Tonik Energy: smart meters, contact, tariffs & more

What is Tonik Energy?

Tonik Energy is an independent gas and electricity supplier based in Birmingham, England. Not only does it have some of the cheapest energy tariffs on the UK market, but all of its tariffs use green energy produced from renewable sources such as solar power, wind power and biogas.

Tonik’s aim: to help you reduce your carbon footprint while halving your energy bills by 2022! What’s not to love about that?

Is it Tonic Energy or Tonik Energy?

Just to clear things up before getting started, the energy provider is called Tonik Energy with a K, not Tonic Energy with a C. Tonic with a C is a drink, not an energy supplier!

Short history of Tonik Energy

Tonik Energy was originally founded in 2015 under the name Pilot Energy. In 2016, the provider rebranded to become Tonik Energy: a young company with a bright future. Blazing a new path in the energy market, by 2018 it had already helped its 90,000 members save 50,000 tonnes of carbon!

Tonik Energy does not have customers; it has members, because everyone who uses Tonik is "part of the movement that we are facilitating...a genuine change in the energy market rather than just a transaction every month". (Tonik Energy)

Tonik is fully certified by Ofgem (the UK’s energy company regulator) and has also received Ofgem’s Renewable Energy Guarantee of Origin (REGO) certificate that confirms its energy comes from renewable sources.

In 2018, it joined with renewable energy installer The Phoenix Works to form an in-house installation team. Together they are working to make their Home of the Future a reality by installing solar panels, battery storage points and EV chargers in homes across the UK.

In its mere three years of existence, Tonik has won:

• 2018 British Renewable Energy Award for Customer Service
• 2018 Startups Award for Best Place to Work
• 2019 MoneyFacts Consumer Award for Energy Provider of the Year

What’s to come?

Tonik Energy continues to work towards a smarter and cleaner future for the UK. As part of its Home of the Future scheme, it’s paving the way for the ‘prosumer’ - the customer who is able to generate and store their own renewable energy at home and then sell this green energy back into the grid, where it will go on to power other homes and businesses.

Dubbing this model The Tonik Power Plant, it means Tonik members won’t just save money on their energy bills: they could one day actually make money off their energy, all while using clean energy and reducing carbon emissions!

Timeline

• 2015 - Pilot Energy is founded
• 2016 - Pilot Energy is rebranded to become Tonik Energy
• 2018 - Tonik Energy helps its 90,000 members save 50,000 tonnes of carbon
• 2018 - The company joins with The Phoenix Works to form its own in-house installation team
• 2018 - Tonik Energy’s wins British Renewable Energy Award for Customer Service, Startups Award for Best Place to Work, MoneyFacts Consumer Award for Energy Provider of the Year
• 2019 - Tonik welcomes £13 million investment from Mitsui & co

Who owns Tonik?

Tonik Energy was co-founded in 2015 by Jonathan Hayward, Simon Perkins and Christopher Russell. Today, Simon Perkins is the Operations Director, Christopher Russell is the Managing Director and Donald Leiper became the Commercial Director in 2017.

In February 2019, the company secured a £13 million investment from Mitsui & co. The Japenese investment firm is now a minority, strategic stakeholder in the company.

Tonik Energy in the news

On the whole, news stories about Tonik Energy are positive, with many praising the company’s green attitude and innovation when it comes to the use of energy-saving technology. Tonik made big headlines, for example, when it started to offer the Tesla Powerwall to households across the country. It was the first UK energy supplier to provide access to this top-notch home battery.

Unfortunately, Tonik has also made the news for a few increases in prices. Most recently, following Ofgem’s decision to raise the energy price cap in April 2019, Tonik Energy announced it would slightly increase its prices. The good news? This only applies to one tariff (the Life Energy tariff) and despite the price rise, the tariff remains competitive and still well below the new price cap.

Fuel mix

Renewable energy is the future and there is no room for improvement in this for Tonik: 100% of their energy comes from sustainable, renewable sources. Go Tonik! Tonik receives a full five stars from us for its fuel mix.

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Tonik Energy smart meters: does it use them?

Yes! As of 2019, Tonik Energy is installing new second generation smart meters (SMETS2) in the homes of its members for free as part of the government’s smart meter roll out scheme.

Right now, it is installing them one region at a time and will reach out to you when it’s heading your way. If you are really keen to get one, Tonik will give you priority if you install solar panels, a Tesla Powerwall or an EV charging point at your home through its services.

Do you already have a smart meter from another supplier? Chances are Tonik will be able to read it so there is no need to replace it.

Can Tonik read your smart meter?

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What services does Tonik Energy offer?

As well as offering members many different green energy tariffs at reasonable prices, Tonik Energy has many other services that are well worth taking advantage of. Let’s have a look at what’s on offer.

Home of the future

Tonik’s Home of the Future scheme aims to transform your home into the most energy efficient home possible. By installing all of the latest energy-efficient technology, it wants to put you in control of making, storing and using your own renewable energy.

For now, there are three technologies you can purchase and have installed in your home: solar panels; battery storage; and an EV charging point.

1. Solar panels: the experts at Tonik have done their research and found the best solar electricity panels on the market to install on your roof. With these panels, you can power your home with green energy and be less reliant on the energy you get from the grid, e.g., from your Tonik energy tariff.




2. Battery storage: Tonik is the first UK energy supplier to offer the Tesla Powerwall, a battery that can be installed in your home and store large amounts of energy generated by your solar panels. This means you won’t waste any energy: any solar energy produced but not used straight away can be stored and used when you need it.







3. EV chargers: Do you have an electric car? Do you hope to have an electric car in the future? Tonik can install an EV charger in your home so you will have no problems charging your car. What’s more, with solar panels and the Tesla Powerwall also installed, you can use your own self-generated clean energy to power the charger!

Tonik’s own in-house installation team, The Phoenix Works, will install all of these products for you. As experts in fitting renewable technologies, all of the technology you choose will be installed safely and fitted to be as energy-efficient as possible.

Can I get these technologies if I am not a Tonik member?

Tonik’s Home of the Future products are not just for members; non-members can also purchase them and Tonik’s installation team will happily fit them in your home. However, there are some extra benefits that come with being a member, such as discounts on installation prices and the Tonik Battery Rewards.

Tonik Battery Rewards

To encourage everyone to install a Tesla Powerwall, Tonik has devised a Battery Reward system. If you get Tonik Energy to install a Tesla Powerwall in your home, you can get £15 in credit per month in your energy account. In other words, every month your energy bill could be £15 cheaper.

Home cover

Working with one of the UK’s top home assistance service providers, HomeServe, Tonik also offers home cover. There is a range of different coverage packages to choose from, such as electricity emergency and breakdown cover, gas central heating cover, and plumbing, heating and electrics cover.

The all important boiler cover is also an option and includes a free service in the first year of coverage, a 24/7 helpline, Gas Safe registered engineers and a boiler replacement promise if yours can't be repaired.

Refer a friend scheme

If you get someone to switch to Tonik Energy, whether it is a family member or a friend (or even a stranger on the street), you will both receive £25 of credit in your energy accounts. To benefit from the credit reward, your ‘friend’ must sign up to Tonik using your unique referral link. To find your link, log into your Tonik account and go to the Refer a Friend tab. Here you can find your link and share it with your friends.

The link does not expire. As long as you stay with Tonik Energy, you can use the link again and again, getting the £25 credit reward every time, so start pestering your friends to switch!

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Tonik Energy contact details

Contacting Tonik Energy as a member or a non-member is pretty easy. Let’s break it down.

I’m not a member and want to switch

As with most things these days, everything can be done online. If you want to switch to Tonik Energy, you can do so in three simple steps:

1. Get a quote online: enter your postcode and answer a few simple questions about your current energy supplier, how much you pay and how much electricity and gas you use. From this information, a few different tariffs will be suggested to you. Pick the one you want and click sign up.




2. Sign up: on this page you will need to enter some personal details - such as your name, date of birth and address - and your bank account details. Accept the terms and conditions and you’re signed up!




3. Leave the rest to Tonik: Tonik will now take care of the rest, including contacting your old supplier to cancel your account with them.

Switching to Tonik can take up to three weeks from the day you sign up. After you have signed up, it will send you a welcome pack with all the details you need to know about Tonik, your account and your new tariff. You will then be given time (about 14 days) to make sure you are happy with switching.

Around five days before your tariff with Tonik is due to kick in, the company will email you asking for your meter readings. This email will also include a link to set up your Tonik online account. Tonik will send your meter readings to your old supplier who will bill you and arrange to refund you if you are in credit (this can take a few weeks). And that’s that: you are now a Tonik Energy member.

I’m a member

If you are already a Tonik Energy member, nearly everything can be handled through your online account, known as your Tonik Space account. This includes entering your meter readings, topping up your meter, making payments, viewing your monthly and annual statements, and changing personal details.

Tonik Energy Login

All members have a Tonik Space Account. You can login online by simply entering the email address and password that are linked to your account. Unlike with a lot of energy suppliers, you can also login via Facebook and Twitter. Find out more about how to log in with our your Tonik Energy Login guide.

How should I tell Tonik I’m moving house?

If you are moving house, you need to get in touch with Tonik’s Members Services Team, ideally on the day you move. You will need to tell them your new address, the date of your move, the final meter readings in your old house and, if you know it, the name of the new energy supplier in your old house with its new owners. Send them an email at hello@tonikenergy.com or give them a call.

Problems with your account or meter readings?

If you have any problems that cannot be dealt with through your Tonik Space Account, such as difficulties with your meter readings, give Tonik a call on the number above to speak to someone in the Members Services Team directly.

Making complaints

If, for whatever reason, you want to make a complaint about Tonik Energy, you can send them an email at hello@tonikenergy.com or call its Members Service Team on 03333442686. When calling, make sure you have your account number ready to quote. If sending an email, make sure you clearly state your account number at the top of your email.

Tonik aims to resolve complaints the very first time you contact them. It will explain why the issue occurred, provide a practical solution and maybe even pay you compensation (this is decided on a case by case basis).

Tonik Energy contact number and general enquiries

If you have any questions for Tonik, whether you are a member or non-member, you can reach the provider via the Tonik Energy contact number (mentioned above), email address or send a letter to their Members Services Team in Birmingham, England.

Is there a Tonik energy app?

Surprisingly, as Tonik is such a fresh, forward-thinking and tech-savvy company, there is no Tonik Energy app! Perhaps there will be a Tonik Energy app one in the future but for now, Tonik members have to stick to the more traditional online account on the Tonik website.

This is quite disappointing for Tonik members. Not only do a lot of energy providers today, such as Bulb Energy, Npower and Octopus Energy, provide their customers with a mobile app, but these apps are also really useful and let customers manage their accounts anytime and anywhere. For more information on energy apps and what you can use them for, check out Selectra's ultimate guide to the best energy apps available.

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How much do Tonik Energy tariffs cost?

All Tonik Energy tariffs that include electricity (pure electricity tariffs and dual fuel tariffs) use 100% renewable electricity. For gas, you can choose tariffs that use 10% renewable gas and carbon offset the remaining 90%.

What is carbon offsetting?Carbon offsetting is basically the act of balancing carbon emissions: it measures the carbon that is released into the atmosphere from one activity and removes/prevents the emission of the same amount in another activity.

Tonik’s carbon offset scheme is part of The Kasigau Corridor Project. For every unit of non-green gas used by its members, Tonik buys ‘carbon credits’ that help fund the project.

What are the Tonik Energy tariffs

Tonik Energy offers a wide range of standard and Economy 7 tariffs. None of the tariffs have exit fees so you can leave whenever you want without being charged, and all also include a 3% interest rate on any credit you have in your energy account. Tonik does not currently offer any business tariffs; they solely focus on domestic energy consumers. Let’s take a look at a few of its popular tariffs.

How does Tonik compare to the UK energy price cap?

Ofgem has set a limit on how much electricity suppliers can charge you for your gas and electricity (yay!). This is known as the energy price cap: as of April 2019, energy suppliers cannot charge new customers more than £1,254 a year for their energy (gas and electricity combined). So how does Tonik Energy fair against this cap?

We took one of Tonik Energy’s most popular tariffs - the Go Green (1 year) v10 - and compared it against this cap. Great news: the tariff came in at an average of £939.38* a year, a whopping £314.62 under the price cap! We can safely say that Tonik’s tariffs are very reasonably priced and some of the cheapest on the market.

In light of this, we give Tonik a solid 4/5 for price. Its prices are very reasonable, fair and competitive, but there are cheaper options available.

*comparison based on a 2-3 bed flat with three occupants in central London. Figures will vary depending on the region, house size and number of occupants, as well as the actual tariff.

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Tonik Energy reviews and Selectra’s verdict

In general, Tonik Energy receives great reviews from members on Trustpilot, Google and Which?. Many praise the structure and user-friendliness of the website, prompt customer service and clear communication between the company and its members, as well as how easy it is to renew your policy if you wish to.

Something customers really love? The fact that Tonik Energy uses 100% renewable energy. We are all becoming more and more conscious about the energy we use and members love that Tonik lets them use green energy at a reasonable price.

Most members note that Tonik’s prices are very competitive but perhaps not the absolute cheapest available. However, they are more than happy to pay that little bit extra for the green energy and great overall service. Plus, even if Tonik’s prices aren’t the lowest you can find, they are a lot cheaper than the majority of tariffs out there, especially those offered by the Big Six and some other green energy suppliers.

If you want to see a more detailed review of Tonik Energy broken down into customer service, bill and account management, tariffs and prices, and complaint handling, head to our Tonik Energy Reviews page.

Selectra’s verdict on Tonik Energy

Here at Selectra, we are big fans of Tonik Energy. Taking everything into account - prices, customer reviews, use of 100% renewable energy and the extras it offers, such as smart meters, energy-saving technology and the refer a friend scheme - we give Tonik Energy a solid 4 out of 5! If you want to switch energy suppliers, we think Tonik Energy is more than a good shout!