasn’t part of the service.
“That apart, the installation job was first rate. PlugMeln fitted all the necessary electrical gubbins into a tight space so as not to leave any remedial work for me, and both Cord and PlugMeIn were proactive with customer service follow-up calls.
“The charger is operated via an app called Monta Charge. Because it’s not set by default simply to charge immediately and continually, it almost caught me out with a half-flat car on its first use, but that could be changed easily enough.
“I especially like the option to group your friends, family and neighbours into ‘teams’ who can use your charger, at a price per kWh that you can set yourself.”
Simpson and Partners
What Car? review Simpson and Partners Home Series Gen V3
Tester Ben Summerell-Youde
Price £175 to upgrade from Home Plus, simpson-partners.com
“I was pleasantly surprised earlier this year when I was offered an upgrade to my Home Plus charger by Simpson and Partners. Like all existing Home Plus owners who bought their chargers from June 2022, I could pay £175 to switch to a Home Series Gen 3, which has vehicle-to-grid capability and can be upgraded in the future rather than having to be thrown away and replaced like some other brands. This means I can future-proof my home and my EV charger.
"Getting the unit upgraded was super easy, and I got an attractive new box with a medium bronze front and charcoal lid, which looks really classy. There are 132 different colours to choose from so you can pick a combination that suits your property.
"Aside from this change, using the charger is just as easy as before. It's controlled via the Simpson app, which is user-friendly and has worked faultlessly. It already contains my preferred charging criteria, including the scheduled charging times to make the most of my cheap overnight electricity tariff, so all I need to do is plug my car in and charging starts and finishes at the allotted times.
“I’ve had no issues with wi-fi connectivity, because the app and charger don’t need wi-fi to talk to each other.”
"The MX7 has a sleek black design with a glossy plate at the top and a blue ‘online’ mode light breaking things up. It’s one of the more attractive units I’ve seen.
"The installation process went well until the Humax technician had trouble linking the charger and the app. This was resolved by a second technician, who completed the process with a different version of the app. I’m told that I was among the first users of this model of wallbox and app, and it seems likely such issues will diminish once they’re in more widespread use.
"The app is brilliant. It’s easy to use and has loads of features, plus adding a car to it is much easier than with my previous charger. It doesn’t yet link to my Octopus energy account, but the scheduling function allows me to plan around my cheaper overnight charging rate.
"After programming in my tariff’s unit rate, the Humax MX7 tells me how much each charge has cost. For when you don’t want to control charging with the app, you can scan one of the two supplied RFID cards to start or finish a charge. Overall, I am very happy with the charger. Simple to use, good-looking and feature-packed, it ticks all the boxes for me."
What Car? review Humax 7.4kW Smart Home Charger
Tester Dan Jones
Price £599 (currently reduced to £538), plus £400 for installation humaxcharging.com
“The big selling point of Humax’s home charger is that it gives you plenty of versatility. Not only does it allow you to switch it on and off through the easy-to-use mobile app, but you also get RFID cards and a smart scheduling option; time will tell how effective all of these features are.
“Simple design is another plus, with the small form factor keeping it snug against the wall and not encroaching on my already tight garage access. Indeed, my only issue so far has been a fairly long period of installation, although that isn’t really Humax’s fault. Instead, it seems that the third party they were using to install my isolator was the problem, not showing up to an appointment on one occasion, getting the date wrong on another and continually trying to book installation on days when I’d said I wouldn’t be free. Humax itself has been very efficient and incredibly helpful, and it did a really tidy job of installing the charger.”
Tesla
What Car? review Tesla Wall Connector
Tester Will Nightingale
Price £475 (plus fitting) tesla.com
"Tesla has been making home charging units for more than a decade and mine is its third-generation model. It’s compatible with single and three-phase power for charging speeds of up to 22kW, and is offered exclusively in ‘tethered’ form, with its own 7.3-metre cable permanently attached.
"This is both good and bad. The good part is you don’t have to worry about unravelling your EV’s Type 2 cable every time you want to charge, and packing it away again afterwards. The drawback is you have to wind the charger’s own cable around the device when you’re done, which is a faff and doesn’t look very elegant.
"You don’t have to own a Tesla to use a Wall Connector; you can charge any modern EV and – via the Tesla smartphone app – view current charging speeds and information about previous charges. You can also schedule charging to dovetail with cheaper overnight tariffs, plus you can remotely restrict who can plug in.
"Tesla drivers, though, benefit from a small button on the cable to open their car’s charging port flap rather than having to use the touchscreen – a minor but handy feature. And if you don’t like the white colour scheme, you can swap the faceplate for one colour-matched to your Tesla for an extra £95. Either way, your Wall Connector will get over-the-air firmware updates via your home’s wi-fi."
WaVE
What Car? review WaEV EV1i untethered
Tester Rachael Prasher
Price from £539 (fitted) waevcharge.co.uk
"The WaEV EV1i booking and installation process was exceptionally smooth, thanks to excellent communication from both WaEV HQ and the installation team.
"Although the installation location initially seemed straightforward, unexpected complications arose. However, the team skilfully devised a solution to route the surprisingly thick cabling from the fusebox to the charger without damaging my wooden flooring. They also routed the cable to avoid an awkward Victorian stone step, ensuring the final result looked good.
"The charger is offered with a 5.0m cable attached, or ‘untethered’ (without a cable) leaving the user to use their own charging lead. I opted for the latter option so as to avoid having a cable on show even when not charging.
"The wallbox is black and fairly compact, with an indicator on the front to show when it’s charging. I’m very pleased with the unit’s smart appearance and think it looks attractive at the front of my house.
"The unit has Bluetooth and wi-fi connectivity, and its well-designed app allows for smart, cost-effective charging and integration with solar panels. It’s reassuring, too, to know that it comes with a three-year warranty."
What Car? verdict
“If you’re thinking of going electric and investing in a home EV charger, don’t be tempted to simply opt for the cheapest or most readily available option. The quality of the system and its supplier’s record for identifying and rectifying any faults are far more important considerations," says Claire Evans, consumer editor with What Car?.
“Our survey findings have revealed a gulf between the best and worst levels of care that customers have experienced.
“The top providers (Hypervolt, Andersen and Wallbox) sorted out all – or almost all – of the problems their customers encountered, ensuring very few were left long term with broken or underperforming wallboxes. In contrast, the worst brand, EO, left 61% of its customers out in the cold.
“With the cost of buying and fitting a wallbox averaging £1500, it’s important that faulty units are replaced – for free if they are still under warranty.
“It’s also vital that customers aren’t left frustrated by slow or poor care. The best two brands dealt with the vast majority of queries in less than a week, many within 24 hours, while the poorest performers took a week or more to put things right.”
How we rated the home EV chargers
Users rated their satisfaction with the installation and fault repair of their chargers, including costs (if they had to pay), and how long they took.
The highest ratings were awarded to brands that provided quick, high-quality fitting and fixed any issues within 24 hours for free. Poor installation jobs, failure to act quickly in the event of a fault, and hefty fees for repairs mean low scores.
We also had wallboxes from popular brands installed at the homes of several editorial staff so we could monitor the standard of fitting, build quality and customer care on an ongoing basis.
We don’t have reviews for all the brands rated in our survey, but we’ve included those we have alongside the survey findings. We’ve also reviewed several chargers that didn’t feature in the survey.
About the report author
Claire Evans has been a motoring journalist for more than 30 years, and has focussed on consumer issues for much of that time. She was the advice columnist for Carweek magazine in the 1990s, helping car owners with faulty cars get the right level of reparation from car makers.
She also spent six years working on motoring content for Which?, and it is here she oversaw the running of the charity's annual used car reliability survey.
Claire launched the What Car? Reliability Survey in 2017, and since then has helped thousands of buyers choose the most reliable new cars and SUVs, as well as the most dependable used cars.
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Next: Find out more about getting the best home EV charging set-up >>
FAQs
A tethered charger is one where the lead you plug into your car is attached to the wallbox supplying the electricity. It’s great if you always charge one vehicle and don’t want to lug a lead in and out of the car boot every time you want to charge the car.
However, most tethered chargers come with a Type 2 plug, which is fine for the majority of modern EVs, but some cars have a different type of socket, which the plug won’t work with. So if you’re charging more than one vehicle or think you may change your car, an untethered unit may be best.
Prices for home chargers start at around £400 and rise to more than £1000. You’ll need to factor in the cost of fitting too, which is likely to amount to around £500 or £600. Unfortunately the Government's grant of £350 towards the cost of having a charger fitted no longer applies, so you can’t get any money off. However, you can make money by letting other EV owners use your charger, if you sign up to a scheme, such as the one operated by cocharger.co.uk.
That depends on the type of wiring in your home. Most domestic properties only have a single phase power supply, while commercial buildings have three-phase systems that can cope better with higher power loads. If you have a single phase set-up, the fastest charger you can have installed is a 7kW unit. If you have a three-phase system, you can have a 22kW charger.
We’d recommend having a 7kW charger fitted if you can, because it will replenish a car’s batteries twice as quickly as a 3.6kW unit, which is similar to using a domestic three-pin socket. A 3.6kW unit will take around 20 hours to fully charge the batteries in a Volkswagen ID 3, but a 7kW unit will do the job in 10 hours.
It’s also worth bearing in mind that if you currently only have an EV or plug-in hybrid with a small battery, having a faster charger will be more useful if you decide to change to a car with a bigger battery, which will take longer to charge.
