Simpson & Partners Home 7 vs Rolec EVO: Premium Build vs Smart Value

Premium British Build vs Feature-Packed Value: Two UK-Made Chargers Go Head to Head

Choosing between the Simpson & Partners Home 7 and the Rolec EVO is a genuinely interesting dilemma. Both are designed and manufactured right here in the UK, both carry OZEV approval, and both offer smart charging features that put them firmly in the modern EV charger conversation. But they approach the market from very different angles.

The Simpson & Partners Home 7 leads with premium materials, a staggering 10-year enclosure warranty, and the option of three-phase 22kW charging — features that position it as a long-term investment for homeowners who care about aesthetics and build quality. The Rolec EVO, meanwhile, packs an almost absurd amount of smart functionality into a £449 price tag, including built-in solar integration, dynamic load balancing, and PME fault detection as standard. It's the kind of spec sheet you'd normally expect at £600 or more.

So which one deserves a spot on your wall? Let's dig in.

In a nutshell:

• Simpson & Partners Home 7 (£649): A beautifully built, UK-manufactured charger with a market-leading 10-year enclosure warranty and three-phase capability.
• Rolec EVO (£449): A feature-rich smart charger that includes solar diversion, dynamic load balancing, and built-in safety protection at a price that undercuts most rivals.

Spec Comparison

Power and Charging Speed

The most striking difference on paper is power output. The Simpson & Partners Home 7 offers both 7kW single-phase and 22kW three-phase charging. If you're one of the small percentage of UK homes with a three-phase supply — or you're planning a new-build or renovation where three-phase is being installed — this is a significant advantage. At 22kW, a typical 60kWh Tesla battery charges in roughly 2.7 hours rather than the 8.5 hours you'd wait at 7kW.

The Rolec EVO delivers 7.4kW on single-phase, which is fractionally faster than the Simpson's 7kW single-phase output. In practice, the difference is negligible — we're talking minutes over an overnight charge. For the vast majority of UK homeowners on single-phase supplies, both chargers will comfortably top up your car overnight.

Where the Rolec gains an edge is with its built-in dynamic load balancing. The included CT clamp monitors your home's total electricity consumption and adjusts the charging rate to prevent your main fuse from tripping. The Simpson & Partners range does offer load balancing, but this is a feature of the Plus models rather than the base Home 7 unit.

Solar Integration

If you've got solar panels — or you're planning to install them — this is where the Rolec EVO really shines. Its Eco and Eco+ modes come built in as standard, with a CT clamp included in the box. Eco+ mode diverts only surplus solar energy to your car, meaning you can charge for essentially free during sunny periods. Eco mode blends solar with grid power for faster charging when you need it.

The Simpson & Partners does offer solar compatibility, but according to electriccarguide.co.uk, this capability sits with the Plus models (Home 7 Plus and Home 22 Plus) rather than the base Home 7. If solar diversion is important to you, you may need to step up to a higher-spec Simpson unit, which will widen the price gap further.

For a household generating 3,000–4,000kWh of solar annually, effective solar diversion can save £200–£400 per year on charging costs. Having this built into a £449 charger is genuinely impressive value from Rolec.

Smart Features and Connectivity

Both chargers offer app-based control with scheduling, energy monitoring, and remote management — the essentials you'd expect from any modern smart charger. However, the details differ meaningfully.

The Simpson & Partners Home 7 supports named smart tariffs including Octopus Go (7.5p/kWh off-peak), OVO Anytime, and EDF GoElectric. This direct integration means the charger can automatically schedule your charging sessions to coincide with the cheapest electricity rates, potentially saving you hundreds of pounds annually. As noted by wepoweryourcar.com, Simpson & Partners has secured integration with some of the UK's leading EV tariffs.

The Rolec EVO offers charge scheduling through its app, which lets you manually set off-peak windows, but the data provided doesn't list specific named tariff integrations in the same way. It does, however, support OCPP 1.6J — an open protocol that future-proofs the charger for integration with energy management platforms and potentially smart tariff services as they develop.

On connectivity, the Rolec EVO is notably more versatile with Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.0, and Ethernet, compared to the Simpson's Wi-Fi-only connection. The Ethernet option is particularly useful if your charger is in a garage with poor Wi-Fi signal. The Rolec also includes two RFID cards for access control — handy if your charger is on a shared driveway or accessible to others.

Build Quality and Design

This is where the Simpson & Partners Home 7 genuinely stands apart. Constructed from anodised aluminium with optional Accoya wood or metal lids, it looks and feels like a premium product. According to electriccarguide.co.uk, there are up to 112 colour combinations available, including distinctive finishes like Cotswolds Green and Dark Champagne. If kerb appeal matters to you, few chargers can match it.

The 10-year enclosure warranty is the longest on the market — wepoweryourcar.com describes it as "unheard of" in the industry. It's worth noting this specifically covers the enclosure rather than all internal electronics, but it still demonstrates remarkable confidence in the build quality.

The Rolec EVO takes a different approach. At just 3 kg and 260mm square, it's compact and unobtrusive. It may lack the Simpson's design flair, but it compensates with an IK10 impact resistance rating — the highest available — on top of its IP54 weatherproofing. It also includes built-in PME/PEN fault detection and Type A RCD with 6mA DC protection, which can save £100–£200 on installation by eliminating the need for separate protective devices. Its 5-year warranty, while shorter than the Simpson's enclosure warranty, is still above the industry standard of three years.

Price and Value

The £200 difference in unit price is significant, but the real-world gap could be even larger. The Rolec EVO's built-in PME fault detection and RCD protection can eliminate £100–£200 in additional installation costs that many chargers require. Factor that in, and the Rolec could end up £300–£400 cheaper fully installed.

That said, the Simpson & Partners Home 7 offers something the Rolec doesn't: three-phase capability and a tethered option. If you need 22kW charging or prefer the convenience of a permanently attached cable, the Simpson is worth the premium.

Who Should Buy Which?

Buy the Simpson & Partners Home 7 if:

• You have (or plan to install) a three-phase supply and want 22kW home charging
• You prefer a tethered charger with a cable permanently attached to the unit
• Build quality and aesthetics are a priority — you want a charger that complements your home
• You value the peace of mind of a 10-year enclosure warranty
• You're already on Octopus Go, OVO Anytime, or EDF GoElectric and want direct tariff integration

Buy the Rolec EVO if:

• You have solar panels and want built-in solar diversion without paying extra
• You want the most smart features for the lowest price
• You prefer a compact, lightweight, and impact-resistant unit
• You want to minimise installation costs with built-in PME fault detection and RCD protection
• You're happy using your own Type 2 cable and don't need a tethered option

Our recommendation: For most UK homeowners on a standard single-phase supply, the Rolec EVO at £449 is the smarter buy. The sheer breadth of features — solar diversion, dynamic load balancing, RFID, OCPP, and built-in safety protection — at this price point is genuinely hard to beat. The installation savings from built-in PME detection sweeten the deal further. However, if you're on three-phase power, want a tethered charger, or simply refuse to compromise on aesthetics and long-term build confidence, the Simpson & Partners Home 7 justifies its premium with a combination of materials, warranty, and versatility that few competitors can match.

For the full specs-level breakdown, see our Simpson & Partners Home 7 vs Rolec EVO comparison page.

Read our full Simpson & Partners Home 7 review or Rolec EVO review.

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