Tonik Energy Launches Smart EV Charging Tariff

Tonik Energy has launched a smart energy tariff that separates home energy consumption from the energy used to charge electric vehicles to give drivers “transparency and control” over the cost of running their EVs.

The new Home and Smart EV bundle, reportedly the first of its kind in the UK, uses smart data from EV chargers installed at customers’ houses by a Tonik team to split home and EV charging rates. This allows drivers to access competitive, fixed overnight charging rates, making ‘refuelling’ their vehicles more affordable.

Tonik claims it offers the lowest overnight rate for EV charging in the UK, at 4.17p per kilowatt-hour (kWh). At that price, a Tesla Model T could travel for 8,000 miles for just £80. The price for EV charging during the daytime is higher, at 10p per kWh.

EV charging is also capped at 1,920kWh per year, with any excess charged at the home electricity rate.

Tonik chief executive Chris Russell said the tariff should encourage the growing number of Britons with EVs to embrace home charging. “EVs now have longer battery range, so most of the charging will be done at home—the home replaces the petrol forecourt, and it is important to get the right charger to manage charging and minimise costs,” he said.

“With Tonik being both an energy supplier and energy tech installer we can provide this end-to-end solution for the EV owner with the home energy supply charging the car—making it easier and lower cost for consumers.”

Tonik, which recently crested 250,000 energy customers, isn’t the first supplier to launch an energy tariff geared to electric vehicle owners, although it is the first to split home energy use and EV charging. British Gas, OVO Energy, Octopus Energy and Shell Energy have all launched EV tariffs, most of which give consumers access to cheaper off-peak electricity and some of which come with “free miles.”

For example, British Gas is installing EV chargers in the homes of owners of new Volkswagen plug-in vehicles and offering a specialised tariff with cheaper off-peak electricity. Shell gives drivers of any EV the equivalent of 2,000 miles over 12 months free.

The UK has committed to banning the sale of new petrol, diesel and hybrid vehicles by 2035, although the adoption of electric alternatives has been slow. 

But with EVs now cheaper to run than petrol cars and Britons increasingly conscious of their environmental impact, the sands may finally be shifting on dealership lots. 6% of the cars registered in June were electric.