Ohme Home Pro vs Andersen A3: Smart Savings or Stunning Design?

Smart Savings vs Stunning Design: Two Very Different Approaches to Home Charging

The Ohme Home Pro and Andersen A3 both deliver 7.4kW single-phase charging through a tethered Type 2 cable — so electrically, they'll charge your Tesla at exactly the same speed. But that's where the similarities end. These two chargers represent fundamentally different philosophies: the Ohme is an intelligence-first charger built to squeeze every penny out of your energy tariff, while the Andersen is a design-first charger built to look breathtaking on your wall.

The price gap is significant — £460 separates them at the unit level alone. That's enough to cover your installation costs or pay for months of charging. So the question becomes: is the Andersen's premium craftsmanship and industry-leading warranty worth nearly double the price? Or does the Ohme's smart tariff wizardry make it the smarter investment? Let's dig in.

In a nutshell:

• Ohme Home Pro (£535): The UK's smartest tariff-integrated charger, officially recommended by Octopus Energy and capable of slashing your charging costs to as little as 7p/kWh.
• Andersen A3 (£995): A beautifully crafted British charger with 247 colour and finish combinations, a hidden cable system, and a class-leading 7-year warranty.

Spec Comparison

Smart Tariff Integration

This is where the Ohme Home Pro genuinely earns its keep. It doesn't just support smart tariffs — it's the charger that Octopus Energy officially recommends for their Intelligent Go tariff, which offers electricity at roughly 7p/kWh during a generous off-peak window. The Ohme integrates directly with Octopus, OVO, and other smart tariff providers, automatically scheduling your charging sessions during the cheapest half-hour slots without you lifting a finger.

As viablepower.co.uk notes, the Ohme can even adapt in real time — if energy prices spike unexpectedly during your usual charging window, it postpones charging until rates drop again. The app provides detailed cost breakdowns per session, showing you exactly what you've saved compared to standard rates. For a typical Tesla Model 3 owner covering 7,400 miles a year (roughly 2,114 kWh), the difference between charging at 7p/kWh on Intelligent Go versus a standard 24p/kWh rate is approximately £360 per year.

The Andersen A3 does support smart tariffs including Octopus Intelligent Go and OVO Charge Anytime, so it's not without capability here. But its integration is competent rather than class-leading — you won't get the same depth of real-time price tracking or the dynamic responsiveness that makes the Ohme so effective at minimising costs. If smart tariff optimisation is your priority, the Ohme is in a different league.

Build Quality and Design

Here, the tables turn dramatically. The Andersen A3 is, quite simply, the most beautiful home EV charger you can buy in the UK. With 247 colour and finish combinations — spanning metals, woods, and custom colours — it's designed to complement your home rather than clutter it. The anodised aluminium construction feels genuinely premium, and the hidden cable system is a clever touch that stores the entire 5.5m cable inside the unit when not in use, keeping your driveway or garage looking immaculate.

The Ohme Home Pro is by no means ugly — it's compact at 170mm × 200mm × 100mm and weighs just 3.5 kg, roughly half the Andersen's 7.5 kg. Its colour display is a practical addition that shows charging status at a glance. But it's a functional design rather than an aspirational one. electriccarguide.co.uk gave the Ohme a 9/10 for design and durability, praising its sleek, compact form — but even they'd likely concede that the Andersen is playing a different game aesthetically.

If your charger sits prominently on the front of your house, visible from the street or your front door, the Andersen makes a genuine statement. If it's tucked away in a garage or on a side wall, you're paying nearly double for a beauty contest nobody will see.

Connectivity and Reliability

The Ohme Home Pro has a meaningful advantage here: built-in 4G connectivity with a SIM card included for three years. This means your charger stays connected and responsive to tariff signals even if your home Wi-Fi drops out overnight — precisely when most smart charging happens. As viablepower.co.uk highlights, this level of reliability is a genuine game-changer for anyone relying on fluctuating energy prices.

The Andersen A3 relies solely on Wi-Fi. For most homes with a decent router, this is perfectly fine. But if your charger is mounted on an external wall far from your router, or your broadband is occasionally temperamental, there's a risk that your smart charging schedule won't execute as planned. It's not a dealbreaker, but it's worth considering — especially given the Andersen's premium price point.

The Ohme also edges ahead on weatherproofing with an IP65 rating (fully protected against water jets from any direction) versus the Andersen's IP54 (protected against splashing water). Both are perfectly adequate for UK conditions, but the Ohme offers that extra margin of protection for exposed installations.

Solar Integration

Both chargers support solar integration, which is increasingly important as more UK homeowners pair rooftop panels with their EVs. The Ohme Home Pro has solar diverting built in, meaning it can automatically use surplus solar generation to charge your car during the day rather than exporting it back to the grid. This is a genuinely useful feature if you work from home or your car is parked during daylight hours.

The Andersen A3 also offers solar integration via its app, though the data provided doesn't detail the same level of built-in solar diverting capability. Both will work with a solar setup, but the Ohme's approach appears more deeply integrated into the charger's core functionality.

Price and Value

The value equation here is stark. You could buy an Ohme Home Pro, have it professionally installed, and still have change from what the Andersen A3 costs as a unit alone. And the Ohme's smart tariff savings compound over time — at roughly £360 per year saved on an Octopus Intelligent Go tariff versus standard rates, the Ohme effectively pays for itself within the first year.

The Andersen counters with its extraordinary 7-year warranty — more than double the Ohme's 3 years — which provides genuine long-term peace of mind and reduces the risk of unexpected replacement costs. That warranty is a real differentiator and partially justifies the premium for buyers who plan to stay in their home long-term.

Who Should Buy Which?

Buy the Ohme Home Pro if:

• You're on (or planning to join) a smart energy tariff like Octopus Intelligent Go or OVO Smart Charge
• Minimising your per-kWh charging cost is your top priority
• Your charger is in a garage or on a side wall where aesthetics aren't critical
• You want built-in 4G backup so smart charging works even if your Wi-Fi drops
• You have solar panels and want built-in solar diverting

Buy the Andersen A3 if:

• Your charger will be prominently visible on the front of your house and appearance matters to you
• You want a charger that matches your home's style from 247 finish options
• A 7-year warranty and premium aluminium build quality give you confidence in longevity
• You appreciate the hidden cable system for a tidy, clutter-free installation
• You're less concerned about squeezing every penny from your energy tariff

Our recommendation: For most UK Tesla owners, the Ohme Home Pro is the better buy. The £460 saving at the unit level is significant, and the smart tariff integration will save you hundreds of pounds per year — money that dwarfs the price difference over any reasonable ownership period. The 4G connectivity, superior weatherproofing, and solar diverting add practical value that the Andersen simply can't match at its price point. However, if your charger is front-and-centre on a period property or a carefully designed modern home, and you genuinely care about how it looks every time you pull into the drive, the Andersen A3 is the only charger on the market that treats design as a first-class feature. Just go in with your eyes open about what that £995 is really buying you.

Read our full Ohme Home Pro review or Andersen A3 review.

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