As electric vehicles become increasingly common across the South East, more homeowners are asking an important question: should I install a smart EV charger or a standard charger?
If you already have – or are planning – a solar PV system, the answer can significantly affect your running costs, self-consumption and long term return on investment.
This guide explains the differences clearly, with a focus on smart chargers, solar EV charging and how each option works alongside solar panels.
What Is a Standard EV Charger?
A standard EV charger, delivers power to your vehicle at a fixed rate whenever it is plugged in. It charges immediately when connected and there’s no communication between the charger and your home energy system.
A standard EV charger doesn’t allow for automation, scheduling or solar generation. While standard chargers are reliable and lower cost upfront, they are essentially an on/off device. If your car is plugged in during the evening, it will likely draw electricity from the grid, even if your solar panels produced surplus energy earlier in the day.
A standard EV charger is best suited for households without solar panels and those unconcerned about energy optimisation.
What Is a Smart EV Charger?
A smart charger uses software, connectivity and sensors to control when and how your EV charges. Rather than charging blindly, a smart charger can respond to solar generation levels and household electricity demand, adapting charging speeds accordingly.
A smart charger can also be integrated to work with time of use tariffs and solar battery storage, prioritising battery storage and overnight cheaper rates instead of peak rate grid electricity.
A smart charger has app-based control and monitoring, scheduled charging windows and dynamic load balancing. Solar only or solar priority is also available, integrating seamlessly with solar PV and battery storage systems.
Smart Charger vs Standard Charger: Side by Side Comparison
| Feature | Standard EV Charger | Smart EV Charger |
| Solar integration | No | Yes |
| App control | No | Yes |
| Off-peak scheduling | No | Yes |
| Solar-only charging | No | Yes |
| Energy monitoring | No | Yes |
| Grid dependency | High | Reduced |
Why Smart Chargers Pair Better with Solar Panels
Without a smart charger, excess solar energy often exports to the grid at a relatively lower rate than peak prices in the evenings. With a smart charger, that surplus can instead be diverted directly into your EV, helping you make the most of your solar generation, reducing grid reliance and lowering the cost per mile drive.
The more of your self-generated solar electricity you use the more your return on investment improves. In the South East – one of the UK’s highest solar yield regions – this optimisation can make a meaningful difference to annual savings.
Smart Chargers, Batteries and Whole Home Energy Control
When combined with battery storage, a smart charger becomes part of a fully integrated energy ecosystem. Solar panels generate electricity during daylight hours, household loads are prioritised with surplus power charging the battery or your EV. This reduces your reliance on expensive grid electricity, further benefiting your annual savings. For every kWh of your self-generated electricity you use, you prevent having to purchase expensive grid electricity during peak demand periods.
This approach aligns particularly well with modern time of use tariffs and future proofs your home as EV adoption and electricity costs continue to rise.
Are Smart EV Chargers Worth the Extra Cost?
While smart chargers typically cost more upfront than standard chargers, the lifetime savings often outweigh the difference, especially when paired with solar panel and battery storage systems.
Smart chargers can:
- Reduce grid electricity imports
- Increase usage of free, self-generated power
- Improve system flexibility as tariffs evolve
For solar homes in the South East, a smart charger is simply not just an EV accessory, it is a strategic energy upgrade.
Which Charger Is Right for Your Home?
Choose a standard charger if:
- You do not have solar panels and don’t plan to get them in the future
- You charge primarily overnight on a flat tariff
- You want the lowest upfront cost
Choose a smart charger if:
- You have or plan to install solar panels
- You want to maximise solar EV charging
- You value energy monitoring and automation
- You want to future proof your solar PV system
Smart EV Charging with SolarTherm UK
At SolarTherm UK, we design integrated solar PV systems and EV charging solutions tailored to homes across the South East. Whether you are adding an EV charger to an existing system or planning solar and EV charging together, we ensure every component works efficiently as one system.
Contact SolarTherm UK today for a free, no obligation quote and design, tailored to your property, usage and future energy needs. No hard sell, just honest, expert advice.
Your home. Your energy. Your future.
