Mercury Trust Mark certifies first grid ready chargers
Zaptec, Easee, and Octopus Charge first to bag the new grid-ready certification
Like Bluetooth for clean tech, the Mercury trust mark proves home energy devices can connect reliably to grid systems
Streamlines communication standards to help unlock up to £70bn in potential UK energy system savings by shifting demand dynamically
London, 22nd June 2026 – Smart energy tech ecosystem Mercury has certified its very first EV chargers, launching a brand-new consumer trust mark designed to supercharge the transition to the flexible home grid.
Acting like the 'Bluetooth' of the clean tech world, the Mercury mark gives households a simple, trusted signal that their home energy devices connect with the grid and work reliably with the systems around it.
The Zaptec Go 2, Easee One, and Octopus Charge are the first devices off the blocks to carry the official Mercury certification. Together, the manufacturers behind these trailblazing products have over a million devices installed across Europe, bringing smart energy certification straight from the drawing board to real homes and driveways.
The global EV rollout is accelerating rapidly - with the IEA forecasting the global EV fleet to explode to 250 million by 2030*. Managing this shift smartly is a huge opportunity: Ofgem estimates flexible, dynamic electricity use could unlock up to £70bn in savings by 2050**, slashing bills for everyone by avoiding the need for expensive new grid infrastructure.
While existing EV charging protocols like OCPP focus on connecting devices, Mercury steps in to solve the missing piece: it certifies how those devices actually behave once they are plugged in. The trust mark verifies they respond, report, and perform exactly when and how the energy system needs them to.
Founded by the industry-leading utility platform Kraken Technologies and EPRI, the Mercury Consortium has grown into a vendor-neutral, non-profit initiative powered by more than 30 world-class manufacturers, utilities, and regulatory bodies.
While the initial spotlight is on EV charging, Mercury is already expanding its stamp of approval across other major household technologies, including home batteries, vehicles, and heating and cooling systems.
Alex Schoch, Group Director of Flexibility & Electrification at Octopus Energy Group, said: “An EV charger is not just a plug on the wall. Done right, it is the vital link between a customer’s car, their home, and a cleaner, cheaper grid. Mercury certification helps make that link easier to trust, so customers can reap the full financial rewards of smart charging without needing a degree in energy engineering to understand what is happening behind the scenes.”
Devrim Celal, Co-Chair of the Mercury Consortium, added: “Consumers shouldn't have to become grid flexibility experts to know whether the tech they buy is future-proof. The Mercury mark makes that trust beautifully simple. These first certified chargers prove that smart energy devices can be tested once, recognised instantly by the market, and used to unlock cheaper, cleaner energy for households.”
Until now, much of the industry's integration has happened one device, one brand, and one utility at a time, stifling innovation and driving up consumer costs. Mercury sweeps away these barriers by working right alongside existing communication standards to ensure the next wave of smart devices work together seamlessly.
-ENDS-
Notes to Editors:
Sources:
* IEA, Prospects for electric vehicle deployment
** Ofgem, Ofgem lays the groundwork for consumer friendly flexible energy use
Press Contacts
Octopus Energy Group
press@octoenergy.com
+44 (0)20 4530 8369
About Octopus Energy Group
Octopus Energy is a global clean energy and technology business, driving the affordable, green energy system of the future. Under its own retail brand, Octopus delivers world-class customer service and cutting-edge energy products to over 10 million households globally. The company is driving the electrification of heat and transport through smart tariffs and innovative clean tech, with operations spanning 27 countries and the entire energy value chain. It operates a £7 billion renewables portfolio as well as thriving EV leasing, heat pump, and solar businesses.
Octopus has licensed its advanced data and machine learning platform, Kraken, to support over 54 million customer accounts worldwide through licensing deals with companies such as EDF, E.ON, and Origin Energy. Kraken enables Octopus to drive the electrification of transport and heating through smart tariffs and automated flexibility.
About Mercury Consortium
Founded by EPRI and Kraken Technologies, Mercury Consortium is now a vendor-neutral, non-profit initiative shaped by more than 30 organisations across manufacturers, utilities, technology companies and regulatory stakeholders.
Its mission is to help EV chargers, batteries, electric vehicles, heating and cooling systems, and other smart energy devices integrate reliably with energy systems and participate in flexibility markets. Today, too much integration happens one device, one brand and one utility at a time. That slows down innovation, adds cost and makes it harder for households to benefit from cheaper, greener energy.
Mercury focuses on device behaviour and performance, working alongside existing communication standards rather than replacing them. Learn more at mercuryconsortium.com.