Sync Energy Wall Charger 2 vs Andersen Quartz

£272 and a coat of paint

The Sync Energy Wall Charger 2 costs £400. The Andersen Quartz costs £672. That is a £272 gap — enough to cover a standard installation on the cheaper unit. Both charge at roughly 7 kW on a single-phase supply. Both include solar diversion via CT clamp, built-in PEN fault protection, and IP65 weatherproofing. The question, stripped bare, is whether the Andersen's finish and warranty justify paying nearly 70% more for a charger that does the same electrical job.

• Sync Energy Wall Charger 2 — £400, 7.5-metre cable, three-year warranty, nine fascia colours, OZEV-approved.
• Andersen Quartz — £672, 5.5-metre cable (8.5 m for £99 extra), seven-year warranty, eleven finishes plus wood and carbon inserts, OZEV status unconfirmed.

What the Sync Energy gets you for less

Feature for feature, the Sync Energy is difficult to argue against. Its 7.5-metre tethered cable is longer than anything else on the market — longer than the Tesla Wall Connector's 7.3 m, and a full two metres longer than the Quartz's standard 5.5 m. Reaching the Quartz's 8.5 m option adds £99 to an already higher price, pushing the total gap past £370.

The Sync Energy also offers OCPP 1.6J support, dynamic load balancing, and Ethernet connectivity alongside Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. The Quartz has Wi-Fi and Bluetooth only. Both chargers integrate with Intelligent Octopus Go for smart off-peak scheduling; the Quartz adds OVO Charge Anytime compatibility. Neither can track half-hourly price movements on Octopus Agile — for that, the Ohme Home Pro at £539 remains the charger to buy.

One genuine caveat on the Sync Energy: user reports of patchy Wi-Fi reliability. If your charger sits far from the router, specifying the 4G variant removes the worry. The Quartz, with only 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi, offers no such fallback.

The Andersen's case: warranty and kerb appeal

The Quartz's strongest card is its seven-year warranty — more than double the Sync Energy's three years. Over a decade of ownership, that difference has real value. If a relay fails in year five, the Andersen owner phones for a replacement; the Sync Energy owner reaches for a credit card. The only other charger in the catalogue matching seven years is the Andersen A3, and that costs £900.

Then there is the look of the thing. Eleven standard colours, optional Accoya wood and carbon-fibre inserts — the Quartz is designed to sit on a period-property wall without embarrassment. The Sync Energy's nine interchangeable fascia plates are a decent effort, but the materials and proportions are not in the same league. If your driveway faces the street and you care about what visitors see, the Andersen earns some of its premium on aesthetics alone.

But aesthetics alone do not justify £272. Not when the cheaper charger has a longer cable, more connectivity options, and broader smart-tariff scheduling tools.

The grant question

The Sync Energy Wall Charger 2 is OZEV-approved. Eligible renters and flat owners can claim the £500 grant, which covers the £400 unit outright and contributes to installation costs too. The Andersen Quartz is not confirmed on the current approved list — meaning the grant is not guaranteed. For a grant-eligible buyer, the Sync Energy's all-in cost could be substantially lower than the sticker price, while the Quartz remains at £672 plus installation. That widens an already wide gap.

Which to buy

Buy the Sync Energy Wall Charger 2 if:

• You want the most charger for the least money — solar diversion, PEN protection, 7.5-metre cable, £400.
• You are eligible for the OZEV grant and want the unit cost covered entirely.
• You value Ethernet and OCPP support, or plan to specify the 4G variant for reliability.

Buy the Andersen Quartz if:

• A seven-year warranty matters more than upfront savings.
• Finish and material quality are a priority — you want wood or carbon inserts and a compact, refined housing.
• You are already on OVO Charge Anytime and want native integration without switching supplier.

For most buyers, the Sync Energy is the right call. It does everything the Quartz does electrically, adds a longer cable and more connectivity, and costs £272 less. The Andersen is a handsome object with a reassuring warranty — but £272 is a lot to pay for peace of mind and a nice finish when the cheaper charger already charges the car identically. If the warranty gap bothers you but the Andersen price does not appeal, the Simpson & Partners Home 7 offers ten years of cover at £649 — worth a look.