Smart charger features that actually matter
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Home chargers are sold on feature lists. Most of those features change nothing about your bill. Three of them change it a great deal.
The ones that matter
Reliable scheduling
The whole point. A cheap overnight tariff is worthless if the car charges the moment you plug in at 6pm.
Scheduling can live in the car or the charger. Charger-side is more reliable, because it does not depend on the car being awake, connected, or on the right firmware.
Look for: multiple windows, day-of-week rules, and — crucially — sensible behaviour after a power cut. A charger that forgets its schedule and defaults to charging immediately will cost you real money before you notice.
Tariff integration
Some chargers talk directly to a supplier's tariff and shift automatically as the cheap window moves. If your tariff has variable pricing rather than a fixed window, this is worth paying for.
Solar diversion
Only if you have panels — but if you do, it is the difference between using your generation and exporting it. Covered in solar and EV charging.
The ones that matter less
App design. You will use it during setup and then roughly never. A pretty app is not worth a worse schedule.
Energy monitoring dashboards. Pleasant. Your electricity supplier already tells you what you used.
Voice assistant support. A charger is not a thing you need to talk to.
"Future-proof" claims. Firmware promises are not features. Buy what it does now.
Things worth checking that are not features
Load balancing — if your home supply is tight, or you may add a second EV, this matters more than anything on the feature list.
Connectivity method. Wi-Fi only is a problem if your driveway has weak signal. Ethernet or cellular is more dependable.
Warranty length, and whether it covers the cable as well as the unit. A tethered charger with a damaged cable and a unit-only warranty is an expensive lesson.
Weather rating, if it will be fully exposed.
Buying order
Settle tethered or untethered first, then cable length, then scheduling reliability, then everything else. Get the first three right and the rest barely registers.
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In pictures
Common questions
Do I need a smart charger at all?
If you want a cheap overnight tariff, effectively yes — something has to schedule the session. The car can sometimes do it, but charger-side scheduling is more reliable.
About the author
ElectraMile EditorialEditorial desk
The ElectraMile editorial team covers charging, running costs and EV ownership for readers in the UK and US.
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Figures shown for United Kingdom in GBP. Switch market in the header to see local pricing and terminology.
