Boost Energy: reviews & info on the PAYG supplier

Boost Energy is one of the few suppliers in the UK that only sells pay-as-you-go tariffs. Launched in 2017 as part of the OVO Energy family, it offers traditional prepayment tariffs as well as smart meter prepayment plans that you can top up online, by text, in a PayPoint store or via the mobile app. Read on for more details and reviews of the provider.

Electricity: Renewables, Natural gas	Has a mobile app
Domestic Market: England, Scotland, Wales	Offers the Warm Home Discount
Customers: 350,000+	Long call-wait time

How does Boost Energy work?

Boost Energy, also known as Boost Power, is an exclusive pay-as-you-go (PAYG) energy supplier, meaning it only sells prepayment tariffs. Based in Bristol, it was created in 2017 as the PAYG arm of independent energy provider OVO Energy.

What’s a PAYG tariff?A PAYG tariff is designed for customers with prepayment meters. It means you pay for your energy before you use it, just like with a pay-as-you-go phone contract.

Is OVO the same company as Boost?

Boost Energy is owned by the OVO family. OVO Energy originally offered pay-as-you-go tariffs, as well as pay-monthly plans. However, the company decided it would better serve customers to have a specific brand and team that was dedicated to each type of energy plan.

In 2017, Boost Energy was created to take over the prepayment side of OVO. The brands are different arms of the same company. Boost Energy sells PAYG tariffs and OVO Energy sells pay monthly tariffs.

Boost Energy Reviews

On Trustpilot, Boost has a rating of 3.9 out of five stars with 71% of reviewers rating it as ‘excellent’ (the highest score) or ‘good’. In the latest Citizens Advice survey from the last quarter of 2020, Boost received a rating of 2.88 out of five stars. You can see how it ranked in each category below:

Fewer complaints — 3/5
Easier to contact — 1.8/5
Clearer bills — Not scored (as it's just prepayment)
Easier to switch — 5/5
Customer guarantees — 3/5

In Which?'s 2020 survey, Boost Energy came joint 18th place (tied with British Gas) out of 25 providers with a customer satisfaction score of 62%. The supplier received three out of five stars for bill accuracy, customer service, complaints handling and value for money. In regard to bill clarity, it received just two out of five stars.

Call-wait time

Call wait time refers to the time it takes, on average, for an energy provider to answer the phone when you ring customer service. According to Which?, Boost Energy has one of the longest call wait times, taking more than 40 minutes on average to answer the phone.

It performed better in Citizens Advice’s statistics, which are based on data provided by Boost Energy itself. According to these figures, the supplier has an average call-wait time of 10 minutes and one second.

The online portal, known as My Boost, is where customers can manage their energy tariffs, keep an eye on energy usage and spending, and even top up their credit if they're are on a Smart PAYG+ tariff. All Boost Energy customers are entitled to an online account.

Head to our Boost Energy login page (coming soon) for a step-by-step guide on how to register and log in to your account.

Boost Energy App

As well as an online portal, Boost also has a mobile app. The Boost Energy app is designed for customers on the provider’s Smart PAYG+ tariff. It lets you top up your credit, keep track of the credit you are using and will even send you free text alerts when your credit is running low.

It also allows you to easily manage your energy account. You can view your personal details and add a new debit/credit card to your account if needed.

Boost Tariffs

Boost Energy only has two tariffs, and both are for customers with prepayment meters. The Smart PAYG+ tariff is for customers with smart prepayment meters and the traditional PAYG tariff is for customers with regular prepayment meters.

The two tariffs have no contract length, which means they have no exit fees. This means you are free to leave either tariff whenever you wish without facing a financial penalty. They can both be taken out as dual fuel tariffs (gas and electricity) or electricity-only. However, they are not available as gas-only tariffs.

To benefit from the Smart PAYG+ tariff, you need to have a smart meter. When you become a Boost Energy customer, you can book a free smart meter installation via the Boost Energy website. To do this, you will need your seven-digit energy account number (this can be found in your welcome pack) and postcode.

Where can I top up my Boost Energy credit?

If you have the Smart PAYG+ tariff, you can top up your Boost Energy credit via the My Boost online portal, the mobile app, by text message or in a PayPoint store. You also do not need to top up gas and electricity separately — when you top up, the credit is automatically shared between the fuels as you use them.

If you have the traditional PAYG tariff or an older Smart PAYG plan that is not connected to the app, your options are much more limited as you can only top-up in a PayPoint store. Moreover, you will need to top up your gas and electricity separately.

1. Top up via the app or online

Topping up through the app or the online portal are probably the easiest ways to perform your Boost Energy top up if you have a Smart PAYG+ tariff.

To top up online, simply log into My Boost and follow the instructions on how to top up. The app top up is easier again - just open the app and hit the ‘top up now’ button. With both methods you can save your card details so you don’t need to enter them every time you want more credit, speeding up the process significantly.

With the app, you can even set up automatic Boost Energy top ups to ensure you never run out of credit. These can be rolling top ups, meaning you set the amount and frequency you want to top up, or auto top ups, meaning you set up a lower credit limit and your account automatically top ups by a predetermined amount when it reaches the limit.

2. Top up via text message

Smart PAYG+ customers can also top up their Boost Energy account by SMS message. To do this, text ‘TOPUP*’ followed by the amount you want to top up to 66121. For example, if you want to top up £20, text ‘TOPUP*20’.

Before this method will work, you need to register a credit or debit card with your online My Boost account.

3. Top up at PayPoint

For traditional PAYG customers (and customers on old Smart PAYG tariffs), PayPoint is the only way to complete a Boost Energy top up. Luckily, PayPoint stores are located throughout the UK so you should find one close to you.

To top up using this method, take your electricity key and gas card to a PayPoint store and ask the shop assistant to put the amount of credit you wish on each. After this, you will need to go home and transfer the credit onto your meter:

For electricity — put your electricity key into your meter (arrow on the key must face up) and the credit will transfer automatically.
For gas — put your gas card into your meter (gold chip must face the meter display) then press and hold the 'A' button to transfer the credit.

Do you get emergency credit with Boost?

Emergency credit is there to help you out when you forget to or are unable to top up. In the case of Boost Energy, the amount of credit you can get differs depending on the tariff.

Smart PAYG+: with this tariff, you have access to an unlimited amount of emergency credit for 24 hours. This will kick in automatically when your credit drops below a certain amount.
Older Smart PAYG tariffs (Smart PAYG standard): if you are on an older Boost Energy Smart PAYG tariff, you get £5 per fuel of emergency credit. To activate this, press the e-credit button on your in-home display (IHD).
Traditional PAYG: if your credit drops below £1 for electricity and £2 for gas, you have access to £5 emergency credit per fuel. To activate the electricity credit, you need to put your electricity key in your meter. For gas credit, you need to put your card in your meter and press A.

Even if you run out of emergency credit, Boost Energy will never turn off your energy supply on weekends, weekdays from 4 p.m. to 10 a.m. or on bank holidays. Any emergency credit or extra credit you use during these times will be taken off your next top up amount.

Warm Home Discount

Boost Energy offers the Warm Home Discount, a government scheme that provides £140 credit towards energy bills during winter.

If you are eligible for the scheme’s Broader group, you need to apply through the Boost website in the autumn of the given year (e.g, for Winter 2021/22, apply in autumn 2021). Core group members do not need to apply and will receive the grant automatically.

Boost Energy provides the Warm Home Discount on a first-come, first-served basis, meaning you should apply as soon as you are able to.

Boost Power Fuel Mix

Boost Energy's fuel mix report from April 2019 to March 2020 showed that 51.9% of its electricity came from renewable sources and the rest came from natural gas.

How do I contact Boost Energy?

Boost Energy has two phone numbers. One is for landline callers and one is for mobile users.

If you’re ringing from a landline: 0330 102 7517 (included in call plan minutes or charged at standard rate)
If you’re calling from a mobile: 0117 332 3728 (included in call plan minutes)

Both lines have the same operating hours of Monday to Friday from 8am to 6pm, and Saturday from 9am to 1pm.

Boost Energy also welcomes people to drop into its Bristol headquarters for help and advice. The address is Boost Power, 1 Rivergate, Temple Quay, Bristol, BS1 6ED.

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