Ecotricity Review UK 2026: Green Gas Approach, Founder-Led Structure & Service Record

Last reviewed: 17 May 2026 | Chandraketu Tripathi, finance editor

Suppliers · Ecotricity

Ecotricity is a UK domestic energy supplier founded by Dale Vince and headquartered in Stroud, Gloucestershire. The corporate entity is Ecotricity Group Limited and the founder retains a controlling shareholding through the ownership structure recorded at Companies House. The supplier is positioned around 100 percent renewable electricity backed by REGO certificates, alongside a pioneering green-gas-mill programme (the Sparsholt site in Hampshire is the flagship project) that converts grass and other biomass into biomethane injected into the gas network. The supplier is one of the longer-established specialist renewable suppliers in the UK market and operates a customer-facing brand position that combines renewable supply with founder-led activism on climate and on plant-based business credentials, including a vegan-certified bill statement. This review describes the tariff structure, customer service track record against published Ofgem and Citizens Advice data, switching specifics, price cap protection, the renewable supply chain, and the corporate structure at Companies House.

Tariffs available on the Ecotricity in 2026

Ecotricity's published tariff suite in 2026 sits in two broad shapes: variable tariffs that price within the Ofgem default tariff cap headroom, and fixed-term contracts that lock unit rate and standing charge for a defined contract length.

Variable tariff. The standard variable product for electricity and gas customers, priced within the Ofgem default tariff cap for the customer's region and payment method. Repricing follows the supplier's commercial decisions within the cap rather than a published tracking formula.

Fixed-term tariff. Fixed-term contracts that lock unit rate and standing charge for the contract length (typically 12 months, with longer windows appearing in some quarters). Exit fees apply if the customer switches before the end of the contract, except in the final 49 days of the fixed term, during which Ofgem rules forbid an exit fee.

Green gas option. Ecotricity offers a gas tariff with a percentage of green gas (biomethane) included, drawing on the supplier's own green-gas-mill projects and on the wider UK biomethane market. The percentage of green gas in the tariff is disclosed in the supplier's tariff schedule and in the annual fuel mix and gas mix statements published on the supplier's website.

Dual-fuel, electricity-only and payment methods. Both electricity and gas are supplied, with single-fuel electricity available to flats without a gas connection. Direct debit, variable direct debit and prepayment are supported, with prepayment customers covered by Ofgem's separate prepayment cap.

Customer fund use. A distinctive feature of the Ecotricity proposition is that the supplier has historically reinvested customer revenue into new renewable generation capacity, framed as the "bills into mills" approach. This reinvestment is described in the supplier's published company information and the founder's public statements rather than as a regulated tariff feature, and customers should not treat it as a contractually guaranteed term unless explicitly stated in the tariff documentation.

Live unit rates and standing charges are not quoted in this review because they rebase quarterly. The current schedule is published on the supplier's own website, and the Ofgem default tariff cap is at ofgem.gov.uk.

Customer service track record

Three primary-source data points sit behind any honest read of a UK energy supplier's service record: Ofgem's quarterly complaints publication, the Citizens Advice five-star quarterly rating, and Energy Ombudsman annual case data. All three are public and updated on regular cycles.

Ofgem complaints data. Ofgem publishes complaints per 100,000 customer accounts each quarter for suppliers above the minimum customer threshold. Ecotricity, with around 200,000 UK customers, sits within the threshold and appears in the Ofgem publication. Reported complaint volumes have moved across multiple quarters; readers should consult the current quarter publication directly on ofgem.gov.uk rather than relying on a single snapshot.

Citizens Advice star rating. Citizens Advice publishes a quarterly five-star rating scoring complaint handling, ease of contact, billing accuracy, customer guarantees and switching. Ecotricity's star rating has varied across quarters, sitting in the middle band in some quarters and at the lower end in others. The current rating and methodology are at citizensadvice.org.uk under the energy supplier comparison tables.

Energy Ombudsman casework. The Energy Ombudsman accepts complaints once the supplier's own complaints process has been exhausted, a deadlock letter issued, or eight weeks have elapsed since the complaint was first raised. The Ombudsman publishes annual statistical reports at energyombudsman.org giving a multi-year view across suppliers. Ecotricity, as a domestic licensed supplier, is covered by the Ombudsman scheme.

The pattern across the three sources for Ecotricity is one of variability across quarters, and a fair read of the supplier's service record requires looking at the trailing four quarters of published data rather than any single moment.

Switching process specifics

Switching to or from Ecotricity follows the standard UK Faster Switching framework operated by Ofgem.

Switch window. The Faster Switching framework targets a five-working-day completion window for domestic energy supply transfers, subject to the 14-day cooling-off period during which the customer may cancel without penalty.

Supply takeover and meter reads. On switch day, the losing supplier issues a final bill against an opening meter read and Ecotricity opens the account against the same read (or vice versa on a switch away). SMETS2 smart meters transfer automatically with the supply. SMETS1 meters not yet enrolled with the Data Communications Company may revert to dumb-meter operation on switch until DCC enrolment completes; manual reads can be submitted through the supplier's online account during this transition.

Final bill timing. Ofgem rules require the losing supplier to issue a final bill within six weeks of the switch date and to refund any credit balance within ten working days of that bill. If either deadline is missed, the customer can escalate to the Energy Ombudsman.

Fixed-term exit fees. Customers on Ecotricity fixed-term tariffs face the published exit fee if leaving before contract end, except in the final 49 days of the fixed term. Variable tariff customers carry no exit fee.

Green gas continuity. Customers switching to or from a green gas tariff should note that the gas supply itself is delivered through the standard national gas transmission and distribution network and the percentage of green gas attributed to a tariff is a contractual and accounting position rather than a separate physical pipeline. Switching does not change the gas that flows through the meter; it changes the supplier the customer pays and the green gas attribution recorded by that supplier.

Price cap protection and standing charge approach

Ofgem's default tariff cap is updated quarterly and caps the maximum unit rate and standing charge on a standard variable tariff for the customer's region and payment method.

Ecotricity's variable tariff is subject to the default tariff cap and the supplier cannot charge above the cap level. Specialist renewable suppliers have historically priced closer to the cap ceiling than discount mass-market suppliers, on the basis that the renewable supply chain (including reinvestment into new generation capacity) carries cost as well as credential. Customers selecting Ecotricity on its renewable proposition are typically aware that the supplier is not positioned as the cheapest option at any given moment.

Fixed-term Ecotricity contracts are not subject to the default tariff cap during the fixed term because the customer has agreed a defined price for a defined period. The cap applies on roll-over to standard variable.

The standing charge structure has at times been positioned closer to balanced rather than aggressively low, reflecting the supplier's exposure to network and policy costs. The exact split between standing charge and unit rate for a given region is published on the supplier's tariff schedule and on the Ofgem cap publication, both of which should be consulted directly.

Green credentials

Ecotricity's renewable claim has two strands: the electricity supply backed by REGO certificates and a portfolio of UK renewable generation; and the green-gas-mill programme injecting biomethane into the gas network.

Renewable electricity. The supplier's electricity supply is described as 100 percent renewable, backed by REGO certificates retired against the volume of electricity sold. Ecotricity's published company information has historically detailed the supplier's own renewable generation portfolio (wind in particular), which sits alongside REGO-backed procurement from third-party UK generators. The supplier publishes an annual fuel mix disclosure as required under Ofgem rules and the current disclosure should be consulted for the breakdown.

Green gas mill projects. The flagship green-gas-mill project at Sparsholt in Hampshire converts grass and other biomass through anaerobic digestion into biomethane that is injected into the national gas network. The project and other green-gas-mill developments are described on Ecotricity's own website and in public planning and regulatory filings. Green gas injected into the network is then attributed contractually to customers on green gas tariffs through certification schemes recognised by Ofgem.

Vegan-certified bill statement. Ecotricity bills carry vegan certification from The Vegan Society, reflecting the founder's broader business position and consistent with the parent group's other business interests in plant-based and football operations. The vegan certification covers the bill statement and packaging materials rather than the underlying energy supply itself.

B-Corporation status. Ecotricity's current B-Corporation certification status should be verified on the B Lab UK directory at bcorporation.uk rather than relying on a printed snapshot.

As with all renewable supply claims, customers prioritising direct PPA backing should compare Ecotricity's supply chain disclosure against suppliers (such as Good Energy) that operate explicitly direct-PPA models with named UK generators. The structural difference between a REGO-backed claim and a direct-PPA-plus-REGO claim is a recurring topic in Ofgem and Citizens Advice published analysis of the retail renewable market.

Ownership, regulation and structure

Ecotricity Group Limited is registered at Companies House with its head office in Stroud, Gloucestershire. The founder, Dale Vince, retains a controlling shareholding through the ownership structure recorded in the supplier's filed accounts and the parent group structure at Companies House. The supplier is not listed on the London Stock Exchange and is privately held; financial disclosure follows the private company filing requirements rather than the LSE Listing Rules. Annual filed accounts are publicly available through the Companies House record at find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk.

The supplier holds an Ofgem domestic supply licence for electricity and gas, searchable on the public Ofgem register at ofgem.gov.uk including licence categories (electricity supply, gas supply) and any compliance decisions or licence conditions imposed following compliance investigations. Ofgem regulates the supply business under the Gas Act 1986 and Electricity Act 1989; the FCA does not regulate domestic energy supply.

The Ecotricity Group corporate structure extends beyond domestic energy supply and into other interests historically including renewable generation development, electric vehicle charging, plant-based food and football club ownership; these are separate corporate entities under the Ecotricity Group umbrella and the structure at Companies House should be consulted for the current configuration.

As with any retail energy supplier, financial filings and Ofgem licence status should be read alongside the Supplier of Last Resort framework, under which Ofgem appoints a replacement supplier if a licensed supplier ceases trading; customer credit balances are protected through that mechanism up to defined limits.

Frequently asked questions

Who owns Ecotricity?

Ecotricity Group Limited is registered at Companies House with its head office in Stroud, Gloucestershire. The founder, Dale Vince, retains a controlling shareholding through the ownership structure recorded in the supplier's filed accounts. The company is privately held rather than listed on the London Stock Exchange. The current corporate filings can be inspected at find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk.

What is a green gas mill and does Ecotricity actually operate one?

A green gas mill converts grass and other biomass through anaerobic digestion into biomethane that can be injected into the national gas network. Ecotricity's flagship green-gas-mill project is at Sparsholt in Hampshire and is documented in the supplier's own published information and in public planning and regulatory filings. Other developments are also in the pipeline; the current portfolio is published on the supplier's website.

Is Ecotricity's electricity supply 100 percent renewable?

Ecotricity describes its electricity supply as 100 percent renewable, backed by Renewable Energy Guarantees of Origin (REGO) certificates retired against the volume of electricity sold and supported by the supplier's own renewable generation portfolio (wind in particular). The supplier publishes an annual fuel mix disclosure as required under Ofgem rules; readers verifying the current renewable position should consult the current fuel mix on the supplier's website.

Why is the Ecotricity bill statement vegan-certified?

Ecotricity bills are certified by The Vegan Society, reflecting the founder's broader business position and consistent with the parent group's other interests in plant-based food and football. The vegan certification covers the bill statement materials rather than the underlying energy supply itself; the energy supply is a separate Ofgem-regulated product.

Can I switch out of Ecotricity without paying an exit fee?

Variable tariff customers at Ecotricity do not carry an exit fee and can switch at any time without penalty. Fixed-term customers face the published exit fee if leaving before the end of the contract, except in the final 49 days of the fixed term, during which Ofgem rules forbid an exit fee. The Faster Switching framework targets a five-working-day completion window.

How does Ecotricity compare with Good Energy for renewable credentials?

Both suppliers position around 100 percent renewable electricity, but the structural backing differs. Good Energy operates a direct Power Purchase Agreement model with named UK generators alongside REGO retirement; Ecotricity backs its electricity claim primarily through REGO certificates plus the supplier's own renewable generation portfolio, and adds the green-gas-mill biomethane programme on the gas side. Customers prioritising direct-PPA backing should consult each supplier's current fuel mix disclosure and supply chain detail directly.

How we verified this article

Supplier identity and corporate structure (Ecotricity Group Limited, head office Stroud, Gloucestershire, founder-led ownership through Dale Vince's controlling shareholding) reflect the public Companies House record at find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk and the supplier's own published company information as accessed during preparation.

Tariff structure descriptions reflect the supplier's published tariff schedule and historical product set. No live unit prices are printed because rates rebase quarterly with the Ofgem default tariff cap. The green-gas-mill projects and the Sparsholt site are described in the supplier's own published information and in public regulatory filings.

Customer service track record uses Ofgem's quarterly complaints per 100,000 customer accounts publication, the Citizens Advice quarterly five-star supplier rating at citizensadvice.org.uk, and the Energy Ombudsman annual statistical reports at energyombudsman.org. Vegan certification of bill statements is provided by The Vegan Society; the current B-Corporation status should be verified at bcorporation.uk.

No figure on this page has been provided by an advertising or sponsored relationship with Ecotricity. Kaeltripton does not accept commission on switches and our editorial does not recommend specific suppliers; this review is descriptive against primary sources only.

Sources

• Ofgem - Public register of licensed suppliers
• Ofgem - Default tariff cap (price cap)
• Ofgem - REGO scheme administration
• Citizens Advice - Compare domestic energy suppliers
• Energy Ombudsman - Annual reports and case statistics
• Companies House - Ecotricity Group Limited
• GOV.UK - Switching energy supplier rules