British Gas Ecotricity (July 2026)
British Gas vs Ecotricity
British Gas offers much cheaper tariffs and better apps, while Ecotricity leads on customer service and green energy.
British Gas places first in this comparison due to its lower tariff pricing and higher smartphone app ratings. Conversely, Ecotricity may appeal to households prioritising independent customer service metrics and a 100% renewable electricity mix.
About British Gas and Ecotricity
Who is British Gas?
Owned by Centrica, British Gas is one of the UK's oldest and largest domestic energy suppliers. It supplies gas and electricity to millions of homes across the country.
Who are Ecotricity?
Founded in 1995 by Dale Vince, Ecotricity is based in Stroud and is one of the UK's better-known green energy suppliers. It operates as a not-for-dividend company, meaning it uses customer bill money to build new renewable energy sources rather than paying shareholders.
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Tariffs and pricing
The lowest-priced deal available from British Gas in this comparison is Fix and Fall Jul28 v3, a fixed tariff estimated at £1,703 a year. This plan requires a 24-month contract and includes a £150 exit fee. In contrast, Ecotricity's cheapest available option is its Standard Variable Green Tariff, estimated at £2,032 a year with no exit fee.
Looking specifically at variable deals without a fixed end date, British Gas remains the lower-cost option. Its Standard Variable tariff is priced at £1,805 a year, compared to £2,032 a year for Ecotricity's equivalent. Notably, our current pricing data does not include a fixed tariff option for Ecotricity.
Both providers are signatories to the Energy Switch Guarantee, committing to a regulated timeframe when transferring your supply. However, neither supplier currently offers the Warm Home Discount scheme on the specific tariffs analysed in this comparison.
British Gas and Ecotricity: Tariff Options
British Gas
British Gas offers a standard variable tariff and fixed-rate deals, alongside a range of smart and specialist tariffs for electric vehicle owners, heat pump users, and homes with solar panels or battery storage.
Ecotricity
Ecotricity offers a mainstream variable green tariff, as well as specialist options for electric vehicle drivers and prepayment customers. It also lists fixed tariffs for domestic customers, although our current pricing data does not include a fixed-tariff price.
Customer reviews
British Gas holds a Trustpilot rating of 4.4, drawn from a substantial volume of over 345,000 reviews. Ecotricity maintains a slightly lower rating of 4.2, based on approximately 6,500 reviews. Both suppliers receive a similar proportion of five-star ratings, achieving 65% for British Gas and 66% for Ecotricity.
Alongside these positive scores, both companies record a notable percentage of one-star reviews. British Gas sees 20% of its reviewers leaving the lowest score, while 23% of Ecotricity's feedback falls into this category. Both suppliers respond to nearly all negative reviews, typically within 24 hours.
Feedback for British Gas often highlights helpful staff and efficient engineers, though some users report difficulties navigating departments to find clear communication. Ecotricity customers frequently note positive customer service interactions, helpful staff, and straightforward switching processes.
In the annual Which? energy survey, Ecotricity achieves an overall score of 66, placing it ahead of British Gas at 59. While both receive 2 out of 5 for customer service, Ecotricity earns 3 out of 5 for value for money, compared to 2 out of 5 for British Gas. Ecotricity also scores higher for complaints handling, receiving 9 out of 15 against British Gas's 5 out of 15.
Smartphone apps
British Gas records higher ratings for its smartphone applications than Ecotricity. On the App Store, British Gas scores 4.5 from 13,000 ratings, whereas Ecotricity scores 1.8 from 108 ratings. A similar pattern appears on Google Play, where British Gas achieves 4.05 compared to Ecotricity's 2.7.
Installation data indicates differing user bases, with the British Gas app showing over 1,000,000 installs on Google Play, while Ecotricity records over 1,000 installs. British Gas has also recently updated its iOS application to assist new users in navigating its interface.
A recent sample of iOS feedback for Ecotricity indicates user frustration following an app update. Reviewers note that changes removed previously available information, describing the current version as a basic website wrapper that complicates checking historical bills and energy usage.
Customer service and support
Ecotricity achieves higher results in the latest Citizens Advice ratings, scoring 3.36 out of 5 and ranking 7th. British Gas scores 2.61 out of 5, placing 13th. Furthermore, Ecotricity records a lower complaint rate, with 21.5 complaints per 10,000 customers compared to 68.7 for British Gas.
Both suppliers report average call centre wait times under one minute: 45 seconds for Ecotricity and 51 seconds for British Gas. They also show similar email response rates, with British Gas replying to 97.9% of emails within two days, while Ecotricity manages 95.2%.
British Gas publishes an average social media response time of 55 seconds, whereas Ecotricity does not supply this specific data point. For households requiring additional support, both suppliers maintain formal vulnerability commitments registered with Citizens Advice.
Telephone support hours differ between the two providers. British Gas lines operate from 8am to 6pm on weekdays, and 9am to 2pm on Saturdays. Ecotricity provides extended availability, operating from 9am to 7pm on weekdays, and 9am to 5pm across both Saturday and Sunday.
Complaints and performance
Looking at data from the last three months of 2025, Ecotricity received 320 complaints for every 100,000 customers. This is much lower than British Gas, which received 1,158 complaints per 100,000 customers.
Green Energy Comparison
British Gas
According to Citizens Advice data from early 2026, the British Gas electricity fuel mix is largely nuclear, with some fossil fuel and renewables. Its parent company, Centrica, aims to help the UK reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050. It also offers green tech installations for the home, such as heat pumps, solar panels, and EV chargers.
Ecotricity
Based on Citizens Advice data from early 2026, Ecotricity's electricity fuel mix is 100% renewable. It generates its own wind and solar power around Britain rather than just buying certificates to match customer use. Its gas is a mix of sustainable green gas and fossil gas. It also invests in direct carbon removal projects through its Carbon Bank.
Our verdict
| If you care most about | Choose |
|---|---|
| The lowest annual cost on our assumptions | British Gas |
| Overall customer service | Ecotricity |
| A well-rated mobile app | British Gas |
| A greener fuel mix | Ecotricity |
British Gas offers much cheaper tariffs and better apps, while Ecotricity leads on customer service and green energy.
Households prioritising lower annual costs and digital account management may find British Gas more suitable. It provides a fixed tariff priced notably lower than Ecotricity's variable option, alongside smartphone applications that receive higher ratings across iOS and Android.
Alternatively, customers focused on independent service metrics and environmental factors may prefer Ecotricity. It achieves higher rankings with Citizens Advice, scores better in the Which? energy survey, and supplies a 100% renewable electricity mix.
- Lower priced tariffs available
- Higher smartphone app ratings
- Responds to 97.9% of emails within two days
- Lower Citizens Advice score (2.61 out of 5)
- 20% of Trustpilot reviews are one-star
- Higher scores from Citizens Advice and Which?
- 100% renewable electricity mix
- Average call wait time of 45 seconds
- Higher estimated annual tariff costs
- Lower smartphone app ratings
- No fixed tariff in current pricing data
Frequently asked questions
Which supplier is better overall, British Gas or Ecotricity?
British Gas wins this comparison because it has lower-priced tariffs in our current data and higher-rated smartphone apps. However, Ecotricity performs better on independent customer service metrics from Citizens Advice and Which?.
Does British Gas or Ecotricity offer cheaper energy?
British Gas offers cheaper deals based on the prices we found. Its cheapest fixed tariff costs £1,703 a year, whereas Ecotricity's cheapest option is a variable tariff costing £2,032 a year.
What do customers say about British Gas and Ecotricity on Trustpilot?
British Gas has a 4.4 rating on Trustpilot, while Ecotricity has a 4.2 rating. Both suppliers have a high share of five-star reviews (65% for British Gas and 66% for Ecotricity), but both also see around a fifth of their customers giving one-star scores.
Are the British Gas and Ecotricity smartphone apps any good?
The British Gas apps are highly rated, scoring 4.5 on the App Store and 4.05 on Google Play. Ecotricity's apps score very poorly, with a 1.8 rating on the App Store and 2.7 on Google Play.
How do British Gas and Ecotricity compare for customer service?
Ecotricity performs better on independent service metrics. It scores 3.36 out of 5 with Citizens Advice, ranking 7th, while British Gas scores 2.61 and ranks 13th. Both suppliers answer phone calls in under a minute on average.
Should I choose British Gas or Ecotricity?
If you want cheaper energy bills and a good smartphone app, British Gas is the better option. If you prefer a supplier with higher independent service scores and a 100% renewable electricity mix, Ecotricity may suit you better.
Do British Gas and Ecotricity charge exit fees?
The cheapest fixed tariff from British Gas carries a £150 exit fee if you leave before the 24-month contract ends. Ecotricity's cheapest tariff is a variable deal with no exit fee.
Which supplier gets a better score from Which?
Ecotricity scores 66 overall in the Which? energy survey, beating British Gas which scores 59. Ecotricity also scores higher for complaints handling and value for money.
How long does it take British Gas and Ecotricity to answer the phone?
Both suppliers answer calls very quickly. According to Citizens Advice data, Ecotricity takes an average of 45 seconds to answer the phone, while British Gas takes 51 seconds.
What changed this month
This month, British Gas's cheapest tariff term changed from a variable tariff to a 24-month fixed deal, Ecotricity's Citizens Advice rank rose from 1 to 7, and British Gas's iOS app updates in last 90 days rose from 0 to 3. There were 32 other data changes this month — see the full changelog below for details.
Data changes this month (41)
British Gas
- Trustpilot reviews342,242 → 345,969
- iOS app days since last update1,096 → 9
- iOS app updates in last 90 days0 → 3
- iOS sampled reviews avg stars1.67 → 2
- iOS sampled negative reviews3 → 2
- Play Store rating3.99223 → 4.0481653
- Play Store ratings count12,839 → 13,077
- Play Store days since last update23 → 14
- Play Store positive ratings %74.5 → 76.2
- Play Store negative ratings %21.3 → 20
- Play Store neutral ratings %4.2 → 3.7
- Play Store net-positive %53.2 → 56.2
- Citizens Advice rank14 → 13
- Citizens Advice score2.28 → 2.61
- Complaints per 10,000 customers73.5 → 68.7
- Avg call centre wait time91 → 51
- Avg social media response timenow available (55)
- Emails responded within 2 days %97.1 → 97.9
- Cheapest variable tariff£1,584.14 → £1,804.81
- Cheapest fixed tariff£1,675.23 → £1,702.64
- Cheapest tariff£1,584.14 → £1,702.64
- Cheapest tariff exit fee£0 → £150
- Cheapest tariff termvariable → 24 months
- Shortest fixed term15 months → 14 months
Ecotricity
- Trustpilot reviews6,530 → 6,559
- Trustpilot negative reviews replied %100 → 98
- iOS app days since last update25 → 39
- Play Store rating2.72 → 2.7
- Play Store ratings count178 → 179
- Play Store days since last update30 → 23
- Play Store negative ratings %52 → 53.1
- Play Store neutral ratings %10.9 → 9.7
- Play Store net-positive %-14.9 → -16
- Citizens Advice rank1 → 7
- Citizens Advice score3.93 → 3.36
- Complaints per 10,000 customers13 → 21.5
- Avg call centre wait time46 → 45
- Emails responded within 2 days %93.5 → 95.2
- Cheapest variable tariff£1,825.18 → £2,032.01
- Cheapest tariff£1,825.18 → £2,032.01
- Cheapest tariff termvariable → 0 months
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Written by
Rob Gibbs
Hi, I'm Rob, and I run Energy-Review.co.uk. I initially started this project in 2018 when I was looking to switch energy suppliers and found there wasn't a website that provided simple, data-backed reviews on all the suppliers available. Since then, I have spent a lot of time (too much, some may say!) looking at all publicly available data about each supplier and writing reviews using this information. These reviews are updated as regularly as possible, and any data is backed up by a source where necessary. I have also started writing guides on various energy-related topics, which hopefully you will find useful. If you find any issues, please use our contact form to let us know.