myenergi Zappi GLO vs Indra Smart PRO: Solar Champion vs Smart Saver

Solar Champion vs Smart Saver: Two British Chargers Go Head to Head

Choosing between the myenergi Zappi GLO and the Indra Smart PRO is a genuinely interesting decision, because both are British-designed chargers that offer solar compatibility and smart tariff support — yet they take very different approaches to the same problem. The Zappi GLO is the undisputed king of solar diversion, backed by a mature ecosystem of energy products. The Indra Smart PRO, meanwhile, takes a more pragmatic route: include the extras that save you money on installation day, keep the price sensible, and position yourself for a V2G future that hasn't quite arrived yet.

If you have solar panels — or plan to install them — these two chargers will almost certainly appear on your shortlist. But even if you're purely charging from the grid on a smart tariff like Octopus Intelligent Go, both deserve consideration. Let's break down exactly where your money goes with each.

In a nutshell:

• myenergi Zappi GLO (£779): The best solar diversion charger you can buy, with three charging modes and a whole-home energy ecosystem behind it.
• Indra Smart PRO (£599): A practical, well-specced charger that includes surge protection and a CT clamp as standard, genuinely reducing your total installation cost.

Spec Comparison

Solar Diversion: Where the Zappi GLO Truly Shines

This is the category that justifies the Zappi GLO's existence — and its price premium. The Zappi offers three distinct charging modes: Fast (full power from the grid), Eco (a blend of solar surplus and grid top-up), and Eco+ (charges exclusively from surplus solar energy). That Eco+ mode is genuinely remarkable — it means you can charge your Tesla for free on sunny days, drawing only the energy your panels are producing beyond what your home needs. As electriccarguide.co.uk notes in their review, this solar integration is one of the Zappi's defining strengths, earning a 9/10 for performance.

The Indra Smart PRO does offer a solar mode, and it helpfully includes the CT clamp needed to monitor your generation — a component that some competitors charge extra for. But the implementation is more basic. You won't get the same granular control over how much grid power supplements your solar surplus, and there's no equivalent to the Eco+ pure-solar mode.

If you're part of the growing number of UK homeowners with rooftop solar, the Zappi GLO's solar capabilities are genuinely best-in-class. The myenergi ecosystem extends this further — pair it with an eddi hot water diverter or a libbi home battery, and you've got a comprehensive home energy management system. The Indra Smart PRO's solar mode is perfectly serviceable, but it's a feature rather than a specialism.

Smart Tariff Integration

Both chargers support smart tariff scheduling, which is essential if you're on one of the UK's EV-friendly energy plans. The Zappi GLO is confirmed compatible with Intelligent Octopus Go, as highlighted by autochain.co.uk and myenergi.com themselves — meaning it can automatically shift your charging to off-peak slots at around 7p/kWh, potentially saving you over £800 a year compared to standard rate charging.

The Indra Smart PRO also offers smart tariff integration with major UK providers, though Indra's smaller market presence means you may find fewer user reports and community guides for setting it up compared to the well-documented Zappi. Both chargers rely on Wi-Fi for their smart features — neither offers 4G as a backup, so a stable home Wi-Fi signal reaching your charger location is essential for both.

For the typical UK driver covering 7,400 miles annually in a Tesla Model 3 (roughly 2,114 kWh per year), charging on Octopus Intelligent Go at 7p/kWh would cost approximately £148 per year with either charger. The tariff savings dwarf any difference between the two units themselves.

Installation Considerations

Here's where the Indra Smart PRO claws back significant ground. It includes a surge protection device (SPD) as standard — a component that current UK regulations (BS 7671, 18th Edition) require for EV charger installations. If your consumer unit doesn't already have one, your electrician will need to add it, typically costing £100–£150 on top of the installation fee. The Zappi GLO doesn't include an SPD, so that's an additional cost you'll need to factor in.

The Indra also includes its CT clamp for solar monitoring in the box, while the Zappi's CT clamp (grid current sensor) comes supplied as standard too, as noted by electriccarguide.co.uk. Both chargers are OZEV-approved, so eligible renters and flat owners can claim up to £350 off their installation.

One practical difference worth noting: the Zappi GLO carries an IP65 rating, meaning it's fully protected against water jets from any direction. The Indra Smart PRO is rated IP54, which is still weatherproof for normal UK conditions but offers less protection against heavy, wind-driven rain. If your charger will be mounted on a particularly exposed wall, the Zappi's higher IP rating provides extra peace of mind.

The Zappi GLO is also slightly bulkier at 439mm × 282mm × 130mm compared to the Indra's more compact 340mm × 240mm × 115mm — worth considering if mounting space is tight.

Power and Charging Speed

On single-phase supplies — which covers the vast majority of UK homes — the Indra Smart PRO actually edges ahead with 7.4kW versus the Zappi GLO's 7kW. In practice, this difference is marginal: charging a 60kWh Tesla battery takes roughly 8.5 hours at 7kW versus about 8.1 hours at 7.4kW. You'll barely notice the difference overnight.

Where the Zappi GLO pulls ahead is its availability in a 22kW three-phase variant. If you're one of the small percentage of UK homes with a three-phase supply, this opens up significantly faster charging — around 2.7 hours for that same 60kWh battery. The Indra Smart PRO is single-phase only, with no three-phase option available.

Price and Value

When you factor in the included SPD, the Indra Smart PRO's effective unit cost drops to roughly £449–£499 — making the real-world gap between these two chargers closer to £280–£330 rather than the headline £180. That's a meaningful difference, and it only makes financial sense if you'll actually use the Zappi's superior solar features.

As evergy.co.uk lists, the Zappi GLO can be found from around £515 unit-only through some retailers, though the RRP from myenergi.com is £729 inc. VAT. Prices vary, so shop around.

Who Should Buy Which?

Buy the myenergi Zappi GLO if:

• You have solar panels and want the best possible solar diversion with Eco, Eco, and Eco+ modes
• You want to build a whole-home energy ecosystem with myenergi's eddi and libbi products
• You have a three-phase supply and want 22kW charging speeds
• You share a driveway or run a small business — RFID access for up to 126 users is genuinely useful
• You want the highest weatherproofing standard (IP65) for an exposed installation

Buy the Indra Smart PRO if:

• You want the lowest total installed cost — the included SPD saves you £100–£150
• You want a solid, British-made charger without paying for premium solar features you may not use
• You're interested in Indra's V2G roadmap and want to stay within their ecosystem
• You prefer a more compact unit for tighter mounting spaces
• You have solar panels but only need basic solar-aware charging rather than full diversion control

Our recommendation: For the majority of UK homeowners without solar panels, the Indra Smart PRO offers better value. Its included SPD genuinely reduces your total cost, and it delivers all the essential smart features — tariff scheduling, load balancing, and app control — at a lower price point. However, if you have solar panels or are planning to install them, the Zappi GLO is worth every penny of the premium. Its solar diversion capabilities are unmatched, and the broader myenergi ecosystem gives you a clear upgrade path for whole-home energy management. The right charger depends entirely on whether you're charging from the sun or from the grid.

Read our full myenergi Zappi GLO review or Indra Smart PRO review.

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