Tesla Wall Connector vs Simpson & Partners Home 7: Brand Power vs Built to Last

Brand Power vs Built to Last

Choosing a home EV charger often comes down to a simple question: do you go with the household name, or the lesser-known challenger that arguably offers more for your money? That is precisely the dilemma when you pit the Tesla Wall Connector (Gen 3) against the Simpson & Partners Home 7.

The Tesla Wall Connector is the official charger from the world's biggest EV brand. It is slick, competitively priced at £475, and integrates beautifully with the Tesla app ecosystem. The Simpson & Partners Home 7, meanwhile, is a UK-manufactured premium unit that costs £174 more but fights back with smart tariff support, solar compatibility, and a remarkable 10-year enclosure warranty. Both are OZEV-approved, both support three-phase charging, and both work with every Type 2 EV on sale in the UK today — not just Teslas.

In a nutshell:

• Tesla Wall Connector (Gen 3) (£475): Seamless Tesla app integration and the cleanest ownership experience for Tesla drivers, at a very competitive price.
• Simpson & Partners Home 7 (£649): A premium British-built charger with smart tariff support, solar compatibility, and the longest enclosure warranty on the market.

Spec Comparison

Smart Tariff Integration

This is where the Simpson & Partners Home 7 opens up a genuine lead. It supports popular UK smart tariffs including Octopus Go (7.5p/kWh between 00:30 and 04:30), OVO Anytime, and EDF GoElectric. That means the charger can automatically schedule your sessions to coincide with the cheapest electricity rates — no manual fiddling required. For a typical Tesla Model 3 owner covering the UK average of 7,400 miles per year (roughly 2,114 kWh), charging on Octopus Go rather than a standard 24p/kWh tariff could save you around £350 annually. The charger doing this automatically is a genuine convenience advantage.

The Tesla Wall Connector, by contrast, has no built-in smart tariff integration. You can set scheduled charging times via the Tesla app, which works perfectly well if you are on a simple off-peak tariff with fixed hours. However, it cannot dynamically respond to variable-rate tariffs like Octopus Agile, and it will not automatically adjust if your tariff windows change. Tesla owners can access the Tesla Energy plan for some tariff optimisation, but this is not as seamless as having the feature baked directly into the charger itself. As viablepower.co.uk notes, chargers with direct tariff integration take the guesswork out of saving money — and the Simpson & Partners unit delivers here where the Tesla does not.

Power, Charging Speed and Flexibility

On a standard UK single-phase supply, the Tesla Wall Connector edges ahead with 7.4kW versus the Simpson & Partners' 7kW. In practice, the difference is marginal — charging a 60kWh battery from empty takes roughly 8.1 hours on the Tesla versus about 8.6 hours on the Simpson & Partners. Both will comfortably fill your car overnight.

Where they truly level up is three-phase support. Both chargers can deliver 22kW on a three-phase supply, slashing that same 60kWh charge to around 2.7 hours. Three-phase is rare in UK homes (under 5% of properties), but if you have it — or plan to upgrade — both chargers are future-proofed.

The Simpson & Partners scores a flexibility win by offering both tethered and untethered versions. If you run a mixed-EV household or simply prefer a tidier wall-mounted socket, the untethered option is a genuine advantage. The Tesla is tethered only, though its generous 7.3-metre cable length partially compensates — it is a full 2.3 metres longer than the Simpson & Partners' 5-metre tethered cable, which could matter if your parking spot is further from the charger.

Build Quality and Design

The Simpson & Partners Home 7 is UK-manufactured with an anodised aluminium construction and multiple finish options, including Accoya wood accents and distinctive colours. It is a genuinely attractive piece of hardware that looks at home on a period property or a modern new-build alike. The IP54 weatherproofing rating means it handles rain, dust, and the worst of British winters without complaint.

The Tesla Wall Connector is no slouch aesthetically — its minimalist white design with the subtle Tesla logo has a clean, modern feel that electriccarguide.co.uk praises for its premium appearance. However, there is no colour or material customisation. Its IP44 rating is slightly lower than the Simpson & Partners' IP54, meaning marginally less protection against splashing water, though both are perfectly suitable for outdoor installation in the UK.

The Tesla unit is also marginally lighter at 5.3 kg versus approximately 5.5 kg, and slightly more compact. Neither difference will affect your installation experience in any meaningful way.

App and Connectivity

For Tesla owners, the Tesla Wall Connector's app experience is hard to beat. Charging schedules, session history, energy usage, and notifications all live inside the same Tesla app you already use for your car. Over-the-air updates mean the charger can gain new features without an engineer visit — a genuine long-term benefit. The power sharing feature, supporting up to six units on a single circuit, is excellent for multi-EV households. As smarthomecharge.co.uk notes, the user experience scores a perfect 5/5 — it simply works.

The Simpson & Partners app is functional, offering scheduling, energy monitoring, and smart tariff control, but it is not as polished or refined. For non-Tesla EV owners who do not already live inside the Tesla ecosystem, this matters less. But if you are a Tesla driver accustomed to that seamless integration, the S&P app may feel like a step down.

Price and Value

The Tesla Wall Connector is clearly the more affordable option, coming in £174 cheaper at the unit level. After a typical installation and the OZEV grant (available to eligible renters and flat owners), you are looking at as little as £525 fully installed — exceptional value for a charger with three-phase capability and a 4-year warranty.

The Simpson & Partners asks you to spend more upfront, but it fights back with that 10-year enclosure warranty (though note this covers the enclosure specifically, not all internal electronics), built-in smart tariff support, and solar compatibility. If those features save you even £150–£200 per year through smarter tariff usage, the price premium pays for itself within the first year.

Who Should Buy Which?

Buy the Tesla Wall Connector (Gen 3) if:

• You drive a Tesla and want the cleanest, most integrated app experience
• You want the lowest upfront cost for a three-phase-capable charger
• You have multiple EVs and could benefit from power sharing across up to 6 units
• You prefer a longer tethered cable (7.3 metres vs 5 metres)
• You value over-the-air updates that add features over time

Buy the Simpson & Partners Home 7 if:

• You want built-in smart tariff integration to automatically charge at the cheapest rates
• You have or plan to add solar panels and want a charger that supports solar diversion
• You want the security of a 10-year enclosure warranty
• You prefer the option of an untethered charger for a cleaner installation
• You value premium British-made build quality with customisable finishes

Our recommendation: For Tesla owners who are not on a variable smart tariff and simply want a reliable, well-integrated charger at the best price, the Tesla Wall Connector remains the obvious choice. It is £174 cheaper, the app experience is superb, and the 4-year warranty is solid. However, if you are serious about minimising your energy bills through smart tariff automation, or you have solar panels, the Simpson & Partners Home 7 justifies its premium. Its smart tariff support alone could save you hundreds of pounds per year, and that 10-year enclosure warranty provides peace of mind that few competitors can match. For non-Tesla EV owners in particular, the Simpson & Partners is the stronger all-round proposition.

Read our full Tesla Wall Connector (Gen 3) review or Simpson & Partners Home 7 review.

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