British Gas Sainsbury’s Energy (August 2026)
Overview
British Gas offers cheaper tariffs and has a highly rated app, though Sainsbury's Energy scores higher in Which? customer satisfaction testing.
British Gas has lower-priced fixed and variable tariffs in the available pricing data, while Sainsbury's Energy scores higher in Which? customer satisfaction testing. British Gas also has strong app ratings available, so the better choice depends on whether price or service is your priority.
About British Gas and Sainsbury's Energy
Who is British Gas?
British Gas is owned by Centrica Group and is one of the UK's oldest and largest domestic energy suppliers. It offers a wide range of energy plans, boiler cover, home care, and smart home technology through its Hive brand. A key feature is its PeakSave scheme, which gives customers half-price electricity on Sundays for shifting their energy use to off-peak times. It also runs a charity to help people in energy debt.
Who are Sainsbury's Energy?
Sainsbury's Energy is a partnership service tied to the supermarket chain, with energy supplied and managed by E.ON Next, one of the UK's largest domestic suppliers. Customer accounts run on E.ON Next's billing platform, but users get a dedicated Sainsbury's Energy support team. What sets it apart is its link to the Nectar rewards programme, letting customers collect points on their energy bills and supermarket shopping.
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Tariffs and pricing
British Gas provides the lowest-priced tariff in this comparison. Its Cap Tracker Plus Sep27 v1 variable deal costs £1,745 a year, undercutting the Sainsbury's Standard Variable tariff (£1,805 a year) by £60 annually, or £5 a month.
For households preferring to lock in their rates, British Gas again offers the lower-priced option. Its Fix and Fall Aug28 v2 tariff is priced at £1,834 a year on a 24-month contract. By comparison, the most affordable fixed deal from Sainsbury's Energy costs £1,841 a year, which also requires a 24-month commitment.
While the lowest-priced British Gas tariff includes a £50 exit fee, the equivalent Sainsbury's Energy deal charges no exit fees. Both of these variable options operate without a fixed term.
Tariff Options
British Gas tariffs
British Gas offers a range of standard variable and fixed tariffs, alongside specialist options for electric vehicle owners, heat pump users, and homes with solar panels or battery storage.
Sainsbury's Energy tariffs
Sainsbury's Energy offers standard variable, fixed, and tracker tariffs, with contract terms from 12 to 24 months. These plans are linked to the Nectar rewards programme, giving customers bonus points on their energy and shopping.
Customer reviews
On Trustpilot, British Gas holds a rating of 4.4 out of 5 across a substantial 350,018 reviews. Sainsbury's Energy records a similar score of 4.3 out of 5, though this is drawn from a smaller sample of 3,127 reviews.
Examining the rating distribution, 80% of Sainsbury's Energy reviews award five stars, compared with 65% for British Gas. Furthermore, British Gas receives a higher proportion of one-star ratings at 20%, while Sainsbury's Energy registers 10%.
Feedback for British Gas frequently mentions polite and knowledgeable staff, as well as efficient repairs and effective problem resolution. Sainsbury's Energy customers similarly note helpful staff and prompt communication, especially via WhatsApp, although some report difficulties with billing and estimates.
In the most recent Which? annual energy survey, Sainsbury's Energy achieved an overall score of 71, outperforming British Gas at 59. For customer service specifically, Sainsbury's Energy received 4 out of 5, whereas British Gas scored 2 out of 5.
App quality and ratings
British Gas provides a mobile app for both major operating systems. It scores 4.5 out of 5 on the App Store based on 13,000 ratings, and 4.1 out of 5 on Google Play from 13,409 ratings.
Google Play data indicates over 1,000,000 installs for the British Gas app. According to recent release notes, prepayment customers are now able to check their emergency credit status directly within the interface.
App rating data for Sainsbury's Energy is not currently available in the dataset reviewed for this comparison.
Service and support
Citizens Advice awards British Gas an overall score of 2.61 out of 5, positioning it 13th in the rankings. The supplier records 68.7 complaints per 10,000 customers.
For telephone support, the average call centre wait time at British Gas is 51 seconds. Additionally, the supplier responds to 97.9% of emails within two days and maintains formal vulnerability commitments registered with Citizens Advice.
Because Citizens Advice data is not currently available for Sainsbury's Energy, a direct comparison of these specific support metrics cannot be made.
Complaints and performance
Both suppliers have shared their complaints data for the first quarter of 2026. Sainsbury's Energy gets fewer complaints than British Gas, taking in about 660 complaints for every 100,000 customers compared to 1,122 for British Gas.
Sainsbury's Energy is also slightly faster at fixing problems. It sorts out 57.28% of complaints by the end of the next working day, while British Gas manages 54.2%. When looking at an eight-week window, Sainsbury's Energy fixes 90.21% of issues, beating the 85.3% from British Gas.
British Gas complaints
Half of all complaints to British Gas are about billing (50%). The supplier says it wants to make sure bills are right and sent on time, and it is giving its staff the tools to help customers quickly. Payments make up 20% of complaints. To help with this, British Gas is speeding up refunds for customers who pay too much.
Credit management causes 11% of complaints, and customer service makes up 9%. British Gas is hiring more staff to answer calls and asking customers for feedback to see how they feel. Metering causes 4% of complaints. The company says it is putting in smart meters for those who want them and fixing broken meters and displays.
Sainsbury's Energy complaints
For Sainsbury's Energy, customer service is the main reason people complain, making up 38.72% of cases. Payment issues are next at 17.7%.
Billing and meter reading problems not linked to a specific meter type cause 11.28% of complaints. The same problems linked to smart or advanced meters make up 9.29%. Debt and disconnections that do not involve prepayment meters account for 7.74%.
Sainsbury's Energy wins this section because it gets fewer complaints and fixes them faster than British Gas.
Green Energy Comparison
British Gas green energy
The electricity British Gas supplies is largely nuclear, with some fossil fuel and renewables. The company states it is helping the UK reach zero carbon emissions by 2050 and has set up a £140 million support fund for customers. It also encourages off-peak energy use through its smart tariffs and offers a specific plan for homes with solar panels.[1]
Sainsbury's Energy green energy
Sainsbury's Energy offers 100% renewable electricity across its tariffs. This is matched via REGO certificates, meaning the supplier buys the same amount of renewable energy from sources like wind and solar as its customers use. Through its partner E.ON Next, it also offers discounts on home energy upgrades, such as solar panels, home batteries, and electric vehicle chargers, to help customers lower their carbon footprint.[2]
Our verdict
| If you care most about | Choose |
|---|---|
| The lowest annual cost on our assumptions | British Gas |
| Overall customer service | Sainsbury’s Energy |
British Gas is cheaper in the available tariff data, while Sainsbury's Energy scores higher in Which? customer satisfaction testing; the better choice depends on your priorities.
Based on the available data, British Gas may suit households prioritising price and digital account management. It provides lower-priced fixed and variable tariffs, alongside a well-rated mobile app.
Conversely, Sainsbury's Energy may appeal to those focused on customer service metrics. It achieved a higher Which? score and holds a larger proportion of five-star reviews on Trustpilot, although it lacks the comprehensive independent data available for British Gas.
- Lower-priced overall variable tariff
- Lower-priced fixed tariff option
- Well-rated mobile app on iOS and Android
- Lower Which? customer satisfaction score
- Higher proportion of one-star Trustpilot reviews
- Higher Which? customer satisfaction score
- 80% of Trustpilot reviews are five-star
- No exit fee on its lowest-priced variable tariff
- Higher prices across both variable and fixed tariffs
- No app rating data available
- No Citizens Advice data available
Frequently asked questions
Which supplier is better overall?
British Gas is cheaper in the available tariff data and has strong app ratings. Sainsbury's Energy scores higher in Which? customer satisfaction testing, so the better choice depends on whether price and digital account management or service scores matter more to you.
Which supplier has the cheaper fixed tariff?
British Gas currently offers the cheaper fixed deal. Its 24-month fixed tariff costs £1,834 a year, while the cheapest 24-month fixed option from Sainsbury's Energy costs £1,841 a year.
Who has better customer reviews?
Sainsbury's Energy performs better in Which? testing with a score of 71, compared with 59 for British Gas. It also has a larger share of five-star reviews on Trustpilot, though British Gas maintains a slightly higher overall Trustpilot average.
Do both suppliers offer a mobile app?
British Gas offers an app for both iOS and Android devices, which holds strong ratings on both platforms. We do not currently have app rating data available for Sainsbury's Energy.
How quickly does British Gas answer the phone?
According to Citizens Advice, the average call centre wait time for British Gas is 51 seconds. This specific data is not currently available for Sainsbury's Energy.
Should I choose British Gas or Sainsbury's Energy?
If price and app quality are your main priorities, British Gas is the stronger choice. If you prefer a supplier with higher Which? customer service scores, Sainsbury's Energy is worth considering.
Does Sainsbury's Energy charge exit fees?
The cheapest variable tariff from Sainsbury's Energy has no exit fee. However, its cheapest fixed tariff carries a £200 exit fee if you leave before the end of the contract.
Why is Citizens Advice data missing for Sainsbury's Energy?
Citizens Advice assesses energy suppliers quarterly, but not all suppliers are included in every report. Sainsbury's Energy does not currently have data in the latest release.
What do Which? scores say about these suppliers?
Sainsbury's Energy achieved a Which? score of 71 and rated 4 out of 5 for customer service. British Gas scored 59 overall and rated 2 out of 5 for customer service.
Are their variable tariffs cheaper than their fixed deals?
Yes. For both British Gas and Sainsbury's Energy, the variable tariffs currently cost less per year than their cheapest fixed options.
What changed this month
This month, Sainsbury’s Energy's Trustpilot 2-star % rose from 1 to 2, British Gas's iOS sampled negative reviews fell from 2 to 0, and Sainsbury’s Energy's cheapest tariff exit fee fell from £200 to £0. There were 25 other data changes this month — see the full changelog below for details.
Data changes this month (33)
British Gas
- Trustpilot reviews345,969 → 350,018
- iOS sampled reviews avg stars2 → no longer available
- iOS sampled negative reviews2 → 0
- Play Store rating4.0481653 → 4.0881915
- Play Store ratings count13,077 → 13,409
- Play Store days since last update14 → 10
- Play Store positive ratings %76.2 → 77.4
- Play Store negative ratings %20 → 19.1
- Play Store neutral ratings %3.7 → 3.4
- Play Store net-positive %56.2 → 58.3
- Avg social media response time55 → no longer available
- Cheapest variable tariff£1,804.81 → £1,744.71
- Cheapest fixed tariff£1,702.64 → £1,833.95
- Cheapest tariff£1,702.64 → £1,744.71
- Cheapest tariff exit fee£150 → £50
- Cheapest tariff term24 months → 0 months
- Fixed tariffs available2 → 1
- Variable tariffs available1 → 2
- Shortest fixed term14 months → 24 months
Sainsbury’s Energy
- Trustpilot rating4.5 → 4.3
- Trustpilot reviews3,115 → 3,127
- Trustpilot 4-star %8 → 7
- Trustpilot 2-star %1 → 2
- Trustpilot negative reviews replied %36 → 35
- Trustpilot positive reviews %88 → 87
- Trustpilot negative reviews %11 → 12
- Trustpilot net-positive %77 → 75
- Cheapest fixed tariff£1,743.58 → £1,840.79
- Cheapest tariff£1,743.58 → £1,804.81
- Cheapest tariff exit fee£200 → £0
- Cheapest tariff term24 months → 0 months
- Cheapest fixed tariff exit fee£100 → £200
- Cheapest fixed tariff term12 months → 24 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.