A smart charger connects to your home Wi-Fi and gives you control and visibility through an app on your phone. Since July 2022, all home chargers installed in the UK must be smart chargers by law.
Key features:
- Scheduled charging — set your charger to only run during off-peak hours (e.g., midnight to 5:30am on Octopus Go). This is where the biggest savings come from.
- Cost tracking — see exactly how much each charge costs and your monthly charging spend
- Energy monitoring — track your energy usage over time and identify patterns
- Solar integration — some smart chargers (like Myenergi Zappi) can detect surplus solar generation and divert it to your car automatically
- Load management — the charger automatically adjusts its power draw based on your home’s total electrical demand, protecting your main fuse
- Remote control — start, stop, or adjust charging from anywhere via the app
Why it matters financially:
The difference between charging at peak rates (30p+/kWh) and off-peak rates (9p/kWh) is significant. Over a year, smart scheduling can save you hundreds of pounds compared to plugging in and charging immediately at any time of day.
