31.08.2026
Over the past five years, the Ukrainian energy market has changed significantly – from the launch of a new model and synchronization with ENTSO-E to operating in conditions of full-scale war, electricity and capacity shortages, and high price volatility. Along with the market, consumer needs and the role of the energy supplier itself are changing.
Today, businesses expect from the supplier not only competitive prices for electricity, but also assistance in managing energy costs, analytics and forecasting, as well as solutions in the field of self-generation, energy storage, and energy efficiency. At the same time, digitalization is gradually changing the very model of interaction with the consumer.
The CEO of the Tolk Group of Companies, Volodymyr Krupko, told Energy Club journalist Olena Karpachova about how the Tolk Group has changed in five years, why the energy market is moving from price competition to solution competition, what trust between the supplier and the customer means today, and what a modern energy company should be.
– Mr. Volodymyr, the Tolk Group of Companies has turned five years old. What was the main result for the company during this period – in business, team and customer relations?
– Five years is already a sufficient period to evaluate not only quantitative indicators, but also how correct the decisions that started it all were.
When the Tolk Group was created, we combined the experience and competencies of several energy supply companies around a common vision of its development. During this time, we significantly expanded the geography and areas of work, entered the European market, and began to develop new products and services.
However, I would not measure these five years only by the scale of the business. Together with the country and the energy sector, we went through a very difficult period: a pandemic, the beginning of a full-scale war, relocations, blackouts, attacks on energy infrastructure, extreme market volatility.
It is important for me that in these conditions we preserved the team, continued to develop the business and, most importantly, did not lose the trust of customers.
I consider trust to be one of the main results of these five years. In the energy sector, the relationship between a supplier and a customer is very quickly tested by crises. If a customer stays with you during difficult periods, if they are ready to look for solutions together, it means that over the past years you have built something more than just a contractual relationship.
– Over the past five years, the Ukrainian energy market has experienced market opening, synchronization with ENTSO-E, a full-scale war, price volatility, and changes in consumer behavior. How have these events changed the role of the energy supply company?
– The role of the supplier has really changed significantly. Previously, its main tasks were to provide the customer with the necessary amount of electricity and offer a competitive price. Today, this is no longer enough.
The market itself has become more complex. The price of electricity changes throughout the day, the role of renewable and distributed generation is growing, businesses are investing in their own solar power plants (SPPs) and storage systems, and for many enterprises, the issue of energy sustainability has become critical.
At the same time, the customer has changed. He has become much better at understanding the energy market and wants to not just buy electricity, but also manage his expenses for it.
Today, a supplier must be able to work not only with the price of the resource, but also with the energy needs of the client in general – help him better understand his own consumption, manage costs and find optimal solutions.
In fact, the market is moving from price competition to solution competition. And this trend, in my opinion, will only intensify.
– Tolk calls trust the main value. What does trust in an electricity supplier mean for a business client today – especially in conditions of war and market instability?
– For me, trust in business is a very specific concept. It is the fulfillment of agreements, transparency in pricing, responsibility and willingness to talk to the client not only when everything is going well.
In the energy sector, trust takes on special importance, because we work in a very dynamic market. Prices, regulatory conditions, shortages or restrictions may change. After the start of a full-scale war, physical risks to the energy system were added to this.
It is important for the client to understand that in such a situation the supplier will not only formally fulfill its part of the contract, but also warn about the risks, explain the situation and offer possible solutions.
We have always assumed that long-term relationships are more important than short-term results. This principle applies to both our relationships with customers and relations between market participants.
That is why Tolk once initiated and signed the Memorandum of Good Conduct in the Energy Industry, developed by Energy Club. For the development of a competitive market, not only the rules are important, but also how its participants behave.nicks.
– How have customer demands changed in recent years? Does business really expect from the supplier not only the price of electricity, but also analytics, forecasting, energy-efficient solutions, consultations and assistance in managing consumption?
– Yes. Price remains one of the key factors, and this is normal. But today, the customer increasingly looks at his electricity costs comprehensively.
For example, thanks to proper management of the consumption schedule, an enterprise can sometimes get greater savings than due to a small difference in the supply price. The same applies to its own generation.
Business is actively interested in solar power plants, but it is not enough to simply install panels. It is necessary to understand the consumption profile of the enterprise: when it needs electricity the most, what share of its own generation can be used, whether a storage system is needed and which model will be economically justified.
Hence the growing demand for analytics, forecasting, consultations, energy-efficient solutions. The supplier knows the customer’s consumption profile, understands the market and can help combine these two components. This is where the added value arises, which is no longer limited to the cost of a kilowatt-hour.
– The Tolk Group of Companies works with legal consumers throughout the country. What industries or types of customers today most need a comprehensive energy service, not just electricity supply?
– First of all, these are enterprises for which the energy component significantly affects the cost of production or for which the continuity of production is critically important.
These are industrial enterprises, the agricultural sector and the processing industry, logistics companies and retail chains – businesses with a significant or complex consumption profile.
For them, even a relatively small optimization of energy costs in annual terms can provide a significant economic effect. At the same time, after the start of a full-scale war, along with economic efficiency, another task came to the fore – energy sustainability.
For such customers, energy supply is increasingly becoming part of a broader task – building an efficient and sustainable energy model for the enterprise.
But this demand is no longer limited to big business. Self-generation and energy-efficient solutions are becoming more accessible, and interest in them is also growing among medium-sized and small enterprises.
– The thesis that energy is becoming a service is increasingly heard on the market. How do you understand this in practice? What services around electricity are already becoming mandatory for a modern supplier?
– I am convinced that energy is indeed becoming a service. And this is one of the key changes taking place in the energy market today.
It is no longer enough for the customer to simply obtain the required amount of electricity at a competitive price. He expects the supplier to help him manage energy consumption more effectively: to forecast consumption and costs, optimize the load schedule, find opportunities for savings, and assess the feasibility of own generation or storage systems.
A whole range of services is being formed around traditional supply – analytics and forecasting, energy efficiency solutions, self-generation, storage systems, electricity imports, as well as solutions for decarbonization and electromobility.
At the same time, it is not about having a wide range of products. The task of a modern supplier is to understand the needs of a specific client and offer a solution that will give him a real economic or operational effect.
That is why the role of the supplier is changing. He no longer simply provides the client with a resource, but becomes a partner in managing his energy needs. Energy becomes a service, and the ability to effectively manage it is a new value for the client.
– What role does digitalization play in the development of Tolk – personal accounts, online communication, process automation, chatbots, customer analytics? What does this change for the consumer?
– Digitalization for us is primarily about convenience for the client and the speed of the company itself.
We began to systematically develop digital tools even before the full-scale invasion: we automated internal processes, developed IT infrastructure and cloud solutions.
For the client, the result is very simple: he should be able to solve most issues remotely and at a time convenient for him. Personal accounts, chatbots, online communication are already basic elements of the service today.
The next stage is the use of digital tools not only for communication, but also for consumption management. The client should have access to data, see consumption dynamics, analyze it and make decisions on this basis.
We continue to develop these services. In particular, we are currently working on a mobile application for household consumers, which should make interaction with the supplier as simple and understandable as possible.
– Ukrainian business is increasingly interested in its own generation, energy storage systems, energy efficiency and confirmationing the “green” origin of electricity. Which of these areas, in your opinion, will become the most important for customers in the coming years?
– All of these areas will develop, but I see the greatest potential in their combination.
Own generation has already become for Ukrainian business not only a matter of savings, but also of energy security. But the next step is to learn how to effectively manage this generation.
Accordingly, the importance of storage systems will grow. They allow you to use the generated electricity when it is most needed, optimize peak loads and work with the difference in prices during the day.
At the same time, each project must be considered separately. A solar power plant or storage system should not be installed just because it is a popular solution. Their capacity and operating mode must correspond to the real consumption profile of the enterprise.
Another important area is confirmation of the origin of electricity. Already today, every fourth kilowatt-hour of electricity supplied by Tolk is generated from solar, wind or water energy. We also offer our customers the Green Label, which allows you to confirm the use of renewable electricity in the production of products.
For businesses focused on European markets, such tools will become increasingly important.
– The Tolk team works in conditions of war, relocations, crisis situations and constant changes in the market. What helped the company to preserve people, operational stability and quality of service for customers?
– We understood from the very beginning that in conditions of full-scale war, the main task was to preserve the team and at the same time ensure continuity of work with customers.
Some of our employees were forced to move, some continued to work from other cities. It was necessary to give people the opportunity to stay in the workflow regardless of where they are, maintain constant communication within the Group and preserve key competencies.
It was very helpful that we began to systematically engage in digitalization and automation of processes even before the full-scale invasion. Cloud solutions, remote access to operating systems, automation of some operations made it possible to quickly adapt to new conditions and maintain business manageability.
But technology is only part of this stability. No less important were the professionalism of the team, the responsibility of people and understanding of the common task. It was fundamentally important for us to maintain this team bond and not allow difficult circumstances to affect the quality of service for customers.
Over the years, we have once again been convinced: business stability is not only a financial margin of safety. It is people, competencies, established processes and the ability to quickly adapt to changes. It is the combination of these factors that allowed us to continue working and developing even in the most difficult periods.
– What is the Tolk Group of Companies aiming for in the next five years? What should a modern energy supply company in Ukraine be like – a resource supplier, an energy advisor, a digital platform or a full-fledged energy ecosystem for the client?
– I think a modern energy company will gradually combine all these functions. Electricity supply will remain the basis of our business, but the value of the supplier will increasingly be determined by what it can offer the client around this basic product.
The client does not need a set of services, but a comprehensive solution that helps reduce costs, increase energy sustainability and manage consumption more effectively. It is in this direction that we see the further development of Tolk.
A separate direction is further integration with the European market. The Ukrainian energy system is already part of ENTSO-E, and this integration will deepen. For Ukrainian energy companies, these are both new standards and new opportunities.
At the same time, I do not think that the future will be determined only by technology. Technological solutions will eventually become available to everyone. It is much more difficult to build long-term relationships with a client, understand their needs and earn their trust.
Our vision for the next five years is a technological, digital, integrated into the European market Group, which does not just supply electricity, but helps customers manage it effectively.
And this is where, in my opinion, the main competition will be formed: the energy market is gradually moving from price competition to solution competition.
