myenergi Zappi GLO vs Indra Smart LUX

The £53 between a solar brain and an armoured slab

Two British-designed chargers, both OZEV-approved, both with solar diversion on the spec sheet. The myenergi Zappi GLO costs £599 and exists to wring every watt from your roof. The Indra Smart LUX costs £546, barely protrudes from the wall, and could survive being run over by a shopping trolley. The £53 gap is modest. The question is whether your roof — or the lack of one — makes the decision for you.

• Zappi GLO — the solar-first charger. Three diversion modes, deep ecosystem integration, £599 that only earns its keep with panels overhead.
• Indra Smart LUX — the slim, hard-wearing all-rounder. 78 mm deep, IP67, IK10, £546, broad tariff support, solar diversion included but not its defining act.

When the Zappi GLO earns its £53

The Zappi GLO's argument is Eco+ mode. Set it, and the car draws only what the panels are generating — nothing from the grid. On a decent summer day with a 4 kW array, that can mean 20–25 kWh of free charging. The Indra Smart LUX does offer solar diversion via its included CT clamp, but it is a single mode rather than the Zappi's graduated trio (Fast, Eco, Eco+). If you want to fine-tune exactly how much grid top-up you allow, the Zappi gives you that dial.

Beyond the charger itself, the myenergi ecosystem matters. Pair the Zappi with an eddi to divert surplus to your hot-water tank, or a libbi home battery, and you have a single app governing where every spare watt goes. The Indra sits alone — capable, but not part of a broader energy platform. For households already running myenergi kit, the Zappi is the obvious addition. For those considering a full solar-plus-storage setup, the GivEnergy EV Charger at £444 is also worth a look if you are already in the GivEnergy battery world — though its solar diversion is less sophisticated.

Without panels, none of this applies. The Zappi GLO becomes an expensive smart charger that does less on tariff optimisation than cheaper alternatives. On Octopus Intelligent Go, for instance, the Ohme Home Pro at £539 negotiates extra off-peak slots the Zappi cannot access. If your primary goal is cheap overnight electricity rather than free daytime solar, the Zappi's premium buys you nothing.

The Indra's case: thinner, tougher, cheaper to install

The Smart LUX's physical spec is striking. At 78 mm deep and 3.6 kg, it sits almost flush against the brickwork — useful if the charger must live in a narrow passage or a garage with tight clearances. IP67 means it can survive brief submersion; IK10 means it can take a serious knock. No other home charger on the site matches both ratings.

The install story is quietly significant too. Built-in SPD and PEN fault detection mean your electrician does not need to supply and wire those components separately — Indra claims that typically saves £150 or more in labour. Combined with the lower unit price, the total cost of ownership gap between the two chargers can stretch well beyond the £53 headline difference.

On tariff integration, Indra claims compatibility with over 1,000 UK energy tariffs, including half-hourly scheduling for variable rates like Octopus Agile. That is broad coverage. The caveat: 4G connectivity is a £250 add-on, where the Ohme Home Pro includes its SIM in the box. If your Wi-Fi reaches the driveway, this is irrelevant. If it does not, the cost adds up.

Three-phase and flexibility

One spec the Indra cannot match: the Zappi GLO offers a 22 kW three-phase option. Fewer than one in twenty UK homes have three-phase supply, but if yours does — or if you are planning a commercial install with RFID access for up to 126 users — the Zappi covers ground the Indra does not. The Smart LUX is single-phase, 7.4 kW, tethered only. The Zappi is available tethered or untethered, which matters if you share a charger between vehicles with different connector preferences.

Which to buy

Buy the myenergi Zappi GLO if:

• You have solar panels and want granular control over how much grid power supplements your charge
• You are already in — or planning — the myenergi ecosystem with eddi or libbi
• You need three-phase charging or an untethered option

Buy the Indra Smart LUX if:

• You do not have solar panels and want a smart charger with broad tariff support for £53 less
• Wall depth or physical resilience matters — a narrow side-return, an exposed driveway, a shared car park
• You want built-in SPD and PEN fault detection to keep install costs down

For most single-phase homes without solar, the Indra Smart LUX is the more rational purchase. It costs less, installs cheaper, takes up less wall, and survives more punishment. The Zappi GLO is the better charger if and only if your roof is generating the electricity to justify it. Panels on the roof — buy the Zappi. No panels — save the £53 and buy the Indra.