myenergi Zappi GLO vs Simpson & Partners Home 7

£599 for solar brains, £649 for the long game

These two chargers sit £50 apart and share almost nothing in philosophy. The myenergi Zappi GLO exists to turn your roof into a petrol station — its Eco+ mode feeds the car only when the panels are producing surplus, and nothing else at this price does that as cleanly. The Simpson & Partners Home 7 is a different proposition entirely: UK-manufactured aluminium, premium finishes, and a ten-year enclosure warranty that outlasts every rival on the market.

• Zappi GLO — £599. The solar charger. Three diversion modes, myenergi ecosystem integration, 6.5-metre cable.
• Simpson Home 7 — £649. The longevity charger. Anodised aluminium, Accoya wood or Cotswolds Green finishes, decade-long enclosure cover.

When the Zappi GLO earns every penny

If your roof has panels, the Zappi GLO is not a luxury — it is the obvious choice. Eco+ mode charges the car exclusively from surplus solar generation, meaning zero grid draw during daylight hours. Eco mode blends solar and grid to maintain a minimum charge rate. No other charger at £599 handles this natively without a separate CT clamp or third-party app logic.

The broader myenergi ecosystem matters too. Pair the Zappi with an eddi hot-water diverter and a libbi battery, and you have a single app governing where every spare watt goes. The Zappi GLO also has 35% lower embodied carbon than its predecessor, the Zappi 2.1 — a detail that sits well alongside a solar installation. For a deeper look at the solar-charger field, the best EV charger for solar guide covers the wider options.

Without panels, though, the case collapses. At £599, you are paying for solar intelligence you will never use. Buyers without solar should look at the Ohme Home Pro at £539 for tariff optimisation, or the Wallbox Pulsar Max at £513 for a compact, capable unit at a lower price.

The Simpson's quiet case: build quality and warranty

The Simpson & Partners Home 7 does not try to be clever. It tries to be permanent. The anodised aluminium enclosure carries a ten-year warranty — double what Andersen offers, and more than three times the Zappi's three-year cover. The internal electronics sit behind a separate three-year warranty, which is standard for the industry, but the shell itself is built to outlast two or three cars.

Design is the other draw. Cotswolds Green, brushed aluminium, Accoya wood — these are finishes chosen by people who care what the front of their house looks like. The Andersen A3 at £900 has a wider palette, but the Simpson undercuts it by £251 and still delivers a charger you would not hide around the side of the house. For anyone weighing the two, the Andersen A3 vs Simpson Home 7 comparison spells out the trade-offs.

The practical caveat: Simpson & Partners has a smaller installer network than myenergi. Confirm a local fitter is comfortable with the unit before ordering. This is not a deal-breaker, but it is a step you should not skip.

Smart tariff support — neither charger's strongest suit

Both chargers support smart tariffs, but neither is the best tool for the job. The Zappi GLO works with Octopus Go and similar fixed-window tariffs via scheduled charging, but on Intelligent Go it does not negotiate the extra off-peak slots that the Ohme Home Pro can access. The Simpson Home 7 supports Intelligent Octopus Go scheduling directly and handles EDF GoElectric on a timer — competent, not exceptional.

If half-hourly tariff chasing on Octopus Agile is your priority, neither charger is the right answer. The Ohme Home Pro remains the benchmark there. These two compete on other ground.

Which to buy

Buy the myenergi Zappi GLO if:

• You have solar panels — Eco+ mode pays for the charger in avoided grid costs
• You already own (or plan to buy) other myenergi kit like eddi or libbi
• You want a 6.5-metre tethered cable and IP65 weatherproofing

Buy the Simpson & Partners Home 7 if:

• Kerb appeal matters — you want a charger that looks like it belongs on the house
• A ten-year enclosure warranty gives you peace of mind over the long haul
• You do not have solar panels and the Zappi's diversion modes would go unused

For most buyers, the deciding question is on the roof, not on the wall. Panels installed or on order — buy the Zappi GLO at £599 and let Eco+ do its work. No panels, and you want something handsome and built to last — the Simpson at £649 is £50 well spent on a decade of not thinking about it.