Best EV Charger for Smart Tariffs UK 2026: 6 Chargers Ranked
Why Smart Tariff Compatibility Matters
The difference between charging your Tesla at a standard rate (~28p/kWh) and an off-peak smart tariff (~7p/kWh) is roughly £800–1,000 per year for an average driver. That's not a rounding error — it's the equivalent of a free family holiday, every year, just for charging at the right time.
But here's what most people miss: not all chargers are equally good at exploiting smart tariffs. Some connect directly to your energy provider's API and automatically find the cheapest 30-minute slots. Others rely on you setting a manual timer in an app and hoping you got the off-peak hours right. The gap in real-world savings between the best and worst smart tariff chargers can be £100–200 per year — enough to pay for the charger's price difference several times over.
We've ranked all 6 chargers on our site that offer meaningful smart tariff integration, from direct API connections with multiple providers through to basic scheduling support.
Smart Tariff Charger Comparison Table
| Rank | Charger | Price | Smart Tariff Integration | Direct API | Supported Tariffs | Warranty |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ohme Home Pro | £535 | Best-in-class | Yes | Octopus, OVO, British Gas | 3 years |
| 2 | Hypervolt Home 3 Pro | £690 | Very good | Yes | Octopus, OVO | 3 years (extendable to 5) |
| 3 | Indra Smart PRO | £599 | Good | Yes | Octopus, OVO, variable tariffs | 3 years |
| 4 | Andersen A3 | £995 | Good | Yes | Octopus Intelligent Go, OVO | 7 years |
| 5 | Tesla Wall Connector | £475 | Via Tesla API | Indirect | Octopus Intelligent Go (via Tesla) | 4 years |
| 6 | Easee One | £405 | Basic scheduling | No | Any (manual timer) | 3 years |
How We Ranked Them
Our ranking weighs depth of smart tariff integration (how many providers the charger connects to directly), automation quality (whether it finds cheapest slots without manual input), savings potential, app experience, and overall value for money.
1. Ohme Home Pro — The Smart Tariff Champion
Price: £535 | Full review →
Why it's #1:
- Direct API integration with Octopus, OVO, and British Gas — the widest provider support of any charger on the market
- Officially recommended by Octopus Energy for Intelligent Octopus Go — it unlocks bonus off-peak slots that other chargers can't access
- Automatic cheapest-rate charging — plug in, set your ready-by time, and the Ohme handles everything. No manual scheduling needed
- Per-session cost tracking down to the penny — the app tells you exactly what each charge cost on your tariff
The trade-off: At £535, it's £130 more than the Easee One and £60 more than the Tesla Wall Connector. You're paying a premium for smart tariff features — but that premium pays for itself within 2–3 months if you're on a smart tariff.
Best for: Anyone on Octopus Intelligent Go, OVO Charge Anytime, or British Gas EV Power who wants fully automated cheapest-rate charging with zero manual effort.
Compare: Ohme Home Pro vs Hypervolt Home 3 Pro →
2. Hypervolt Home 3 Pro — Smart Tariffs Plus Solar
Price: £690 | Full review →
Why it's #2:
- Direct integration with Octopus and OVO — automatically schedules charging at cheapest rates
- Combines smart tariff optimisation with solar diverting — charge from solar during the day and off-peak grid overnight, managed from a single app
- Excellent app with real-time energy flow dashboard showing grid import, solar generation, and EV charging simultaneously
- CT clamp included — no extra hardware costs for solar monitoring
The trade-off: At £690, it's the most expensive option after the Andersen A3. If you don't have solar panels, the Ohme offers better smart tariff integration at £155 less. The Hypervolt justifies its price when you need both solar and smart tariff features.
Best for: Homeowners with solar panels who also want smart tariff integration — it's the best charger that does both well.
3. Indra Smart PRO — Smart Tariffs with V2G Future-Proofing
Price: £599 | Full review →
Why it's #3:
- Supports Octopus, OVO, and variable tariffs — decent provider coverage with direct API connections
- Built-in SPD (Surge Protection Device) — saves £100–150 on installation costs since your electrician doesn't need to add one separately
- V2G (vehicle-to-grid) capability — future-proof for when V2G tariffs become mainstream, allowing you to sell stored energy back to the grid at peak rates
- Good app with tariff-aware scheduling and energy monitoring
The trade-off: V2G is still in its early stages, and not all Tesla models fully support it yet. The smart tariff integration isn't quite as polished as the Ohme's — the app experience is functional rather than slick.
Best for: Forward-thinking owners who want smart tariff savings now and V2G capability for the future, especially if the included SPD saves money on your install.
4. Andersen A3 — Premium Design with Smart Tariffs
Price: £995 | Full review →
Why it's #4:
- Supports Octopus Intelligent Go and OVO Charge Anytime — covers the two most popular UK EV tariffs
- Premium build quality — hand-finished in the UK with customisable front panels in wood, metal, or colour finishes
- 7-year warranty — the longest warranty of any smart-tariff charger on this list
- Andersen Konnect+ app with tariff scheduling and energy usage tracking
The trade-off: At £995, it's nearly double the price of the Ohme and almost £400 more than the Hypervolt. The smart tariff integration is solid but not best-in-class — you're paying primarily for the design and build quality, not for superior tariff optimisation. No British Gas support either.
Best for: Homeowners who refuse to compromise on aesthetics and want a charger that looks as good as it performs, with smart tariff support as a bonus rather than the primary feature.
5. Tesla Wall Connector — Smart Tariffs via Your Tesla
Price: £475 | Full review →
Why it's #5:
- Works with Octopus Intelligent Go natively — Octopus communicates directly with your Tesla via Tesla's API, scheduling charging at the cheapest times without the charger needing any smart tariff features at all
- Cheapest option with any smart tariff capability — at £475, it undercuts the Ohme by £60
- Best Tesla app integration — all charging management lives in the app you already use
- 4-year warranty — second longest on this list after the Andersen
The trade-off: The charger itself has no direct smart tariff integration. Smart tariff scheduling only works because Octopus Intelligent Go talks to your Tesla, not to the Wall Connector. If you switch to OVO, British Gas, or any other provider, you lose all smart tariff automation and are back to manual scheduling. This makes it provider-dependent in a way the Ohme is not.
Best for: Tesla owners on Octopus Intelligent Go who want the simplest, cheapest setup and don't plan to switch energy providers. See our detailed comparison with the Ohme.
Compare: Tesla Wall Connector vs Easee One →
6. Easee One — Budget-Friendly with Basic Scheduling
Price: £405 | Full review →
Why it's #6:
- Cheapest charger on the market — at £405, it's £130 less than the Ohme and £70 less than the Tesla Wall Connector
- Lifetime free 4G connectivity — works even if your Wi-Fi doesn't reach your driveway
- Built-in scheduling — you can set charging windows manually to align with off-peak hours
- Dynamic load balancing — smart enough to share capacity with your home's other electrical demands
The trade-off: There is no direct smart tariff API integration. You set a manual timer to start and stop charging during off-peak hours. This works fine on fixed-window tariffs like Octopus Go (00:30–04:30), but you can't automatically optimise for variable-rate tariffs like Agile Octopus. You're leaving money on the table compared to an Ohme.
Best for: Budget-conscious buyers on a simple fixed-window off-peak tariff who don't need automated tariff optimisation. Also ideal if your Wi-Fi doesn't reach the charger location.
Compare: Ohme Home Pro vs Easee One →
Annual Savings: Smart Tariff vs Standard Tariff
For a Tesla Model 3 owner driving 10,000 miles per year (consuming roughly 2,500 kWh):
| Tariff | Rate | Annual Charging Cost | Saving vs Standard |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard variable | ~28p/kWh | £700 | — |
| Octopus Intelligent Go (auto-scheduled) | ~7p/kWh | £175 | £525 |
| Octopus Go (manual timer) | ~8.5p/kWh | £213 | £487 |
| British Gas EV Power+ | ~7.9p/kWh | £198 | £502 |
| OVO Charge Anytime | ~14p/kWh | £350 | £350 |
The difference between the cheapest tariff (Octopus Intelligent Go at £175/year) and a standard tariff (£700/year) is £525 per year. Over a typical 5-year charger lifespan, that's £2,625 in savings — far more than the cost of any charger on this list.
For a deeper breakdown of each tariff, see our full guide to the best EV charging tariffs in the UK.
Our Recommendation
The Ohme Home Pro is the clear winner for smart tariff users. Its direct API integration with Octopus, OVO, and British Gas means fully automated cheapest-rate charging regardless of which provider you're with — no manual timers, no guessing, no wasted money on peak-rate electricity.
At £535, the Ohme pays for itself within months through tariff savings. The per-session cost tracking alone justifies the price premium over cheaper chargers — you'll see exactly how much you're saving on every single charge.
The exception: If you're a Tesla owner on Octopus Intelligent Go and don't plan to switch providers, the Tesla Wall Connector at £475 gets you smart tariff scheduling via Tesla's API for £60 less. But if you ever switch tariff or provider, you'll wish you'd bought the Ohme.
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