OCPP — the Open Charge Point Protocol — is the open communication standard that lets your home EV charger talk to any back-end management system, regardless of who made either one. For UK buyers, OCPP support is the difference between a charger that works with any smart tariff or energy system now and in the future, and one that locks you into a single supplier’s ecosystem indefinitely.
Key Takeaways
- OCPP is an open standard maintained by the Open Charge Alliance. It allows any compatible charger to communicate with any compatible back-end system, without proprietary lock-in.
- OCPP 1.6J is the version required for UK smart charging compliance and supports all current tariff integrations including Octopus Intelligent Go and similar off-peak scheduling services.
- Since 30 June 2022, all new residential and workplace chargers installed in Great Britain must include smart functionality under the Electric Vehicles (Smart Charge Points) Regulations 2021 — OCPP is the most common mechanism for delivering this.
- Not all chargers advertised as “smart” support OCPP. Many use proprietary protocols that only work with the manufacturer’s own app and back-end — this limits future flexibility.
- An OCPP-enabled charger lets you switch energy tariff or management system without replacing the hardware.
What Is OCPP?
OCPP stands for Open Charge Point Protocol. It is a communication standard that defines how a charging station (the hardware) sends data to and receives instructions from a central management system (CMS) — which might be an energy supplier’s platform, a solar management system, or a third-party smart charging service.
Without an open protocol, a charger can only communicate with its own manufacturer’s servers. If that manufacturer changes its terms, raises prices, discontinues the product, or simply stops supporting older hardware, you are left with a charger that cannot integrate with anything else.
With OCPP, the charger’s software layer is standardised. A different CMS can connect to it using the same protocol, without needing manufacturer cooperation. This is practically important for UK EV owners because the energy market changes frequently — tariff structures, smart charging partners, and load management systems all evolve, and OCPP gives your hardware the flexibility to keep up.
OCPP Versions Relevant to UK Buyers
OCPP 1.6J
The current standard for UK home smart charging compliance. OCPP 1.6J supports:
- Remote start and stop of charging sessions
- Smart scheduling and time-of-use tariff integration
- Real-time power output adjustment (smart charging profiles)
- Firmware updates over the air (FOTA)
- Basic metering and transaction reporting
All current UK tariff integrations — including Octopus Intelligent Go automatic scheduling — work over OCPP 1.6J. This is the version to confirm when buying a home charger.
OCPP 2.0.1
The next-generation version, which adds:
- ISO 15118 support (the protocol behind Plug & Charge, where the car authenticates automatically)
- Mandatory TLS encryption on all communications
- Vehicle-to-grid (V2G) messaging framework
- More granular smart charging profile options
OCPP 2.0.1 is not yet required for UK compliance, but chargers that support it are better positioned for V2G integration as the market develops. For day-to-day home charging in 2026, OCPP 1.6J is fully sufficient.
Why OCPP Matters for UK Smart Charging Regulations
The Electric Vehicles (Smart Charge Points) Regulations 2021, which came into force on 30 June 2022 for residential and workplace installations, require that new chargers:
- Default to avoiding charging during peak demand hours (8:00 to 11:00 and 16:00 to 22:00 on weekdays)
- Apply a randomised delay of up to 30 minutes to prevent simultaneous start-up across many chargers
- Include cybersecurity controls: secure communications, strong authentication, and tamper protection
- Support remote monitoring and adjustment
OCPP is not mandatory under the regulations — proprietary protocols can technically comply. However, OCPP 1.6J is the practical mechanism through which most compliant chargers deliver these requirements, and it provides the added benefit of interoperability.
If you are buying a charger and your installer cannot confirm whether it meets the 2021 Regulations, ask to see the manufacturer’s compliance certificate. Under the regulations, manufacturers are required to provide this documentation and register installations with the relevant authority.
The Difference Between OCPP and Proprietary Smart Charging
A charger described as “smart” or “connected” is not necessarily OCPP-compatible. Many popular home chargers use proprietary protocols that only work with the manufacturer’s own app and platform. This is not necessarily a problem in the short term — most proprietary platforms work well — but it creates risks:
- If the manufacturer is acquired, discontinues the platform, or changes its app pricing model, your smart charging features may be affected
- You cannot switch to a different energy management system (for example, moving from a proprietary app to a solar divert system) without replacing the charger
- Some tariffs and smart energy platforms only integrate with OCPP-compatible chargers, so your future tariff options may be limited
An OCPP charger with a genuine 1.6J endpoint — not just a proprietary OCPP wrapper — gives you the flexibility to connect to any compatible CMS, now or in the future.
UK Home Chargers With Genuine OCPP Support
The following chargers are confirmed to expose a genuine OCPP 1.6J endpoint, not a proprietary-only smart connection:
Zaptec Go 2 — Supports OCPP 1.6J and 2.0.1. Widely used in the UK and Scandinavian markets. Configurable endpoint accessible via local network or cloud, with TLS support. Well-suited to integration with third-party energy management systems.
Rolec EVO — British-built, supports OCPP 1.6J. Has a strong track record in both residential and commercial installations and is commonly specified by NICEIC-approved installers.
myenergi Zappi — Primarily designed for solar divert and myenergi ecosystem integration, but supports OCPP 1.6J for back-end connectivity. Used extensively with Octopus Intelligent Go integration in the UK.
Hypervolt Home 3 — OCPP 1.6J supported alongside the Hypervolt proprietary platform. Allows connection to third-party CMS if configured during installation.
Ohme Home Pro — Works with a wide range of UK energy tariffs including Octopus Intelligent Go via its own platform, with OCPP 1.6J available for direct integration.
When evaluating any charger for OCPP compliance, ask the manufacturer or installer to confirm:
- The exact OCPP version supported (1.6J minimum)
- Whether the OCPP endpoint is accessible directly (not only through the manufacturer’s cloud relay)
- Whether TLS is supported on the connection
For a full comparison of the best OCPP-compatible home chargers currently available in the UK, including detailed specification tables, see our guide to the best OCPP chargers in the UK.
OCPP and Solar Integration
For EV owners with solar panels, OCPP-compatible chargers enable more sophisticated integration than proprietary-only units. A solar energy management system — such as those from GivEnergy, myenergi (via the Hub), or Powerverse — can send charging commands via OCPP to adjust the charger’s output in real time based on solar generation, battery state of charge, and grid export rate.
This dynamic divert approach is more precise than simple pulse-width modulation solar divert modes, and it is essential for V2G and V2H applications where two-way power flow needs to be coordinated across multiple systems.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does my charger need to be OCPP-compatible to work with Octopus Intelligent Go?
Not necessarily — Octopus Intelligent Go has direct integrations with several charger brands (including Ohme, Zappi, and others) that use those manufacturers’ own APIs rather than OCPP. However, OCPP compatibility gives you the option to use any compatible platform and is valuable if you switch tariff, supplier, or energy management system in the future.
What is the Open Charge Alliance?
The Open Charge Alliance (OCA) is the non-profit organisation that maintains and develops the OCPP standard. It is headquartered in the Netherlands and has over 200 member organisations including charger manufacturers, energy suppliers, and software companies. The OCA publishes the OCPP specification, manages certification testing, and coordinates future development including OCPP 2.0.1 and beyond.
Can I add OCPP support to a charger that doesn’t have it?
In most cases, no. OCPP support requires specific hardware (a processor capable of running the protocol stack) and firmware from the manufacturer. It is a fundamental design choice, not an add-on feature. If your current charger lacks OCPP and you need it — for example, to integrate with a new solar system or switch energy management platform — replacement is the practical route.