- Smart chargers let you schedule charging sessions to consume off-peak electricity
- Some chargers also let you set kWh price caps
- With an EV tariff, you can pay as little as 4.5p/kWh
- Smart chargers give you more visibility over the energy you consume and how much it costs
Smart chargers are connected EV home chargers that let you schedule charging times and set kWh price caps to access your tariff’s cheapest rates.
Smart chargers can save you a bucket of money on charging, but only when you have an EV tariff or another energy tariff that offers reduced kWh rates.
The caveat that you need a two-rate tariff or special EV tariff to access cheaper electricity rates means you will need to switch supplier/tariff to make use of a smart charger’s best feature – the ability to only charge your car at desirable times/rates.
Regardless, everyone with off-street parking and an electric vehicle should buy a smart EV charger. Smart chargers are designed to deliver the fastest possible charge speeds and you can monitor everything through the charger’s companion app.
Saving money with a smart charger
It is definitely worth switching to an EV tariff when you can because the rates offered for EV charging are way lower than standard rates.
For example, Octopus Go (for existing Octopus customers) offers 5p/kWh between 00:30 – 04:30 every night. This is significantly less than a standard energy tariff rate and more than 50% cheaper than an Economy 7 tariff.
In another example, EDF’s GoElectric 35 tariff offers 4.5p/kWh between 00:00 – 5:00 every night, although the standard rate after this is rather high (34.34p).
Due to the energy crisis, some EV tariffs are being pulled for new customers. As more of these get pulled, your best bet is an Economy 7 tariff. Economy 7 tariffs have a day rate and a night rate. The average night rate per kWh on an Economy 7 tariff is 12.5p/kWh, a big discount on standard tariff rates.
Another way smart home chargers save you money is by reducing your dependency on more expensive public chargers.
We recently looked at the most expensive public chargers in the UK and found that the most expensive rate is 4x more expensive than a standard domestic rate of 17.40p per kWh. Simply put, it is way cheaper to charge your EV at home!
Of course, you can also charge for free at supermarkets, although you’ll need to do a spot of shopping and not overstay your welcome.
Check out our latest charger reviews to find the best EV charger for you.
Don’t have a smart charger yet? The Ohme App is a good workaround until you get one. Just connect the app to your EV and you can schedule charge times and control charging remotely with nothing more than a 3-pin socket.
Best smart chargers to consider
- Easee One – 7.4kW, 4G eSIM, smart scheduling, RFID, cable locking, beautiful design. 4.4/5. Read our full Easee One review.
- Ohme Home Pro – 7.4kW, LCD display, tethered, smart scheduling, good app and design. 4.4/5. Read our full Ohme Home Pro review.
- Indra Smart PRO – 7.4kW, tethered or untethered, tariff integration, solar, Kaluza app. 4.5/5. Read our full Indra Smart PRO review.
- Hypervolt Home 2.0 – 7kW, tethered, solar integrated, voice-enabled, great app. 4.5/5. Read our full Hypervolt Home 2.0 review.
