№ 39 · A 37 mm socket, not a box on the wall · 2026 review
Sync Energy
Link
Review verdict
Sync Energy Link decision summary
- Unit only
- £465
- VAT included
- Installed estimate
- £865–£1,065
- derived market estimate
- Warranty
- 3 years
- Grant position
- Approved unit
- Customer and property eligibility is separate
What stands out
Main limitation
The installed range is an estimate. The source date above is separate from the editorial review date.
The charger that isn't a charger on the wall. Luceco's Sync Energy split the Link into two parts: a 176 mm square Type 2 outlet that sits 37 mm proud of the brickwork — or flush, if you core-drill a 117 mm hole for it — and a separate control box that holds the electronics and, on the metal version, the RCD, MCB and surge protector too. The box can sit up to 50 m from the socket, in a garage or beside the consumer unit, so the only thing on the front of the house is a die-cast aluminium plate with a flap. Nothing else on this site does this. It launched in mid-2025 and sells through electrical wholesalers — Screwfix, Superlec, TLC — at £465 for the metal Wi-Fi/LAN kit.
The other thing to know is that it is not the Sync Energy Wall Charger 2 in a new shape. The Wall Charger 2 is on Octopus's list for Intelligent Go; the Link is not, and Sync's own announcement says only that "future compatibility will be reviewed". The cheaper Sync has the better tariff story.
Best for: Period houses, listed streets and anyone whose objection to a wallbox is how it looks. Also installers, because the metal box does the consumer-unit work for them.
Installation
Fitting the Sync Energy Link.
Two mountings in every kit: a surface bezel 122 mm deep, or the recessed version at 37 mm, which needs a 117 mm core hole — the same bit used for a four-inch extractor fan. Outlet and box are both IP65; the metal box is IK10 and the plastic one IK08. PEN fault protection is built in, so no earth rod. The metal control box (EVL7MS) ships with a 40 A double-pole Type A RCD, a 40 A B-curve MCB and a Type 2 surge protector already fitted, which means the installer runs a feed from the main switch and does nothing inside your consumer unit; the plastic box (EVL7PS) has only the 30 mA RCM and 6 mA DC detection and needs an RCBO upstream like most chargers. The CT clamp for load balancing and solar is in the box. The run from box to socket is a data cable plus the 32 A feed, and the distance is yours to choose up to 50 m. A standard surface fit sits in the £400–£600 band; the recessed finish adds the core-drilling and making good, which is where quotes diverge. Full walkthrough in our installation guide.
Specification
- Max Power Output
- 7.4kW single-phase (32A), configurable 6–32A; no three-phase version
- Cable Length
- Untethered — supply your own Type 2 cable
- Connector
- Type 2 socket with auto-lock; recessed (37mm) or surface (122mm) mounting in every kit
- Connectivity
- Wi-Fi 2.4GHz, Ethernet, Bluetooth 4.2; 4G on G models (3 years included)
- Dimensions
- Outlet 176mm × 176mm; control box 231mm × 316mm × 100mm; up to 50 m apart
- Weight
- Metal kit about 5.5 kg; plastic kit about 2.8 kg
- IP Rating
- IP65; IK10 (metal box) / IK08 (plastic box)
- Protection
- PEN fault protection built in; metal box has 40A Type A RCD, 40A MCB and Type 2 SPD fitted; plastic box has 30mA RCM + 6mA DC and needs upstream protection
- Metering
- Internal, ±2% (not MID); optional external Modbus meter
- Certification
- OZEV/EVCG approved (all 8 SKUs), IEC 61851-1, IEC 62955, Smart Charge Point Regulations
Tariff compatibility
What it costs to run.
Schedule-based only, for now. The Sync Energy app has modes for Octopus Go and Octopus Agile, plus a generic timer that covers EDF GoElectric and the rest. It is not on the charger-led lists for Intelligent Octopus Go, OVO Charge Anytime or E.ON Next Drive Smart — Sync's February 2026 Octopus integration covers the Wall Charger 2 only. A Tesla, or any car on Octopus's vehicle list, gets round this because Intelligent Go then schedules through the car. For an older EV on a smart tariff, the Wall Charger 2 is the better buy at a lower price, and the Ohme ePod package does it with every supplier. More in our smart-tariff chargers guide.
Best pairing
EDF GoElectric
- Off-peak rate
- 6.66p
- Saving / year
- £562
Estimated at 10,000 miles a year against the 26.32p/kWh standard rate.
Compare every tariffPrice
What you actually pay.
The unit is currently £465. £400–£600 is the working installation range, putting a typical installed total at £865–£1,065. Metal control-box kit with Wi-Fi and LAN (EVLR7MS / EVL7MS-01) at electrical wholesalers; Screwfix £525 for the same kit. Plastic Wi-Fi kit £425, metal 4G kit £559. Recessed fitting adds core-drilling.
Five-year total
£1,916
Charger, installation, and five years of electricity on EDF GoElectric, at 10,000 miles a year.
Less £500 if you qualify for the OZEV grant.
Against the field
How it compares.
Against the Sync Energy Wall Charger 2: same 7.4 kW, same app, same three-year warranty; the Wall Charger 2 is cheaper, tethered and talks to Intelligent Go, the Link is the one you can hide. Against the Andersen A3, the other charger bought for its looks: the Andersen hides the cable behind a door and costs more than twice as much; the Link hides the whole charger. Against the Ohme ePod at £949 installed: the Ohme is smaller, integrates with every supplier and comes fitted for about what a Link costs fitted, but it is still a box on the wall. The Link's case rests entirely on the finish and on the installer-friendly box; judged as a smart charger, it trails its own stablemate.
Cross-shopped with
What we loved
- PlusThe slimmest finish in the UK: a 37 mm recessed socket plate, with the electronics up to 50 m away in a box
- PlusMetal kit has the RCD, MCB and surge protector pre-fitted — no consumer-unit work, no earth rod
- PlusWi-Fi, Ethernet and optional 4G, plus OCPP 1.6J; CT clamp for load balancing and solar in the box
- PlusOctopus Go and Agile schedule modes and tariff cost tracking in a well-rated app (4.8 on the App Store)
- PlusAll eight part numbers OZEV-approved; UK support in Telford
- PlusDie-cast aluminium outlet, IP65, IK10 on the metal box
What we didn't
- MinusNo Intelligent Octopus Go, OVO or E.ON integration — unlike the cheaper Wall Charger 2 from the same company
- MinusThree-year warranty where Rolec, Zaptec and NexBlue offer five
- MinusSocket only; no tethered version
- MinusInternal meter is not MID-certified
- MinusLaunched 2025 — very little owner feedback yet, and Sync's Trustpilot carries older app complaints
- MinusRecessed installation means core-drilling and making good, which pushes quotes up
After the evidence
Ask installers to price this exact charger.
The installation brief carries Sync Energy Link as your preference, together with the property and parking details needed for a useful response.
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