Tethered vs untethered EV chargers — pros and cons

Tethered wallboxes arrive with a lead attached. Untethered units are a socket: you use your own Type 2 cable. Several rows in our catalogue are marked both — the manufacturer sells either. Easee One is untethered only. Andersen A2 is tethered.

Pick the cable length against the parking bay. We do not publish a price gap between the two.

Get a quote. We pass the enquiry to opted-in OZEV-authorised electricians. We do not promise a number of quotes, a reply time, or a public installer list. Name tethered or socket, and the parking place, if you already know.

What the words mean

Tethered means the lead lives on the wallbox. You walk up and plug the car in. You do not keep a separate home cable in the boot. The trade-off is a cable on the wall when you are not charging, unless that model hides it. Andersen A2’s catalogue copy says the cable hides inside the unit.

Untethered means a socket on the wall. You bring the Type 2 lead that came with the car, or another lead you already own. The wall stays tidier. You can also keep a different lead if an older car still has a Type 1 inlet. See Type 1 vs Type 2.

Neither choice changes the dedicated circuit from the consumer unit. That install cable is a different length.

“most people pick tethered” rate, a measured time saving, or a pounds gap are not quoted here.

What the catalogue actually lists

Flags below are from the current catalogue YAML. They are product options, not a fitted quote.

Both (tethered or socket): homepage cards Ohme Home Pro, MyEnergi Zappi, and Hypervolt Home 3, plus Pod Point Solo 3 and Wallbox Pulsar Plus. If you want one of those, say which version you mean.

Untethered only examples: Easee One, Easee Charge, Ohme ePod, Zaptec Go, Zaptec Go 2, and NexBlue Edge.

Tethered only examples: Andersen A2, Hive Sync Energy 2, Humax MX7, Indra Smart Lux, Fox ESS EV Charger, Hypervolt Home 3 Pro, and GivEnergy EV Charger.

Catalogue From figures are hardware RRP, not a fitted total, and they are not a tethered-versus-socket premium. We do not pick a winner.

Cable length is not the install run

Where our catalogue lists a tethered length, the figures are 5 m, 6 m, 7 m, or 7.5 m:

• 5 m: Fox ESS EV Charger, Hypervolt Home 3 Pro, GivEnergy EV Charger
• 6 m: Indra Smart Lux
• 7 m: Humax MX7
• 7.5 m: Hive Sync Energy 2

Many other rows have no printed length in our data.

5 m vs 7.5 m tethered cable is that list in longer form: six of 41 current rows print a length; a longer lead does not charge faster; pick it against the parking bay.

How far the charger sits from the fuse box is the dedicated circuit from the consumer unit to the wallbox. A 7.5 m tethered lead will not reach a board in the house if the unit is on a detached garage. The electrician still designs that run.

Pick the tethered length against the parking bay, not against the consumer unit.

Type 2 is the home connector

Home wallboxes in our catalogue are Type 2. That is the AC inlet on almost every new UK EV.

If the car is Type 1 — notably early Nissan Leafs — the lead has to match the car. An untethered socket does not magically become Type 1. You still need the right cable. Type 1 vs Type 2 is the matching page.

A grant eligibility notice does not choose tethered or socket for you. Eligible model and OZEV-authorised installer are the grant tests. See who still qualifies.

What a useful quote should name

A vague “7 kW unit, subject to survey” still hides the extras. What to expect from the quote is the list of lines to ask for: the exact model, tethered or socket, the tethered length if they priced one, the install cable run and the route they assumed, protective devices, whether consumer-unit work is included or excluded, certification, DNO notification, VAT, and anything they will not do.

A photo of the consumer unit with the cover off, and a photo of where the car parks, is usually enough for a first look at whether a 5 m lead reaches the inlet. They should still confirm it on the day against the real wall.

If you already picked a wallbox from the catalogue, say so. If the row is marked both, say which version.

Compare itemised lines if more than one opted-in installer replies. There is no ChargerFit SLA that you will get three quotes.

What this means when you send the form

Send the two photos. Name the parking place. Name tethered or socket if you already know.

How it works is the matching path. You book and pay the electrician. No deposit, no escrow, no promised reply time.