Easee One vs Zaptec Go 2

> V2G boundary: A “V2G-ready” label or ISO 15118 support does not by itself provide bidirectional power conversion, export approval or a live energy service. Confirm the compatible car, genuinely bidirectional hardware, certified complete system, installer, service and network approval before assigning value to the claim. Read the UK V2G explainer.

The £149 question between two untethered boxes

The Easee One and Zaptec Go 2 share more DNA than either brand would like to admit. Both are untethered Type 2 sockets. Both include subscription-free 4G. Both carry IP54 ratings and sit in the compact-and-light camp. On a standard single-phase supply, both charge at 7.4kW — the same rate, the same overnight result.

The difference is £149 and a bet on the future.

• Easee One — £489. The lightest wall unit at 1.5 kg, with built-in RCD and open-PEN detection that typically shaves £100–£200 off your electrician's bill. A charger that does its job today, cheaply.
• Zaptec Go 2 — £638. An AC charger marketed as V2G-ready because it publishes ISO 15118 communication support, with a MID-approved energy meter and five-year warranty. A charger that might do more tomorrow.

What V2G readiness actually buys you in 2026

V2G — vehicle-to-grid — lets your car sell stored energy back to the grid when prices peak. On paper, it is the future of home energy. In practice, UK V2G remains a pilot-stage technology. The number of compatible vehicles is small. The tariff products that would make it financially worthwhile are scarce. The regulatory framework is still being written.

The Zaptec Go 2 publishes ISO 15118 communication support, but Zaptec says it cannot currently be registered as a UK V2G installation and requires a certified complete system. That does not guarantee the present charger will avoid future hardware changes. On a single-phase home, both chargers deliver identical 7.4kW charging in the meantime.

If V2G readiness is the draw, it is also worth knowing the Indra Smart PRO sits at £395 and has been running V2G trials longer than most. The comparison between those two is a more direct contest on that front.

The Easee's install advantage is real money

The Easee One weighs 1.5 kg. The Zaptec Go 2 weighs 3.2 kg. Both are light by the standards of the market, but the Easee's real trick is what sits inside: a Type B RCD and open-PEN detection, baked in. Most other chargers — the Zaptec included — require the electrician to fit these components separately in the consumer unit. That labour and those parts typically add £100–£200 to the install bill.

Run the arithmetic. The Easee One at £489, with perhaps £100–£200 saved on install, lands at a total outlay of roughly £690–£890. The Zaptec Go 2 at £638, without that saving, lands at roughly £1,040–£1,240. The real-world gap between the two is often closer to £250–£350 than the headline £149.

Both chargers are OZEV-approved, so eligible renters and flat owners can claim the £500 grant. On the Easee, that grant covers the unit outright and chips into the install. On the Zaptec, it knocks the hardware down to £138 — still leaving a larger install bill.

Neither charger is smart about your tariff

This is the shared weakness. Neither the Easee One nor the Zaptec Go 2 has a direct tariff API. Both offer scheduled charging through their respective apps — set a start time, set a stop time — but neither will chase half-hourly price movements on Octopus Agile or respond to signals from OVO Charge Anytime.

On a fixed off-peak tariff like Octopus Go — 8.5p/kWh between 00:30 and 05:30 — manual scheduling is perfectly adequate. Set it once, forget it. But if tariff optimisation matters to you, the Ohme Home Pro at £539 sits between these two on price and handles the tariff side automatically. The Ohme vs Easee comparison covers that trade-off in detail.

The Zaptec's MID meter and warranty

Two things the Zaptec does offer today, not tomorrow. Its MID-approved energy meter provides legally certified readings — useful if you claim business mileage or need to bill a landlord. The Easee's meter is functional but not MID-certified. And the Zaptec carries a five-year warranty against the Easee's three. Over a five-year ownership period, that extra cover has tangible value, particularly on a £638 unit.

The OCPP 1.6J compliance is a quieter advantage. It means the Zaptec can plug into third-party energy management platforms — a feature that matters more to commercial or multi-unit setups than to a single driveway, but a mark of the Go 2's more open architecture.

Which to buy

Buy the Easee One if:

• You want the lowest total cost — hardware plus install — for a reliable 7.4kW untethered charger
• Your home is single-phase and you have no plans to upgrade
• You charge on a fixed off-peak tariff and manual scheduling is fine

Buy the Zaptec Go 2 if:

• You believe V2G will be usable within five years and want the hardware in place
• You need a MID-certified meter for billing or reimbursement
• You have, or plan to get, a three-phase supply and want 22kW capability

For the majority of UK driveways — single-phase, no V2G ambitions, a straightforward off-peak schedule — the Easee One does the same daily job for less money, and its integrated protection makes the install cheaper too. The Zaptec Go 2 is a considered purchase for a specific kind of buyer: one who is planning for a grid that does not quite exist yet. That is not a criticism. It is just an honest description of where the £149 goes.