British Gas EDF Energy (July 2026)
Overview
EDF Energy is the overall winner, offering cheaper fixed and variable tariffs alongside stronger customer reviews and highly rated mobile apps.
EDF Energy performs better across most measured categories, providing lower-priced tariffs and higher customer review scores. Although British Gas reports faster call response times and a higher Which? contact score, EDF Energy's app ratings and Trustpilot performance make it the overall winner in this comparison.
About British Gas and EDF Energy
Who is British Gas?
British Gas is one of the UK's oldest and largest domestic energy suppliers. Owned by Centrica, it supplies gas and electricity to millions of homes. As well as household energy, it offers boiler cover, home care plans, and smart home products through its Hive brand. A key feature is its PeakSave scheme, which gives customers with smart meters half-price electricity on Sundays.
Who are EDF Energy?
EDF Energy is one of the UK's largest energy suppliers and is owned by the French state-owned company Électricité de France. It generates a large amount of the UK's nuclear power and supplies gas and electricity to millions of homes. As well as household energy, it offers smart home products and owns the electric vehicle charging company Pod, formerly Pod Point.
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Tariffs and pricing
EDF Energy currently provides the lowest-priced overall deal in this comparison. Its Simply Fixed 2Yr Jul28v3 tariff is estimated at £1,693 a year, whereas the British Gas Fix and Fall Jul28 v3 equivalent costs £1,703 a year. Both options are 24-month fixed contracts that carry a £150 exit fee.
For households seeking variable rates, EDF Energy also costs less. The supplier's Simply Tracker Sep27 tariff is priced at £1,755 a year, compared to the British Gas Standard Variable tariff at £1,805 a year.
British Gas and EDF Energy: Tariff Options
British Gas
British Gas offers a standard variable tariff and fixed-term deals, alongside a range of specialist options for electric vehicle owners, homes with heat pumps, and those with solar panels or battery storage.
EDF Energy
EDF Energy offers a standard variable tariff and fixed-term deals, as well as tracker options and specialist tariffs for electric vehicle drivers and homes with solar panels.
Customer reviews
EDF Energy holds a higher Trustpilot score of 4.8, drawn from a large volume of feedback. Within this, 83% are five-star ratings. Customers frequently mention helpful staff and quick issue resolution.
British Gas carries a Trustpilot score of 4.4, comprising 65% five-star and 20% one-star reviews. Positive feedback often highlights prompt engineers, while negative comments frequently cite dropped calls and difficulty navigating departments.
The two suppliers achieve similar overall results in the Which? annual survey, with British Gas scoring 59 and EDF Energy scoring 58. Sub-category performance varies: British Gas receives 9 out of 12 for contacting the supplier, compared to EDF Energy's 3 out of 12. Conversely, British Gas records 0 out of 5 for switching and 3 out of 10 for smart meters.
App quality and features
Both suppliers provide apps with over a million installs on Google Play. EDF Energy holds higher user ratings, scoring 4.6 on the App Store and 4.5 on Google Play. British Gas matches closely on iOS with a 4.5, but drops to 4.0 on the Android platform.
British Gas has released three updates to its iOS app over the last 90 days. A sample of recent iOS feedback indicates some user frustration regarding software bugs, separate login requirements for gas and electricity, and issues viewing energy usage data.
EDF Energy has not updated its iOS app within the same 90-day window. Recent iOS reviews are mixed: some users report significant improvements, while others note missing features and reduced usability after older updates.
Customer service and support
In the Citizens Advice ratings, EDF Energy ranks 11th with a score of 2.9 out of 5, while British Gas sits 13th at 2.61. In the Citizens Advice data, EDF Energy records fewer complaints, at 47.6 per 10,000 customers against 68.7 for British Gas.
Despite this, British Gas offers faster contact times. Its average call centre wait is 51 seconds, compared to 2 minutes 46 seconds for EDF Energy. British Gas also answers social media messages in 55 seconds (EDF Energy does not publish this metric) and responds to 97.9% of emails within two days, compared to 85.6% for EDF Energy.
Both suppliers maintain formal vulnerability commitments with Citizens Advice. British Gas operates its customer support from 8am to 6pm on weekdays and 9am to 2pm on Saturdays. EDF Energy phone lines are open 8am to 6pm Monday to Thursday, and 8am to 4pm on Fridays, with no weekend availability.
Complaints and performance
In their separate published reporting periods, British Gas received 1,158 complaints for every 100,000 customers in the last three months of 2025, while EDF Energy received 1,528 in the first three months of 2025. EDF Energy is faster at fixing problems. It solved 77% of complaints by the end of the next working day, compared to 60.1% for British Gas. EDF Energy also sorted out 94% of complaints within eight weeks, while British Gas reached 90.7%.
Green Energy Comparison
British Gas
The British Gas electricity fuel mix is largely nuclear, with some fossil fuel and renewables. Its parent company, Centrica, has set targets to reach net zero emissions by 2050. To help improve home energy efficiency, British Gas installs solar panels, home batteries, and heat pumps. It also offers Smart Export Guarantee tariffs that pay customers for the excess renewable energy they send back to the grid.
EDF Energy
The EDF Energy electricity fuel mix is largely nuclear, with some fossil fuel and renewables. The company is a major generator of zero-carbon electricity and is investing in new nuclear power stations and wind farms in the UK. It backs its fixed tariffs and electric vehicle tariffs with 100% zero-carbon nuclear electricity.[1]
Our verdict
| If you care most about | Choose |
|---|---|
| The lowest annual cost on our assumptions | EDF Energy |
| Overall customer service | EDF Energy |
| A well-rated mobile app | EDF Energy |
| A greener fuel mix | Either |
EDF Energy is the overall winner, offering cheaper fixed and variable tariffs alongside stronger customer reviews and highly rated mobile apps.
EDF Energy emerges as the overall winner in this comparison, leading across the majority of measured data points. It provides lower-priced fixed and variable tariffs alongside higher customer review scores and better-rated mobile apps.
EDF Energy may suit households prioritising lower prices and higher customer service ratings. Conversely, British Gas could be a better fit for those who value fast phone support and weekend contact hours.
- Fast average call centre response times
- Saturday opening hours for customer support
- Higher Which? score for contacting the supplier
- Higher-priced fixed and variable tariffs in this comparison
- Lower Trustpilot rating and a higher proportion of one-star reviews
- Lower Android app rating on Google Play
- Lower-priced fixed and variable tariffs in this comparison
- High Trustpilot rating with 83% five-star reviews
- Higher Citizens Advice score and fewer recorded complaints
- Higher user ratings for its mobile apps
- Longer average call centre wait times
- No weekend customer support hours
Frequently asked questions
Which supplier is better overall, British Gas or EDF Energy?
Based on our comparison, EDF Energy is the stronger choice for most households. It offers cheaper fixed and variable tariffs, achieves a much higher Trustpilot score, and has better-rated mobile apps. However, British Gas is faster at answering customer calls.
Does British Gas or EDF Energy have the cheaper tariffs?
EDF Energy currently offers the cheaper tariffs. Its cheapest fixed deal is priced at £1,693 a year, while British Gas's cheapest fixed option costs £1,703 a year. EDF Energy also provides a cheaper variable tracker tariff.
How do British Gas and EDF Energy compare on Trustpilot?
EDF Energy performs significantly better on Trustpilot, scoring 4.8 out of 5 with 83% of its reviews being five-star. British Gas holds a score of 4.4, with 65% five-star reviews and a higher proportion of one-star feedback.
Which supplier has the better mobile app?
EDF Energy leads on app ratings, scoring 4.6 on the App Store and 4.5 on Google Play. British Gas has a 4.5 rating on iOS but a lower score of 4.0 on Google Play.
How fast do British Gas and EDF Energy answer the phone?
British Gas is much faster at answering customer calls. Its average call centre wait time is just 51 seconds, compared to 2 minutes and 46 seconds for EDF Energy.
Should I choose British Gas or EDF Energy?
If you want the cheapest prices and excellent customer reviews, EDF Energy is the better option. However, if you value fast phone support and weekend opening hours, you might prefer British Gas.
What are the exit fees for British Gas and EDF Energy?
Both suppliers charge a £150 total exit fee on their cheapest 24-month fixed tariffs. This covers both gas and electricity.
Are British Gas and EDF Energy open on weekends?
British Gas offers customer support on Saturdays from 9am to 2pm, but is closed on Sundays. EDF Energy is closed on both Saturday and Sunday.
How do British Gas and EDF Energy score in the Which? survey?
The two suppliers have very similar overall Which? scores, with British Gas at 59 and EDF Energy at 58. British Gas scores much better for contacting your supplier, while EDF Energy scores higher for its smart meter support.
Are the British Gas and EDF Energy apps regularly updated?
British Gas has updated its iOS app three times in the last 90 days. EDF Energy has not released an iOS update in the same period, though both suppliers update their Android apps regularly.
What changed this month
This month, EDF Energy's iOS app days since last update rose from 3 to 754, British Gas's cheapest tariff term changed from a variable tariff to a 24-month fixed deal, and EDF Energy's cheapest tariff term changed from a variable tariff to a 24-month fixed deal. There were 41 other data changes this month — see the full changelog below for details.
Data changes this month (51)
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
EDF Energy
- Trustpilot reviews228,447 → 234,962
- iOS app ratings count181,000 → 182,000
- iOS app days since last update3 → 754
- iOS app updates in last 90 days3 → 0
- iOS sampled reviews avg stars2.5 → 2
- iOS sampled negative reviews1 → 2
- Play Store rating4.449787 → 4.4540496
- Play Store ratings count48,436 → 49,305
- Play Store days since last update34 → 20
- Play Store positive ratings %86.9 → 87.2
- Play Store negative ratings %9.4 → 9.1
- Play Store net-positive %77.5 → 78.1
- Citizens Advice rank13 → 11
- Citizens Advice score2.6 → 2.9
- Complaints per 10,000 customers44.6 → 47.6
- Avg call centre wait time257 → 166
- Emails responded within 2 days %77.9 → 85.6
- Cheapest variable tariff£1,584.14 → £1,754.76
- Cheapest fixed tariff£1,671.75 → £1,692.77
- Cheapest tariff£1,584.14 → £1,692.77
- Cheapest tariff exit fee£0 → £150
- Cheapest tariff termvariable → 24 months
- Cheapest fixed tariff exit fee£100 → £150
- Cheapest fixed tariff term12 months → 24 months
- Tariff count6 → 4
- Fixed tariffs available4 → 2
- Variable tariffs available1 → 2
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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.