For most drivers the tethered charger wins: the cable is always on the wall and plugging in takes seconds. It usually costs about £50 more. Pod Point’s Solo 3S is £999 untethered or £1,049 tethered, installed.[2] Ohme charges £949 for the untethered ePod and £999 for the tethered Home Pro with a 5m cable.[1] Untethered suits you if you want a cleaner wall or may need a different cable length later.
- Tethered premium (Pod Point Solo 3S)
- £50£1,049 tethered vs £999 untethered, installed
- Ohme Home Pro (tethered, 5m cable)
- £999From price incl standard install, July 2026
- Ohme ePod (untethered)
- £949From price incl standard install, July 2026
- Typical installed cost range
- £800-£1,300July 2026 comparison guides
What do tethered and untethered actually mean?
A tethered charger has its cable wired in at the factory. It hangs on the unit or a holster, and on standard units the length is usually 5m: the Ohme Home Pro, for example, comes tethered with a 5m cable.[1] You park, lift the connector off the wall and plug in.
An untethered charger is a socket. Nothing hangs on the wall between charges; you keep your own Type 2 cable, plug one end into the unit and the other into the car. It is the same cable you would use at a public AC post, so plenty of drivers carry one in the boot anyway.
The connector is not part of the decision. Nearly all new UK EVs charge on AC through a Type 2 connector, so both types of unit end in the same plug. Nor is speed: a 7.4kW unit delivers 7.4kW either way, and what that means in miles is covered in EV charging speeds explained.
How much does each cost?
On the manufacturers’ own sites in July 2026, tethered costs slightly more where you can compare like for like. Pod Point sells the Solo 3S at £999 untethered and £1,049 tethered, both including standard installation, which makes the built-in cable a £50 option. The same unit is also available at £34 a month for 36 months with £99 upfront.[2]
Ohme’s pricing points the same way, although its two models are different products rather than one unit in two versions. The untethered ePod starts at £949 installed; the tethered Home Pro starts at £999 with its 5m cable.[1]
Installed price, popular home chargers, July 2026
Across the wider market, July 2026 comparison guides put a fully installed home charger at £800 to £1,300.[3] The tether decision moves the price by tens of pounds; the installation moves it by hundreds. What counts as a standard install, and what pushes a quote past it, is in our guide to how much an EV charger costs to install at home.
Why do most buyers pick tethered?
Because home charging is a routine, and tethered strips the friction out of it. The cable lives on the wall, already connected at the charger end. Plugging in takes seconds, even in the dark with shopping in one hand. If you charge most nights, that small saving repeats every single time.
The price of the convenience is fixed geometry. A 5m cable reaches a charge port 5m away and no further. If you park nose-in some days and reverse in on others, or the car sometimes sits beyond the driveway, the fixed length can become a daily irritation. The other cost is visual: a coiled cable and holster on show between charges, permanently.
When is untethered the better buy?
Choose untethered if the wall matters. A socket is small and tidy, with no cable on display between charges.
Choose it if your parking varies. You buy the cable separately in whatever length suits your space, and you can swap it for a longer one later without touching the installation.
Choose it if you want room for change. Type 2 covers nearly all new UK EVs, so connector obsolescence is a small risk, but a socket plus your own cable adapts more easily than a wired-in lead if the next car parks differently.
The trade is effort. Every charge means fetching the cable, connecting both ends and stowing it afterwards, wet or dry. Weigh that against your own patience honestly, because a nightly charger does it every night.
| Tethered | Untethered | |
|---|---|---|
| Cable | Built in, usually 5m | Bring your own, any length |
| Plugging in | Seconds | Connect and stow both ends each time |
| Wall between charges | Cable and holster on show | Small socket |
| Solo 3S price, installed | £1,049 | £999 |
| Best for | One car, one spot, nightly routine | Tidy walls, varied parking |
Which should you buy?
Tethered, if you have off-street parking, one household EV and a settled routine. The £50 premium on the Solo 3S buys a convenience you will use daily.[2]
Untethered, if the charger is on show, your parking position varies or you expect your cable needs to change. The hardware saving is small; the flexibility is the real reason to pick it.
Either way, keep the decision in proportion. The unit’s power rating sets your charging speed and the installation quote sets most of the price. The tether sets neither.