Zappi (myenergi) EV Charger Review (2026): Still the One to Beat?
The Zappi is the charger every solar installer recommends — and the one with the biggest price tag. Here’s our honest verdict on the Zappi 2.1 and the new Zappi Glo: how the solar charging really works, what it costs installed, and who should buy something else.
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Who are myenergi?
myenergi is a British company founded in 2016 and based in Stallingborough, Lincolnshire, where the Zappi is designed and manufactured. That’s rarer than it sounds — most home chargers sold in the UK are made in China or continental Europe. The Zappi was the first EV charger built specifically to charge from surplus solar, and it’s still the benchmark for that. myenergi also makes the eddi (solar hot-water diverter), the harvi (wireless sensor) and the libbi home battery, all of which talk to each other through one app — which is a big part of the appeal if you’re building a solar-plus-battery-plus-EV setup.
Zappi 2.1 vs Zappi Glo
There are now two Zappis, and the right one depends on what you need rather than which is “better”:
| Zappi 2.1 | Zappi Glo | |
|---|---|---|
| Power | 7kW or 22kW (3-phase) | 7kW only |
| Cable | Tethered (6.5m) or untethered socket | Tethered only (6.5m) |
| Finish | Black or white | Matt black |
| Controls | Front screen + buttons + app | App + glowing light ring (no screen) |
| Solar modes | Eco / Eco+ / Fast | Eco / Eco+ / Fast |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi, Ethernet, myenergi hub | Wi-Fi + Bluetooth |
| PEN protection | Built in — no earth rod | Built in — no earth rod |
| Warranty | 3 years | 3 years |
| Unit price (approx.) | £550–£800 | From ~£790 |
Choose the Zappi 2.1 if you want 22kW (see 7kW vs 22kW — most homes don’t need it), an untethered socket, a white unit, or you like being able to change modes on the box itself without your phone. Choose the Glo if you want the slimmer, cleaner look on the front of the house and you’re happy running everything from the app. The solar brains are identical.
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Our rating
myenergi Zappi (2.1 & Glo)
★★★★½ The best EV charger for solar homes
The bottom line: unbeatable with solar, very good without — but you’re paying a premium for the solar cleverness, and the app has had its wobbles.
Get my Zappi price →How the solar charging actually works
This is the reason to buy a Zappi, so it’s worth understanding properly. A CT clamp on your incoming supply (or a wireless harvi sensor) tells the Zappi, second by second, whether your home is importing from the grid or exporting surplus solar. The Zappi then behaves according to the mode you’ve picked:
| Mode | What it does | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Eco+ | Charges only from surplus solar. Needs ~1.4kW spare (the minimum a car accepts); pauses when a cloud drops generation, resumes when it returns. | Free miles when the car’s home all day |
| Eco | Prioritises solar surplus but keeps a slow trickle from the grid so charging never stops. | Solar first, but you need the car ready |
| Fast | Ignores solar, charges at full 7kW (or 22kW). | Overnight cheap-rate charging, or in a hurry |
A few honest realities. Eco+ on a British spring day is a stop-start affair — you’ll see “waiting for surplus” a lot, because a 4kW array only clears the 1.4kW threshold when the house isn’t using much and the sun is out. Over a summer it adds up to a lot of genuinely free driving; in December it adds up to almost nothing, and you’ll be on Fast mode with a cheap tariff. And if you have a home battery, you’ll want to set which gets the surplus first — the Zappi’s priority settings let you decide whether the car or the battery is filled first. This is also why the Zappi is the natural partner to a solar install rather than an afterthought: see what EV charger installation costs when bundled with panels.
Key features
- Built-in PEN fault protection — the Zappi detects a lost neutral and disconnects, so no earth rod is needed. That saves money on installation and avoids a rod in your drive.
- Dynamic load balancing — it monitors your whole-house load and throttles the car if you’d otherwise trip the main fuse. Essential in older homes with a 60A supply.
- Boost & scheduled boost — force a set number of kWh in, or set it to charge in your cheap tariff window.
- OCPP support (Zappi 2.1) — for fleet/workplace use or third-party platforms.
- Lockable via PIN so nobody can use it without permission — useful for untethered units on a shared driveway.
- Grants — the Zappi qualifies for the OZEV EV chargepoint grant for flats and rented homes where you’re eligible.
Price installed
Zappis aren’t cheap. Budget roughly:
| Item | Typical cost |
|---|---|
| Zappi 2.1 unit (untethered) | £550 – £700 |
| Zappi 2.1 unit (tethered) | £600 – £800 |
| Zappi Glo unit | From ~£790 |
| Standard installation | £250 – £500 |
| Typical total installed | £1,000 – £1,300 |
A long cable run, a consumer-unit upgrade or a difficult route to the driveway can push that towards £1,500. For comparison, an Ohme Home Pro typically lands £150–£250 cheaper installed. You’re paying that difference for the solar diversion, the UK build and the myenergi ecosystem. See our EV charger installation cost guide for what drives the install price up or down.
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The Zappi is on Octopus’s supported list for Intelligent Octopus Go, which means Octopus can take over scheduling and charge your car in the cheap overnight window automatically — currently around 7p/kWh for six hours. It also plays nicely with OVO Charge Anytime and EDF’s EV tariff. The ideal solar-home setup is Eco+ by day, then let Octopus top up overnight; you end up paying almost nothing to run the car. For the full list of chargers Octopus supports, see Octopus-compatible chargers.
Common problems (and what they really mean)
Search “Zappi problems” and you’ll find plenty — but most fall into three buckets, and only one is a real fault:
- “Waiting for surplus” — not a fault. It’s Eco+ doing its job when there isn’t 1.4kW of spare solar. Switch to Eco or Fast if you need the car charged.
- Wi-Fi / app disconnects — the most common genuine complaint, especially on the earlier 2.x units and now that the Glo is app-only with no mobile fallback. A myenergi hub or Ethernet (2.1 only) fixes most of it; put the router closer or use a mesh node if the unit is on a far wall.
- “Grid CT lost” / not charging — usually a CT clamp or harvi pairing issue rather than the Zappi itself. Worth checking before calling out an electrician; see our EV charger not working guide.
Hardware failures are uncommon, and myenergi’s UK-based support is a real advantage when something does go wrong.
Zappi vs Ohme vs Hypervolt
| Charger | Best for | Solar diversion | Installed (approx.) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zappi | Solar homes; myenergi ecosystem | Best in class (Eco+) | £1,000 – £1,300 |
| Ohme Home Pro | Cheap-tariff overnight charging, no solar | Basic | £850 – £1,100 |
| Hypervolt Home 3 Pro | Design-led, some solar matching | Good, less mature | £950 – £1,250 |
The honest summary: with solar, Zappi wins and it isn’t close. Without solar, the Ohme is the smarter buy — it’s built around squeezing the most out of Intelligent Octopus Go and costs less. Hypervolt splits the difference with a beautiful unit and decent solar matching. We’ve also reviewed the Andersen, Hive, Egg, Sync EV and Rolec chargers if you want the wider field.
Pros & cons
Pros
- Best solar-charging of any home charger (Eco+ mode)
- Made in the UK with UK-based support
- Built-in PEN protection — no earth rod
- Dynamic load balancing protects your main fuse
- Works with Intelligent Octopus Go and other smart tariffs
- Two models: 2.1 for flexibility, Glo for looks
- Part of the eddi / harvi / libbi ecosystem
Cons
- Premium price — £150–£250 more than an Ohme installed
- App and Wi-Fi reliability has been patchy; Glo has no mobile fallback
- 3-year warranty is only industry-standard
- Eco+ is stop-start in UK winter and on small arrays
- Overkill if you don’t have (or plan) solar
Our verdict
4.6 / 5 — the best EV charger for a solar home, and still the one to beat. No other charger diverts surplus solar as intelligently, it’s built in Britain with British support, the safety features save you money on the install, and it fits neatly into a wider myenergi setup. The Glo brings the looks up to date; the 2.1 keeps the flexibility. Yes, you pay a premium and yes, the app could be better — but for anyone with panels on the roof, it’s the obvious choice.
If you don’t have solar and aren’t planning it, be honest with yourself: an Ohme will do the cheap-overnight job for less. But if you’re getting solar — or already have it — the Zappi is the charger that turns your roof into free miles.
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Zappi EV charger: frequently asked questions
Is the Zappi EV charger any good?
Yes — if you have solar panels, the Zappi is the best home EV charger you can buy in the UK. Its Eco+ mode charges your car purely from surplus solar, it’s made in Lincolnshire, it has built-in PEN fault protection so no earth rod is needed, and it works with Intelligent Octopus Go. If you don’t have solar, it’s still a very good charger, but you’re paying for a solar feature you won’t use and an Ohme or Hypervolt may be better value.
What’s the difference between the Zappi 2.1 and the Zappi Glo?
The Zappi 2.1 is the established model: 7kW or 22kW, tethered or untethered, black or white, with a front screen and physical buttons. The Zappi Glo is the newer 2025 design: slimmer, screenless, controlled via the app with a glowing light ring for status, 7kW tethered only, in matt black. Both have the same Eco, Eco+ and Fast solar modes and the same 3-year warranty. Choose the Glo for looks and app-first control; choose the 2.1 if you want 22kW, an untethered socket, a white finish or an on-unit screen.
How much does a Zappi cost installed?
Expect roughly £1,000–£1,300 fully installed for a standard job. The unit alone is around £550–£800 for a Zappi 2.1 (untethered cheaper than tethered) and from about £790 for a Zappi Glo, with installation typically adding £250–£500 depending on cable run and your consumer unit. Complex installs can push the total towards £1,500.
How does Zappi Eco+ mode work with solar?
A CT clamp (or a myenergi harvi) measures what your home is exporting. In Eco+ mode the Zappi only charges when there’s at least about 1.4kW of surplus solar — the minimum an EV will accept — and pauses when a cloud drops generation below that. Eco mode does the same but keeps a slow trickle from the grid so charging never stops. Fast mode ignores solar and charges at full speed.
Does the Zappi work with Intelligent Octopus Go?
Yes. The Zappi is one of the chargers Octopus supports for Intelligent Octopus Go, so Octopus can schedule your cheap overnight charging automatically. It also works with other smart tariffs such as OVO Charge Anytime and EDF’s EV tariff. If you have solar, you can use Eco+ in the day and let Octopus fill the rest cheaply overnight.
Zappi vs Ohme vs Hypervolt — which is best?
With solar panels, Zappi — nothing else diverts surplus solar as well. Without solar, Ohme is the best value for tariff-based cheap overnight charging and is a little cheaper installed. Hypervolt sits in between with a sleek design and solar matching, but its solar integration isn’t as mature as the Zappi’s. The Zappi is the most expensive of the three but the most capable.
Figures are typical 2026 UK estimates for guidance only; unit prices, installation costs, tariff rates and specifications change — confirm on your quote and with the manufacturer. Always use an OZEV-approved installer. Sources: myenergi specifications and UK installer pricing.