Ecotricity is making waves in Great Britain as a competitive supplier of green energy. In this guide, we dive deep into who Ecotricity is, if Ecotricity is any good, and we also break down all you need to know about their prices and tariffs. If you are looking for more information or thinking of switching, read on for all the answers.
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What is Ecotricity UK?
Ecotricity UK is a green energy supplier headquartered in Stroud, Gloucestershire, England. They claim to be “Britain’s greenest energy company” as all of the electricity they supply comes from wind, solar, and hydroelectric power generation. Ecotricity was also the first company in the UK to offer 100% green electricity.
They supply what they call “green gas” and “vegan electricity” to both businesses and residential properties. The supplier lives by the promise that their energy is cruelty-free using no animal byproducts, the gas they use is “frack-free”, and that none of their products are greenwashed.
Who is Ecotricity UK owned by?
Ecotricity UK is run by the parent company Ecotricity Group Limited and is a privately owned company. It was founded by Dale Vince in 1995 and now own approximately 25% of their renewable energy competitor, Good Energy. They are currently negotiating an attempt to acquire full control over Good Energy, which could make them one of the largest green energy suppliers in the UK.
Ecotricity Reviews: Is Ecotricity any good?
Ecotricity continually ranks within the top 15 best suppliers according to annual surveys by Which? and has four out of five stars on Trustpilot. Customers tend to like them for their green and environmentally conscious practices.
Although many Ecoricity reviews report slightly higher than average energy prices, customers say they are happy to pay a bit more for truly green energy. Although the company consistently ranks high, it has fallen in ranking due to customer service, such as their 14:06 average call wait times.
Ecotricity Pros & cons
Pros of Ecotricity
- 100% electricity from renewable sources
- No exit fees
- Offsets its carbon emissions
- Does not produce nuclear waste.
Cons of Ecotricity
- Long call wait times
- Does not offer green gas
- More expensive than the Ofgem price cap
Ecotricity Prices & tariffs
Ecotricity offers a range of tariffs to suit the diverse needs of its customers. All of their tariffs use 100% green electricity and also have no exit fees, meaning you are free to switch companies at any time without being charged.
You can use Ecotricity with standard credit meters, prepayment (top-up) meters or with smart meters. They also offer smart prepayment meaning that you can easily top-up online or over the app if you have an ecotricity smart meter.
Ecotricity offers the following types of tariffs for both gas and electricity:
- Business tariffs
- Residential tariffs
- Electric Vehicle tariffs for EV owners
How do I pay my Ecotricity bill?
How you pay for your energy depends on several factors, such as the type of meter you have and also personal preference. Luckily, Ecotricty works with most meters and offers the following payment methods.
Credit meters:
- Direct debit
- Monthly bill pay (cash and check)
Top-up / Prepay:
- Standard top-up (Paypoint)
- Smart top-up (online)
Is Ecotricity expensive?
Ecotricity is a bit more expensive than other energy companies, but customers pay extra for green energy. For example, as of October 2021, a direct debit customer for gas and electricity supplied by Ecotricity could expect to pay around £1,683 per year for energy.
However, the price cap set by the energy regulator Ofgem comes to £1,277. As the supplier offers green energy, they are allowed to charge more than the price cap. Therefore, Ecotricity customers should expect to pay around £406 more than average per year for their energy. However energy cost is not the only factor when choosing green energy as there are many environmentally friendly way to reduce your bill.
Average prices are based on the Typical Domestic Consumption Values (TDCV) of a typical 2 bedroom home in London (2,900kwh for Electricity and 12,000kwh for gas per year)
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Ecotricity Fuel Mix
Ecotricity’s manifesto and mission is to end the use of fossil fuels and to make Britain greener. Contrary to many energy companies across the UK, which use greenwashing as a way to make their dirty energy look green, Ecotricity is committed to using 100% green electricity created through renewable energy generation methods. Their gas is also more environmentally friendly, as they mix it with biogas which makes it less harmful to the environment.
Source: Ecotricity
Ecotricity Vegan Energy
Apart from sourcing all of their electricity from renewable energy generation methods, all of their tariffs use “vegan energy”. Vegan energy is a term they use to show that their gas and electricity generation methods are all cruelty-free, meaning that no animals were harmed in the process of making it. This also includes the strict practice of using no animal byproducts.
Ecotricity Green Gas
Ecotricity aims to serve 100% biogas in the future, however, currently, only 1% of their gas comes from biogas.
Biogas is often made from animal waste, however as all of Ecotricity’s energy is vegan, they create their biogas from decaying grass cuttings through a process known as anaerobic digestion. The remaining 99% of their gas is sourced from fossil fuel natural gas.
While this gas can hardly be considered renewable, Ecotricity calls its gas mix “green gas. Ecotricity does however have what they call a “Frack-free promise.”
This means that the natural gas they source never comes from fracking which is a controversial process of sourcing natural gas that is trapped within rocks by using forced water. The water displaces the gas allowing it to be harvested. Although the water fills the space the gas once occupied, the water can eventually seep down into the water table polluting water reserves and causing earthquakes and sinkholes due to the space it leaves behind in the rocks.
Ecotricity Online Account
If you are looking for a supplier that allows you to manage your account online, Ecotricity has you covered. You can access your online account through the Ecotricity app or via the website: Ecotricity.co.uk. With the online account, you can do many of the things that normally would be reserved for doing over the phone. You can view and pay your bill, submit meter readings. If you are a prepay customer you can also top up your ecotricity smart meter.
Ecotricity Login
Accessing your online account is quite easy. You can visit the Ecotricity website, or use your Ecotricity login to access your account through the app.
If you want to access your online account without the app, you can reach the Ecotricity login page from any web browser or smartphone. First, open your web browser and navigate to Ecotricity's homepage. From there, in the top right corner, you will find a button that says “log in” that will take you to the Ecotricity login page. Once there, simply enter your Ecotricity login credentials, and you should be able to access your online account directly.
Your login credentials are your email address and your account password. If you have trouble logging in, please check that you have already set up an online account and have Ecotricity login credentials. If you do not remember your login information, you can always request a new password via the “Forgot?” buttons found on the login page.
Ecotricity App
The Ecotricity app is one of the quickest and easiest ways to manage your Ecotricity online account. With the Ecotricity app you can view your bills and make payments right through your smartphone as well as viewing and submitting meter readings. The app is free and is available for download on the Apple App Store and Android's Google Play Store.
Ecotricity Electric Highway App
If you are a customer of the Electric Highway, the ecotricity car charging network, there is also an app for you. While Ecotricity no longer owns the Electric Highway since its sale to Gridserve in June, 2021, the Electric Highway app allows customers to access ecotricity charge points to refuel their electric cars.
The app is free to download and easily guides you toward available charge points on the Ecotricity electric highway. You can download the Ecotricity Electric Highway app through the Apple App Store or the Android Google Play Store.
How do I close my Ecotricity account?
If you have recently switched to Ecotricity and you are still within the legal 14-day cooling-off period, you can cancel your account by filling out the cancellation request form and mailing it to the address on the top of the form. If you prefer to cancel over the phone, please see the section below on contacting Ecotricity.
Ecotricity Contact Number
Ecotricity has many ways to contact their team for support, including via the online account mentioned above. However, if you prefer speaking over the phone, or writing an email, you are in luck as well. They have a dedicated call centre that can help answer your questions, and even help you sign up for a new tariff.
Using the table below, you can choose your preferred Ecotricity contact method:
| Ecotricity Contact Methods |
|---|
| Ecotricity Contact Number: 03 4555 57100 |
| By Internet directly on the Ecotricity Website |
| By internet through the Ecotricity contact email: [email protected] |
Ecotricity’s call centre is open Monday through Saturday, though the opening hours do change. See the table below to see Ecotricity's opening hours by day.
| Day of the week | Opening Hours |
|---|---|
| Monday | 8:30am – 7:00pm |
| Tuesday | 8:30am – 7:00pm |
| Wednesday | 8:30am – 7:00pm |
| Thursday | 8:30am – 7:00pm |
| Friday | 8:30am – 6:00pm |
| Saturday | 9:00am - 4:00pm |
| Sunday | Closed |
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Ecotricity
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Ecotricity Contact Details: Number, Email & Opening Hours