OCTA mobile app · iOS / Android

Live view of charge session — current draw, kWh delivered, estimated time to full, cost of session at the current tariff rate. Schedule charge windows, set RFID authorisation, configure solar diversion mode. Single account supports multiple chargers — useful for households with two chargers, landlords with multiple driveways, or CleverBloom service plan visibility.

Solar diversion mode

Read the inverter's export figure and divert surplus PV into the car. Three configurable modes: full surplus only (car charges only when solar is producing more than the house uses), hybrid (solar plus grid top-up to a minimum rate), and grid-only fast charge (overrides solar diversion for a quick top-up when there's no time to wait). Switchable per session from the app.

Octopus Intelligent integration

Octopus Intelligent Go is the tariff designed for EVs — the supplier itself schedules the car's charge window, the user just sets a "ready by" time. The Octa Wall accepts the start/stop signals from the Octopus API and charges only during the cheap windows the supplier selects. Effective rate around 7p/kWh for the EV charge — roughly half the cost of standard Economy 7.

Dynamic load management

CT clamp on the property's incoming grid tail reads total current draw. Charger adjusts its output in real-time to keep total demand within the main fuse rating (80–100 A for typical UK homes). No risk of tripping the main fuse when the oven, hob, and car charge together. Critical for 22 kW installs on single-phase supplies where the headroom is tight.

RFID access cards

Each charger ships with two RFID access cards. Tap to start a session — prevents unauthorised use on a shared driveway or rented parking space. Up to 16 cards can be registered to a single charger. App-based authorisation (tap the start button in the OCTA app) works in parallel for primary household users.

Session history & reporting

Every charge session logged: timestamp, duration, kWh delivered, cost at the active tariff, charge curve. Monthly summaries downloadable as CSV for company-car-mileage reporting or expense reimbursement. Useful for the rising number of HMRC-recognised home-charging expense claims where a business pays the EV's electricity cost.

OCPP 1.6J upgrade path

The Octa Wall ships as a home charger (no billing). The OCPP 1.6 JSON firmware upgrade activates pay-per-session billing through any compliant back-office (Monta, Driivz, EV.Energy, GreenFlux). Same hardware, different role — useful when a homeowner becomes a landlord, or a small business adds employee/visitor charging.

Cloud connected · OTA updates

Wi-Fi, LAN, and optional 4G LTE connectivity. Firmware updates pushed over-the-air — new tariff integrations, refined load-management logic, new vehicle compatibility all upgrade automatically through the warranty life. The unit installed today gets meaningfully better through its three-year warranty period.

Open API · integrator-friendly

REST API exposed for integration with home-automation systems (Home Assistant, openHAB), energy-management platforms, and third-party scheduling apps. Particularly useful for tech-forward households running multi-device load balancing across heat pump, battery, EV, and hot water cylinder.

1 · Type 2 socket

IEC 62196-2 socket — the European standard for AC EV charging. Seven pins: three live phases (L1, L2, L3), neutral, earth, Control Pilot (CP), Proximity Pilot (PP). The CP pin is how the car and charger talk to each other — they negotiate charging current, lock the plug, and exchange fault states in real time. Untethered means the user brings their own Type 2 cable.

2 · AC supply terminals

Three live phases (or single phase if that's what the property has), neutral, and earth. Wired in copper SWA cable from a dedicated 32 A or 40 A breaker in the consumer unit. Cable size sized to the run length — 6 mm² up to 30 m, 10 mm² beyond. Type B RCD installed in the consumer unit for DC fault protection (built-in 6 mA DC detection on the charger itself satisfies most installs).

3 · CT clamp · load monitoring

Current transformer clamp on the property's main incoming tail before the consumer unit. Measures total household current draw in real time. The charger uses this to adjust its output and prevent overload. Without the CT clamp the charger runs at fixed maximum rate — fine for properties with plenty of headroom, problematic for tight installs on a 60 A or 80 A main fuse.

4 · Earthing & PEN protection

PEN fault detection built into the unit — detects open-PEN conditions on TN-C-S supplies (the common UK residential earth arrangement) and disconnects the charger before a fault on the supplier's neutral could energise the car's chassis. Eliminates the need for an external earth rod in most installs — significant cost saving and no garden disruption.

5 · Communication network

Built-in Wi-Fi (2.4 GHz), Ethernet RJ45 port, optional 4G LTE module. Connects to the OCTA cloud for app control, OTA firmware updates, and OCPP back-office (when activated). For homes with marginal Wi-Fi at the install location, 4G LTE is the standard backup. Bluetooth used for first-connection commissioning at install.

6 · Solar inverter link

Communication link to the solar PV inverter (Solis, Fronius, SolarEdge, Sungrow, and others). Reads the inverter's real-time export figure — the kWh that would otherwise leave the property for the grid. The charger diverts that surplus into the car instead. Configured at commissioning based on the inverter brand; no extra hardware required when the inverter is on the same Wi-Fi network.

7 · Cable: Tethered vs Untethered

Untethered (Socket) — £1,439 total. Drivers bring their own Type 2 cable; the cable lives in the boot when not in use. Flexible if cars change, no permanently dangling cable on the wall, cheaper to replace if a cable gets damaged. The right pick for most households where the driver has their own cable from public charging anyway.

Tethered (with Cable) — £1,489 total. Fixed 5 m or 7.5 m Type 2 cable permanently attached. Faster plug-in at the end of every commute, no cable-in-boot routine, cleaner aesthetic when the cable is properly hooked beside the unit. The right pick when one car lives at this driveway long-term and the daily-use convenience justifies the +£50 uplift. Both variants share identical electronics, install, warranty, and OCTA app.

3 year manufacturer warranty

OCTA warrants the Octa Wall for 3 years from commissioning. Covers the unit electronics, the Type 2 socket, the load-management logic, and the network communication module. Spare parts hold in UK stock through CleverBloom's distributor channel. Extended warranty to 5 years available where the system is on a CleverBloom annual service plan.

PEN fault protection · no earth rod

Built-in open-PEN detection means the charger meets BS 7671:2022 amendment 2 without requiring an external earth rod. Significant cost saving (an earth rod install typically adds £200–£400 plus garden disruption) and reduces the install complexity for properties with no soft ground available.

UCP modular platform

OCTA's Universal Charge Platform (UCP) is the modular electronic architecture shared across the home Wall, dual-socket Wall, commercial Smart Wall, and Smart Wall Triple. Same diagnostics, same firmware family, same spare parts pool. Used at commercial scale by Volvo, Jaguar, and Land Rover — proven reliability at fleet operating intensity, applied to a home product.

IP54 weatherproof

IP54-rated enclosure — dust-protected and protected against splashing water from any direction. Suitable for unsheltered wall mount on a side return, garage exterior, or carport. Operating temperature −25°C to +50°C handles UK weather extremes including winter sub-zero overnight charging. No derating across normal UK temperature range.

Correct CT clamp position

The CT clamp tells the charger how much the house is using right now. Wrongly positioned — on the load side of the consumer unit instead of the supply side, or facing the wrong direction — and the charger misreads consumption and either trips the main fuse under combined load or unnecessarily backs off and slows the charge. Verified positioned correctly at commissioning.

DNO notification filed

Single-phase chargers above 3.68 kW need a G98 notification to the DNO; three-phase chargers above 11 kW need a G99 connection consent. CleverBloom files both as part of the install. Skipping this is a common cowboy-installer shortcut — and means the homeowner's insurance can refuse a claim if a fault on the charger contributes to a property fire. Verified filed at commissioning.