EcoFlow PowerPulse 2 vs CTEK Chargestorm Connected 3

£432 apart, built for different walls

Both the EcoFlow PowerPulse 2 and the CTEK Chargestorm Connected 3 support three-phase 22kW charging — a feature still rare enough in the UK residential market to narrow the field considerably. They share an untethered Type 2 socket design. That is roughly where the resemblance ends.

• EcoFlow PowerPulse 2 — £654. A solar-and-battery ecosystem charger, at its best when paired with EcoFlow's PowerOcean home battery. Smart Mode, Solar Mode, LCD, three-year warranty. OZEV approval unconfirmed.
• CTEK Chargestorm Connected 3 — £1,086. A commercial-grade unit dressed in residential clothing. MID-approved meter, built-in MRCD Type B, five-year warranty, OZEV-approved. No first-party smart-tariff app.

What the CTEK's £432 buys you

The gap is large enough to demand justification, so here is what sits inside the CTEK that the EcoFlow lacks.

First, a built-in MRCD Type B providing 30 mA AC and 30 mA DC fault protection. Most 7 kW chargers require the installer to fit an external Type B RCD in the consumer unit — a component that typically adds £100–£200 to the install bill. The CTEK eliminates that line item. Second, a MID-approved, Eichrecht-compliant energy meter. For a private driveway, this is a curiosity; for a landlord billing tenants or a small business reclaiming mileage, it is a legal requirement. Third, OCPP 2.0.1 and ISO 15118 plug-and-charge readiness — protocols that matter more over a five-year horizon than they do today, but which the EcoFlow's 1.6-J compliance does not cover.

The CTEK also carries an IK10 impact rating and weighs up to 24 kg — built, quite plainly, like a car-park unit bolted to a house. Its five-year warranty is two years longer than the EcoFlow's three.

Whether those features are worth £432 depends on who you are. A homeowner charging one car overnight will extract almost no value from MID metering or IK10 impact resistance. A landlord with a shared parking area, or someone planning to claim business mileage, might extract plenty.

Smart tariffs — neither charger excels

This is the pair's shared weakness. The EcoFlow's Smart Mode handles dynamic tariff scheduling through its own app, and it can automate charging around off-peak windows on tariffs like Octopus Go or EDF GoElectric. That is adequate — but it lacks direct integration with Octopus Intelligent Go or OVO Charge Anytime, where the charger and supplier talk to each other to unlock extra off-peak slots.

The CTEK is worse off. It has no first-party scheduling app at all. Owners must route everything through a third-party OCPP back-end like Monta. That is functional, but it is not the polished tariff-aware experience offered by the Ohme Home Pro at £539 or the Hypervolt Home 3 Pro at £625.

If smart-tariff behaviour is your primary concern, neither of these chargers is the right answer. Both are three-phase-capable hardware bought for other reasons.

The EcoFlow's real argument: its ecosystem

The PowerPulse 2 exists to complete a set. If you own — or are about to buy — an EcoFlow PowerOcean battery and solar inverter, this charger lets you manage solar generation, battery storage, household load, and EV charging from a single app. Solar Mode diverts surplus generation to the car before exporting. The LCD on the unit confirms charge status without opening a phone.

Outside that ecosystem, the EcoFlow's case weakens. At £654, it costs more than the myenergi Zappi GLO (£599, OZEV-approved, mature solar diversion) and the Zaptec Go 2 (£638, OZEV-approved, OCPP 2.0.1). Both have longer UK track records and confirmed grant eligibility. The EcoFlow's unconfirmed OZEV status is a meaningful risk — £500 is a large sum to leave on the table. Solar households without existing EcoFlow kit will find the Zappi GLO vs PowerPulse 2 comparison more useful.

The grant question

The CTEK Chargestorm Connected 3 was OZEV-approved in December 2024. Eligible renters and flat owners can claim the £500 grant, bringing the effective unit price to £586 — still above the EcoFlow's £654 list price, but the gap shrinks from £432 to £86 after the grant, assuming the EcoFlow remains ineligible.

That conditional matters. If EcoFlow secures approval, the arithmetic changes; if it does not, the CTEK becomes the cheaper OZEV-compliant three-phase option for grant-eligible buyers. Confirm the EcoFlow's status before committing.

The verdict

Buy the EcoFlow PowerPulse 2 if:

• You already own or are buying EcoFlow PowerOcean solar and battery kit
• You want an on-unit LCD and a first-party app with Solar Mode
• You are on single-phase now but may upgrade to three-phase later, and £654 is your ceiling

Buy the CTEK Chargestorm Connected 3 if:

• You need MID-approved metering for billing or business mileage claims
• You want built-in Type B RCD protection to simplify the install
• You are grant-eligible and want confirmed OZEV approval today, not a promise

For a private driveway with an EcoFlow battery on the wall, the PowerPulse 2 is the obvious pick — £432 cheaper, tightly integrated, and adequate on its own merits. For everyone else considering three-phase hardware, the Zaptec Go 2 at £638 deserves a look before either of these two.