Ohme Home Pro vs Pod Point Solo 3S: Smart Savings or Hassle-Free Install?

Smart Savings vs Hassle-Free: Two Very Different Approaches to Home EV Charging

The Ohme Home Pro and Pod Point Solo 3S both deliver 7.4kW charging through a Type 2 connector — the UK standard that works with every Tesla and every other modern EV. On paper, they look similar. In practice, they could hardly be more different in philosophy.

The Ohme Home Pro is built for drivers who want to squeeze every penny out of their electricity bill. Its deep integration with smart tariffs like Octopus Intelligent Go means it can automatically charge your car at rates as low as 7p/kWh, potentially saving hundreds of pounds a year. The Pod Point Solo 3S, by contrast, is the charger for people who just want the job done — one price, one phone call, professional installation included, and a market-leading five-year warranty for peace of mind.

If you're torn between these two, you're really asking yourself a fundamental question: do I want to actively optimise my charging costs, or do I want the simplest possible path from purchase to plugging in?

In a nutshell:

• Ohme Home Pro (£535): The UK's best charger for smart tariff savings, with built-in 4G, solar diverting, and automatic off-peak scheduling that can cut your charging costs by over 50%.
• Pod Point Solo 3S (£999): A hassle-free all-in-one package with installation included and a five-year warranty, backed by one of the UK's most established charging brands.

Spec Comparison

Smart Tariff Integration — The Ohme's Killer Feature

This is where the Ohme Home Pro genuinely pulls away from the competition, not just the Pod Point. The Ohme connects directly to smart energy tariffs via API, meaning it doesn't just let you schedule charging — it actively monitors real-time electricity prices and shifts your charging to the very cheapest slots automatically.

Pair it with Octopus Intelligent Go (around 7p/kWh off-peak) and the Ohme becomes, as electriccarguide.co.uk puts it, a charger "designed to minimize EV electricity usage and costs." For a Tesla Model 3 with a 60kWh battery, charging at 7p/kWh costs roughly £4.20 for a full charge — compared to around £16.80 at the current standard variable rate of 28p/kWh. Over a year of typical UK driving (roughly 7,400 miles), that difference adds up to approximately £250–£300 in savings.

The Pod Point Solo 3S offers scheduled charging through its app, so you can manually set it to charge overnight during off-peak hours on tariffs like Octopus Go (7.5p/kWh between 00:30 and 04:30). But there's no direct tariff integration — you're setting timers yourself rather than having the charger intelligently respond to pricing. On a simple two-rate tariff this works fine, but on variable tariffs like Octopus Agile, where prices change every 30 minutes, the Ohme's automated approach is vastly superior. As viablepower.co.uk notes, the Ohme "can postpone charging until rates drop again" — something the Pod Point simply cannot do.

App, Connectivity, and Reliability

The Ohme app is widely regarded as one of the best in the UK EV charging market. It provides detailed cost tracking per session, real-time charging updates, and full control over scheduling. The built-in colour display on the unit itself also shows charging status at a glance — handy if you just want to peek out the window rather than open an app. According to mcnallyev.uk, the Ohme app is "the most powerful option for UK users."

Crucially, the Ohme Home Pro includes a 4G SIM (covered for three years) alongside Wi-Fi. This dual connectivity means your smart charging schedules continue working even if your home broadband goes down overnight — a genuine concern if your router is at the opposite end of the house from your driveway. As viablepower.co.uk highlights, "even if your internet drops out, it can still follow your tariff rules."

The Pod Point app is functional but more basic. It handles scheduling and session history, but multiple sources describe it as lacking the depth of competitors. Connectivity is Wi-Fi only, which means if your signal is weak near your charging point, you may experience dropouts. There's no 4G fallback.

Installation and Warranty

Here's where the Pod Point Solo 3S makes its strongest case. The £999 price includes professional installation — you don't need to find an electrician, get quotes, or worry about hidden costs. Pod Point handles everything. For someone who simply wants to book online and have a working charger on their wall with minimal fuss, this is genuinely appealing.

The trade-off, however, is that you can't choose your installer. Pod Point assigns a third-party contractor from their network, and you have no say in who turns up or ability to check their reviews beforehand. You also can't buy the unit separately and use your own trusted electrician — it's Pod Point's way or not at all.

The Ohme Home Pro is sold as a unit only at £535, with installation typically costing £400–£500 through an independent installer. That gives you a total installed cost of roughly £935–£1,035 — broadly comparable to the Pod Point. But you get to choose your installer, read their reviews, and get competing quotes. Both chargers are OZEV-approved, so eligible renters and flat owners can claim up to £350 off.

On warranty, Pod Point wins clearly: five years versus Ohme's three. That extra two years of cover is meaningful, particularly for a device that lives outdoors year-round. The Ohme does counter with a superior IP65 weatherproofing rating compared to Pod Point's IP54, meaning it offers better protection against dust and water ingress.

Price and Value

On total installed cost, these two chargers land in a remarkably similar range. The Pod Point edges ahead on simplicity — one price, no variables. But the Ohme's smart tariff integration means it can recoup its cost far faster. If you're saving £250+ per year through automated off-peak charging on Octopus Intelligent Go, the Ohme effectively pays for itself within a year. The Pod Point, without tariff integration, will always charge at whatever rate you manually schedule — still cheaper than public charging, but leaving money on the table compared to the Ohme.

Who Should Buy Which?

Buy the Ohme Home Pro if:

• You're on (or planning to switch to) a smart energy tariff like Octopus Intelligent Go, Octopus Agile, or OVO Smart Charge
• You want automated, hands-off savings on every charging session
• You have solar panels and want built-in solar diverting
• Your Wi-Fi signal is weak near your parking spot — the 4G backup is invaluable
• You prefer to choose your own installer and get competing quotes

Buy the Pod Point Solo 3S if:

• You want a completely hassle-free experience — one price, one booking, job done
• You value a longer warranty (five years vs three)
• You want the option of an untethered charger for flexibility with multiple EVs
• You don't have a smart tariff and aren't planning to switch
• You'd rather deal with an established brand's end-to-end service than coordinate your own installation

Our recommendation: For most Tesla owners reading this site, the Ohme Home Pro is the better buy. The smart tariff integration alone can save you £250+ annually, and the combination of 4G connectivity, solar diverting, and a colour display makes it the more capable charger by a considerable margin. The total installed cost is comparable to the Pod Point, but you get far more functionality for your money. The Pod Point Solo 3S earns its place for buyers who genuinely prize convenience above all else — particularly those who don't want to engage with smart tariffs or source their own installer. Its five-year warranty and established brand reputation provide reassurance that's worth something. But in a world where energy costs keep climbing, the Ohme's ability to automatically find you the cheapest electricity is a compelling advantage that only grows over time.

Read our full Ohme Home Pro review or Pod Point Solo 3S review.

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