Power your home from your electric car: V2L, V2H and V2G explained

Checked 14 November 2026 against manufacturer, Octopus Energy, Energy Networks Association (ENA) and IET pages. This market is moving fast, and most electric cars sold in the UK cannot do most of this yet. Numbers in brackets point to the sources at the foot of the page.

Not financial advice. This is general information, not advice on whether to buy a car, charger or tariff. The savings figures are our own estimate from stated assumptions, not a promise. Wiring a two-way charger is a job for a qualified electrician, and it may need your network operator's approval.

The short version

V2L (vehicle-to-load) is the common one: you plug an appliance into the car, which acts like a big power bank. No wall charger and no grid paperwork. Many cars have it.^{[5, 12]}
V2H (vehicle-to-home) feeds the car's energy into your home's wiring through a two-way charger. It keeps the energy on your side of the meter. Very few cars on sale in the UK have it switched on today.^{[5, 12, 14]}
V2G (vehicle-to-grid) exports energy to the grid for payment or credit. It needs your network operator's sign-off and a supplier that will take part. Today, in the UK, the only consumer route Octopus lists is a specific BYD Dolphin with a specific Zaptec charger.^{[1, 5]}

Key point: a car or charger being "V2X-ready" does not mean it works. Zaptec itself says there are many EVs that support V2L but not V2H or V2G.^[5] Kia UK says its UK electric cars currently support V2L only.^[12]

How bidirectional charging works

A normal charger only pushes power into the battery. A bidirectional setup can also pull it back out, to run an appliance, a home or the grid.^[5] The battery stores direct current (DC) and your home uses alternating current (AC), so something has to convert it. There are two designs:

DC bidirectional: the inverter is in the wall unit. It connects through the car's fast-charge socket, CCS (the standard on new cars) or CHAdeMO (an older Japanese standard, used by the older Nissan LEAF). Wallbox's Quasar 2 is a CCS2 unit; Wallbox says it can charge any CCS2 car but that two-way use is only permitted with certain car makers.^[6] Nissan's manual says a LEAF can do V2X only if it was built with the V2X option, which includes the quick-charge (CHAdeMO) port.^[15]
AC bidirectional: the inverter is in the car, so the wall unit can be simpler. Octopus describes its BYD bundle as the first time V2G technology is built into the car itself, removing the need for a costly first-generation V2G charger.^[3] Zaptec's Go 2 is built for this approach.^[4]

Whichever design you pick, the car, the charger and (for V2G) the tariff all have to be approved to work together. That is why a "compatible" list matters more than a spec sheet.^{[1, 4]}

Which cars can do what? (stated by the manufacturer)

We list a car only where its UK manufacturer, or its tariff partner for V2G, states the feature. "Not stated" means we found nothing on the UK manufacturer's page, which is not proof that it can't. Check the exact trim and model year with a dealer before you pay for anything.

UK cars and their stated two-way modes (14 November 2026)
Car	V2L	V2H	V2G
BYD Dolphin	Yes, up to 3.3 kW (BYD UK press kit)^[16]	Not stated	Yes, but only the V2G-enabled Dolphin with a V2G-enabled Zaptec Pro on Octopus Power Pack. Octopus says power flows to the home first, then the grid^{[1, 2]}
Hyundai IONIQ 5	Yes, up to 3.6 kW through an on-board 230V socket^[13]	Not stated	Not stated
Kia EV6	Yes^[12]	No: Kia UK says UK Kia EVs support V2L only	No (same statement)
Kia EV9	Yes^[12]	No: same Kia UK statement	No (same statement)
Nissan LEAF (new, 2026)	Yes, up to 3.1 kW in the UK, with an adaptor bought separately^[14]	"V2X ready"; Nissan says the timeline for full implementation will be announced later	Same: not yet
Nissan LEAF (older, built with the V2X option; used cars)	Yes, in the V2X list^[15]	Yes, with a compatible V2X device on the CHAdeMO port^[15]	Yes, same conditions^[15]
MG4 EV XPOWER	MG UK lists "Vehicle to Load" cables as an accessory^[18]	Not stated	Not stated
Renault 5 E-Tech	Yes, "V2L bidirectional charging" on Renault UK's page^[19]	Not stated	Not stated on Renault UK's page

Not listed, and why. Wallbox said in a June 2023 press release that its Quasar 2 had confirmed compatibility with the CUPRA BORN 77kWh and that other cars were expected,^[8] but that is Wallbox's statement, not CUPRA UK's, so the Born is not in the table. We found no UK manufacturer statement for V2H on the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV, so it is not listed either. Several other models are described online as "bidirectional" in other countries, which does not mean they can do it in the UK.

Chargers and kit: what is actually sold in the UK

Zaptec Pro (via the Octopus bundle). This is the charger Octopus names for the Dolphin V2G route, installed by Octopus as part of the lease.^[2]
Wallbox Quasar 2. A CCS2, DC bidirectional unit with V2H and V2G modes, 12.8 kW charging, 5 m cable and IP55. Wallbox's UK page shows a "Keep me updated" sign-up, with no UK price and no order option on 14 November 2026, so we could not confirm you can buy one yet.^[6] For V2H it needs a Wallbox power meter and Power Boost switched on first.^[7] An independent reviewer estimated about £6,100 for the unit and £7,600 to £9,100 installed, in May 2026. That is an estimate, not a Wallbox price.^[23]
Zaptec Go 2. Zaptec calls it V2G-ready and says it can be installed now as a standard AC charge point. But under today's UK rules it cannot be registered as a V2G device until the whole vehicle and charger system is certified.^[4] (Zaptec's marketing page describes it as certified for V2G and V2H, which is not how its own installer instructions read, so ask for the current position in writing.^[5])
Other "V2G-ready" AC chargers. Some cheaper models are marketed as ready for the future. We found no manufacturer page confirming two-way operation in the UK for them, so we do not list them. Ready is not the same as working.

Other things your installer must handle. Under the Electric Vehicles (Smart Charge Points) Regulations 2021, private chargers installed since 30 June 2022 must have smart functions.^[11] The IET Code of Practice (5th edition) has a section on "vehicle as storage", updated for the BS 7671 rules on prosumer installations and including V2H when the grid supply is off (island mode).^[11] Installer guidance elsewhere points to a lockable isolator, clear labelling and protection suited to a source that stays live when the grid is off, but we have not checked those details in BS 7671 itself, so treat them as questions to put to your installer rather than a specification.

Rules and approvals: G98, G99 and your network operator

V2L needs no approval: it is just an appliance plugged into the car.^[5]
V2H keeps energy on your side of the meter, so Zaptec says it does not need grid permission.^[5] Make sure the installation cannot export by accident, and confirm the position with your installer and network operator before you order.
V2G exports to the public grid, so it needs your network operator's sign-off under Engineering Recommendations G98 or G99 and an agreement with an energy supplier.^[5] The ENA says a V2G car is treated as both demand and generation. Its two-way unit is likely to exceed 16 A per phase (3.68 kW on single phase), which means the G99 route. Where total generation, storage and V2G export is under 17 kW single-phase, the simplified G99 form A1-1 can be used. Your installer also notifies the EV charge point as demand through ENA Connect Direct.^[9]
How long it takes. Octopus says a G99 application can take 10 to 45 working days to be processed,^[1] and for the Power Pack Bundle that approval can take up to 12 weeks and is not guaranteed.^[2] Octopus applies on your behalf for the bundle.^[2] Applications go to your own network operator, for example UK Power Networks takes the G99 form and a supplementary form by email.^[10]

Tariffs and schemes that support it

Octopus Power Pack (V2G). An add-on to your normal tariff. Octopus manages your V2G charger so your EV charging is free, and says a typical V2G driver could save £620 a year compared with Flexible Octopus, and £161 compared with Intelligent Octopus Go. Those are Octopus's own figures for 7,500 miles a year at 0.306 kWh per mile. Conditions: a listed car and charger combination, a smart meter Octopus can connect to, a G99 permission to export, being plugged in about 12 hours a day on 20 days a month, and under 210 kWh of charging a month. It does not work alongside Tracker, Agile or the Intelligent Octopus tariffs. Octopus currently lists one compatible combination: a V2G-enabled BYD Dolphin with a V2G-enabled Zaptec Pro.^[1]
Octopus Power Pack Bundle. Octopus EV leases you the V2G Dolphin, installs a Zaptec Pro, and gives free home charging for the lease, up to 12,000 miles a year. It needs single-phase power, a half-hourly smart meter and being an Octopus customer. Octopus's June 2025 launch said the price was under £300 a month, subject to change. We could not find a current monthly price on the bundle page, so get a live quote.^{[2, 3]} A minimum charge level of under 30% is set so the car can still support the grid.^[1]
EV tariffs that don't need two-way charging. EDF GoElectric has 6.66p per kWh off-peak (11pm to 6am), and Intelligent Octopus Go has rates from 6.5p per kWh for smart charging, against the 26.32p average Ofgem cap electricity rate. These help you charge cheaply, and are the base a V2H estimate sits on. Neither is a V2H or V2G scheme.^{[20, 21, 22]}

We found no government grant that pays for a V2H or V2G charger. Don't assume the OZEV or flats and renters chargepoint grants cover them: check the scheme rules for your charger model.

What does it cost?

V2L: normally the car plus an adaptor. Nissan, for example, says its V2L adaptor is bought separately at the customer's cost.^[14] MG sells a cable as an accessory.^[18] We have not verified adaptor prices.
V2H: a bidirectional DC unit like the Quasar 2 may be roughly £7,600 to £9,100 installed on an independent estimate, but Wallbox shows no UK price.^{[6, 23]} That excludes the compatible car and any power meter.
V2G via Octopus: the charger is bundled into a lease. The price is a monthly lease payment, not a saving.^[2]

Worked estimate: could V2H pay for itself? (an estimate)

This is an estimate, not a quote. It changes a lot with your tariff and habits. All figures below are stated assumptions.

Assumptions
Home use at peak	EDF's own GoElectric example uses 4,450 kWh a year, of which 1,950 kWh is off-peak,^[20] leaving 2,500 kWh at standard rates.
Share the car can cover	80% (the car is plugged in and has charge for most peak periods): 2,000 kWh a year sent from the car to the home. This is our assumption.
Cheap charging rate	6.66p per kWh off-peak (EDF GoElectric).^[20]
Round-trip efficiency	85% (our assumption for charger, inverter and battery losses; real figures vary, and manufacturers' own claims are higher). So 2,000 kWh out needs about 2,353 kWh bought.
Peak rate avoided	26.32p per kWh, Ofgem's average cap electricity rate for 1 October to 31 December 2026 (excludes standing charge).^[22] Your own peak rate will differ, so we show other rates below.
Cost of the energy	2,353 kWh × 6.66p = about £157
Value of the energy replaced	2,000 kWh × 26.32p = about £526
Saving from V2H	£526 − £157 = about £370 a year

Sensitivity: yearly saving (and years to repay a £7,600 to £9,100 installed charger)
Peak rate you avoid	1,000 kWh a year from the car	2,000 kWh a year from the car
20p per kWh	about £122	about £243 (31 to 37 years)
26.32p per kWh (cap)	about £185	about £370 (21 to 25 years)
30p per kWh	about £222	about £443 (17 to 21 years)

What this says: on these assumptions and that independent installed-price estimate, V2H on its own would take well over a decade to repay, and you would still have to pay for the car. It also ignores what you would save anyway just by charging the car at off-peak rates, the value of backup power in an outage (which we haven't tried to price), and any change in tariffs. For comparison, Wallbox's own marketing says "up to £850 annually" under favourable conditions, and cautions that it does not guarantee savings.^[6] Octopus's V2G claim is different, because it removes the car's charging bill: £620 a year against a standard variable tariff on 7,500 miles. A quick check agrees: 7,500 miles × 0.306 kWh × 26.32p = about £604.^{[1, 22]} But the lease payment and eligibility rules come with it.

Battery wear and warranty

The battery warranty is the big unknown. Two-way use adds charge cycles. For the Octopus bundle, Octopus answers "Does V2G affect the car's warranty?" with "No": it says it designed the bundle in partnership with BYD, and that the way it manages charging cycles means warranty cover is not affected.^[2] That applies to that lease, not to a car you own.
BYD UK's standard terms give 8 years or 125,000 miles of battery cover, and describe the Blade Battery as built for over 5,000 charge and discharge cycles.^[17]
For other cars we found no manufacturer statement saying V2H discharging is covered. Kia UK says only that, used properly, the effect on battery life can be minimal.^[12] Nissan's manual warns that you must use a V2X device compatible with the LEAF, and that incompatible equipment can cause a fire or serious injury.^[15] Wallbox says Quasar 2 is potentially less harmful than driving, and that it works with carmakers so they can test against their battery-life requirements. That is Wallbox's claim.^[6]
Before you buy: ask the car maker, in writing, whether discharging through that exact charger is covered by the battery warranty, and whether they approve the charger model.

Pros and cons

Pros

V2L is simple, needs no wiring, and is useful for camping, tools and some outages
V2H can shift cheap overnight energy to the evening peak
Works well with solar: store surplus in the car and use it later^[5]
The Octopus bundle can make charging free, if you fit the rules
A car battery is much bigger than a typical home battery (Wallbox says it can power a home for up to three days, a marketing claim)^[6]

Cons

Very few cars and chargers are approved to work together in the UK
A DC unit is expensive, and Wallbox does not show a UK price or order option yet
The V2G route needs a grid application that can take weeks and may be refused
The car has to be at home and plugged in when you want the energy
Battery warranty cover for two-way use is unclear for most cars
On our estimate, payback is long unless a tariff or lease changes the sums

Who it suits

V2L: almost anyone with a car that has it, for occasional use.
V2G via Octopus: someone who wants a small electric car on lease, has off-street parking, a smart meter and single-phase power, is happy to plug in for about 12 hours a day, and drives under 12,000 miles a year.^[2]
V2H: an early adopter with a car that the maker states can do V2H, a high peak-rate bill or solar panels, and a willingness to wait for products to mature.
Probably not (yet): flat dwellers without a charger, anyone who drives long distances daily, or anyone expecting a quick payback.

Sources

Manufacturer and supplier pages were read on 14 November 2026. Only the last entry is third-party commentary, and it is used for price estimates, not for what a product can do.

Prices and eligibility change often. Check each linked page before you buy. Not financial advice.