Function vs Form: What This Comparison Is Really About
The myenergi Zappi GLO and Andersen A3 sit at opposite ends of the "why would you spend more on a charger?" spectrum. One justifies its price through energy intelligence. The other justifies it through craftsmanship. They're both premium products, but the reasons for buying them have almost zero overlap.
In a nutshell:
- myenergi Zappi GLO (£599): The UK's best solar-integrated charger, with three diversion modes and a full energy ecosystem behind it
- Andersen A3 (£995): The UK's best-looking charger, with 247 finish options, a hidden cable system, and a market-leading 7-year warranty
Can the Andersen A3 Match the Zappi GLO for Solar?
No. And it's not close.
The Andersen A3 offers solar integration through its app — essentially, it can schedule charging to coincide with periods of solar generation. That's a software feature that several chargers offer. The Zappi GLO does something fundamentally different. Its Eco+ mode monitors your solar production in real time and only sends surplus energy to your car, meaning you can charge entirely for free on sunny days. Its standard Eco mode blends solar and grid power to keep charging speeds reasonable when the sun dips. This is hardware-level integration, especially when paired with the myenergi ecosystem — the eddi hot water diverter and libbi battery turn your entire home into an energy management system.
If you have solar panels, the Zappi GLO will pay back its £599 cost far faster than the Andersen will pay back its £995. If you're generating 4-5kW of surplus solar on a decent summer day, free charging sessions add up quickly.
Is the Andersen A3's Design Worth £396 More?
That depends entirely on where your charger lives. If it's tucked in a garage or round the side of the house, spending nearly a grand on aesthetics is hard to justify. But if your charger sits on the front of a period property or beside a carefully landscaped driveway, the Andersen makes a case no other charger can.
The 247 colour and finish combinations — metals, woods, custom colours — are genuinely unique in the market. The hidden cable system, which stores the full 5.5m cable inside the unit, eliminates the dangling-cable problem that plagues every other tethered charger. And the anodised aluminium body feels like a different class of product entirely compared to the Zappi GLO's plastic housing.
Then there's the warranty: seven years versus three. That's a significant gap. The Andersen's build quality and warranty together suggest a charger that's designed to outlast your current car — and possibly the one after that.
Where Neither Charger Excels: Smart Tariff Optimisation
Both the Zappi GLO and Andersen A3 support smart tariffs, including Octopus Intelligent Go. Both will let you schedule off-peak charging. But neither offers the granular, automatic tariff-chasing that the best smart chargers deliver. If you're on a variable tariff like Octopus Agile and want your charger to hunt for the cheapest half-hour slots without any input from you, you'd be better served by a dedicated smart tariff charger.
That said, most Tesla owners on Intelligent Go won't notice a difference — the Tesla app handles off-peak scheduling natively regardless of which charger you use.
A Quick Note on Practicalities
The Zappi GLO gives you a 6.5m tethered cable versus the Andersen's 5.5m. That extra metre matters more than you'd think — it's often the difference between reaching the charge port comfortably and having to reverse in at exactly the right angle. The Zappi also has a higher IP65 weatherproofing rating compared to the Andersen's IP54, making it the more robust outdoor installation. And the Zappi GLO offers a three-phase (22kW) option, though that's irrelevant for most UK homes.
Which Should You Buy?
Buy the myenergi Zappi GLO if:
- You have solar panels or plan to install them
- You want a charger that actively reduces your energy bills
- You're building out a myenergi ecosystem (eddi, libbi)
- You need RFID access for a shared driveway or small business
Buy the Andersen A3 if:
- Your charger is prominently visible and aesthetics matter to you
- You want the longest warranty available (7 years)
- You value premium build quality and a hidden cable system
- You don't have solar panels and don't plan to get them
For most Tesla owners reading this, the Zappi GLO is the smarter purchase — but only if you have solar. Without panels, its headline feature disappears and you're left with a £599 charger that's outperformed on software by cheaper alternatives. The Andersen A3 is a luxury product that knows exactly what it is. If kerb appeal is your priority and the budget doesn't sting, it delivers something no other charger on the market can.