Head to head
Two popular home chargers in Northern Ireland, both with solar and tariff-scheduling options. The right choice depends on your equipment, charging routine and actual NI tariff. Here is what to check.
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Zappi offers ECO and ECO+ solar modes; eligible Ohme Home Pro and ePod setups offer Solar Boost and Solar Only. Both can schedule charging, so compare their solar settings and support for your actual NI tariff rather than choosing on a solar-versus-tariff split.
The solar owner's favourite.
Zappi tracks surplus solar through CT monitoring. ECO keeps charging at a minimum of about 1.4kW on single-phase, using grid power when surplus is too low. ECO+ at 100% Minimum Green Level waits for sufficient surplus and pauses after a delay when it drops; lower green levels permit grid contribution. Active boosts use full power, including grid power as needed.
Read the full Zappi guideThe tariff-savings specialist.
Solar-aware charging is available on most Home Pro and ePod chargers with a complete setup installed from January 2023 onwards, app version 2.10.2 or later and a CT clamp providing a reading. Solar Only waits for at least 1.44kW of surplus and has no ready-by target; Ohme notes about 15 seconds of grid use when solar is interrupted before charging pauses. Solar Boost can use grid power to meet a scheduled target and, where available and selected, to top up low solar. Ask the installer to confirm eligibility and settings for your exact setup.
Tight on wall space? The compact untethered Ohme ePod is the one to look at; it charges identically to the tethered Home Pro.
Read the full Ohme guideThe numbers and differences that actually decide it, checked against each manufacturer's own figures.
| Zappi | Ohme | |
|---|---|---|
| Headline strength | Charging from spare solar power | Squeezing a cheap overnight tariff |
| Charge power | 7.4kW single-phase (230V, 32A) | 7.4kW single-phase (230V, 32A) |
| Cable options | Tethered (6.5m) or untethered socket | Home Pro tethered (5m or 8m); ePod untethered socket |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi and Ethernet, no cellular SIM | Built-in 3G/4G SIM, data covered 3 years |
| Solar surplus charging | ECO blends solar and grid; ECO+ at 100% Minimum Green Level waits for surplus. Lower settings and boosts allow grid use | Solar Boost and Solar Only on eligible Home Pro/ePod setups; installation, app and CT requirements apply |
| Smart / dynamic tariff | Scheduled and tariff-aware via the myenergi app | Smart tariff integration, including half-hourly pricing where supported; check your actual NI tariff |
| Size on the wall | Large (439 x 282 x 122 mm) | Compact (Home Pro ~170 x 200 mm; ePod ~230 x 140 mm) |
| Warranty | 3 years | 3 years |
| Best home for it | Has solar PV, or plans to | Wants tariff scheduling, with solar charging on an eligible setup |
Specs are drawn from the full Zappi and Ohme reviews. Last reviewed: 26 October 2026.
Ohme eligibility: most Home Pro and ePod chargers with a complete setup installed from January 2023 onwards, app version 2.10.2 or later and a CT clamp providing a reading. Older installations need an installer check. Solar Only starts at 1.44kW of surplus, without a ready-by target. Ohme notes about 15 seconds of grid use if solar is interrupted before charging pauses. Solar Boost can use grid power to reach a scheduled target; an available grid top-up setting can also start charging from 0.72kW of surplus. Check the selected settings and daytime rate.
Zappi ECO keeps charging at a minimum of about 1.4kW on single-phase, using grid power when surplus is too low. ECO+ at 100% Minimum Green Level waits for enough surplus and pauses after a delay when it drops. Lower levels allow grid contribution: at 50%, about 0.7kW of surplus can be topped up from the grid to 1.4kW. Active boosts use full power, including grid power as needed.
Solar guidance source-checked: 26 October 2026. See Ohme's solar eligibility and modes, myenergi's charging modes and Minimum Green Level guidance.
Skip the agonising. Find your situation and follow it.
Compare both solar setups.
Zappi's ECO+ settings and Ohme's eligible Solar Only setup both support surplus charging. Check how each handles grid contribution.
Check the tariff match.
Ohme supports smart tariffs and half-hourly pricing where integrated, but a GB offer is not proof of NI availability. Confirm your supplier and tariff first.
Plan the solar setup now.
Ask for the CT monitoring and commissioning needed for either model, with overnight scheduling checked against your current tariff.
Both can combine solar use with overnight scheduling. Ask installers to confirm Ohme eligibility, CT readings and app setup, or Zappi's Minimum Green Level and boost settings, for the equipment being quoted. Compare the complete installation against your daytime charging needs and actual NI tariff.
The cleanest way to settle it is a real quote. Tell us your property and whether you have solar, and we'll match you with up to three vetted, NICEIC-registered NI installers who can price the Zappi and the Ohme for your driveway, with your OZEV grant checked and NIE Networks notification handled as standard.
Want the wider field first? See our best home EV charger shortlist. To weigh the two saving routes, read EV tariffs in Northern Ireland and solar EV charging for the daytime side.
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Both can use surplus solar, so compare the setup and how you want to charge. Zappi offers ECO and ECO+ with an adjustable Minimum Green Level. Eligible Ohme Home Pro and ePod setups offer Solar Boost and Solar Only. For overnight charging, check the charger against the tariff you can actually get in Northern Ireland; support for a GB smart tariff does not establish NI availability. Both are 7kW single-phase units, so their rated charging speed is the same.
Yes, on an eligible setup. Ohme says most Home Pro and ePod chargers with a complete setup installed from January 2023 onwards support solar charging. You need app version 2.10.2 or later and a CT clamp providing a reading. Solar Only waits for at least 1.44kW of surplus and has no ready-by target; brief grid import can occur when solar drops. Solar Boost can use grid power to meet a scheduled target and, where available and selected, to top up low solar. Check your model and setup with the installer rather than assuming every Ohme qualifies.
Yes. Zappi handles scheduled and tariff-based charging through the myenergi app, so you can use solar during the day and schedule grid charging overnight. Eligible Ohme setups can also combine solar charging with tariff scheduling. Confirm support for your actual NI supplier and tariff; a charger's GB integrations are not a list of NI energy offers.
They differ here. The Ohme range (both the Home Pro and the compact ePod) carries its own built-in 3G/4G SIM, with data covered for the first three years, so it stays online without your home Wi-Fi, which helps in a detached garage with weak signal. The Zappi has no cellular SIM: it connects over your home Wi-Fi or a wired Ethernet run, so plan the connection in if it will sit far from the router.
With no solar and a flat-rate tariff, choose on cable style, app and looks, or consider the wider line-up. If you plan to add solar or change tariff, check the future equipment requirements and actual NI tariff options before buying. Solar support is available on Zappi and eligible Ohme setups, so panels alone do not settle the choice.
Yes. Both are OZEV-approved smart chargers, so any grant you qualify for applies to either. And whichever you choose, a NICEIC-registered NI installer notifies NIE Networks for you, which is a legal requirement for every new home charger in Northern Ireland.
Zappi, Ohme, or let the installers weigh in. Either way you get vetted NI installers, grant checked, no obligation.
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