When we talk about Smappee chargers, we always talk about them being "smart". This article gives a short overview of what that means and how to use each feature. Every section links to a dedicated article with the full details.
In the Smappee app, you can enter the prices you pay for electricity. This is essential if you want smart charging (especially Schedules) to actually save you money.
Where to find it
Smappee app → Settings → Tariffs
How to correctly set up my tariffs in the app
Maximum grid capacity puts an optional cap (in kW) on your total home consumption, on top of your charger's own overload protection. It's mainly used to avoid peaks that could trigger a higher grid tariff. When your household consumption rises (oven, heat pump, shower, etc. all running together), the charger will:
- First slow down charging
- Then pause charging if needed
A 10% safety margin is always applied automatically, so the system has enough time to react before the real limit is reached. Keep in mind that a charging station needs at least 1.4 kW per phase to start a session at all, so set your capacity comfortably above that.
Where to find it
Smappee app → Settings → Smappee monitors → Load configuration → Grid → Maximum Capacity → move the slider and set the threshold in kW
How can I set a maximum grid capacity?
If you have solar panels, Solar charging lets your EV charge only using the surplus export of your solar production, the energy your home doesn't consume and would otherwise send back to the grid.
Charging always needs a minimum of 6A per phase to start (a fixed EV limit, not a Smappee one). To help your EV reach that minimum sooner, you set Grid support: how much of that minimum current is allowed to come from the grid instead of solar. The higher the Grid support value (in Amps), the less solar surplus you need before charging starts, at the cost of using a bit more grid power.
Some Smappee chargers can also automatically switch between 1-phase and 3-phase charging to make better use of available solar. This only works while charging on Solar charging or Schedules and surplus.
Read the full Solar charging guide for the Grid support table, supported chargers, and installation requirements.
Schedules let you plan your charging session in advance, to avoid grid peaks and to charge when electricity is cheap. Why this is worth using:
- Plan when your car charges, helping avoid a peak on the grid
- Charge your car when electricity prices are low
- Set your electricity tariffs in the app first (see section 1 above)
- Use a realistic schedule
With a realistic schedule, the session pauses during high-price periods and charges during low-price periods. With an unrealistic schedule (too little time or too much requested range), the session won't pause, it starts charging immediately to make sure you get the requested range, and may even run past the requested end time.
| Good schedule | Bad schedule | |
|---|---|---|
| Battery at start | 75% | 75% |
| Charging window | 9 PM to 7 AM (10 hours) | 11 PM to 6 AM (7 hours) |
| Requested range | 200 km | 500 km |
| Energy needed | 200 km × 0.2 kWh/km = 40 kWh | 500 km × 0.2 kWh/km = 100 kWh |
| Realistic on 3-phase charging? | Yes | No |
| Result | Reaches the requested charge in time; charger can pause during high-price periods | Doesn't reach the requested charge in time; charging continues after the schedule ends; charger can't pause during expensive periods |