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Why Ohme Went SIM Only
Most smart chargers lean on household WiFi, which makes them only as reliable as the router in the hallway. Ohme built the connection into the charger instead. The SIM picks the strongest available network automatically, so a broadband outage never interrupts your overnight schedule or your Intelligent Octopus Go slots.
There is no WiFi radio in the unit at all, and no Ethernet port. Cellular is the only route. That is a strength on most driveways and a weakness on a few, which is the honest trade off to understand before choosing one.
What Happens With Weak or No Signal
The charger does not brick itself. With no connection it behaves like a basic charger. Plug in and it delivers power, controlled from the buttons on the unit or the screen on the Home Pro.
What you lose is everything smart. No app control, no tariff integration, no automatic off peak scheduling, no cost tracking. On a smart tariff that is the whole point of the charger, so a signal dead spot matters.
We measure mobile signal at the charging position during every survey. If your parking spot sits in a blackspot, we will say so and point you at a WiFi connected unit like the Easee One or Hypervolt instead. Better to hear that before installation day than after.
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What Happens After the 3 Free Years
Ohme includes SIM data for the first 3 years. After that, Ohme has indicated a small connectivity fee may apply, up to around £2 per month at current reports, though it has not been formally confirmed. If you chose not to pay it, the charger would keep charging your car as a basic unit without the smart features.
Worth knowing, not worth worrying about. The tariff savings from smart charging run to hundreds of pounds a year, so a couple of pounds a month does not change the maths.
