British Gas So Energy (November 2026)
Overall comparison
So Energy edges British Gas on price, customer ratings and app scores, though its cheapest deal shown ties you in for 24 months with a £185 exit fee.
So Energy comes out ahead on most of the evidence here. Its cheapest priced deal, the So Green Tracker 24m, is estimated at £1,571 a year, which is £52 less than the British Gas Cap Tracker at £1,622. So Energy also has a higher Citizens Advice score (2.85 against 2.61), a larger share of five-star Trustpilot reviews and higher ratings on both app stores. The main trade-off is commitment: So Energy's cheapest deal shown runs for 24 months with a £185 exit fee, while the British Gas tracker carries a £50 exit fee. British Gas may suit households who want that lower exit fee or who use its boiler and repair services.
About British Gas and So Energy
Who are British Gas?
British Gas says it has been looking after Britain's homes for over 200 years. Today it is part of Centrica PLC and shares the group's values and plans for the future. Its about page says it powers over 8 million homes and businesses in Britain, which it describes as more than any other supplier.
The company says it is on a mission to make homes more sustainable. It aims to make life at home easier, greener and more affordable, from keeping things working to helping people move to newer low-carbon technology. It also backs sport through partnerships with Team GB, Paralympics GB, Scottish Rugby, Scottish Football and Women's Super League Football. It says it uses these to encourage greener living at home and to support the communities behind the athletes.
Products & services
Awards & recognition
Who are So Energy?
So Energy was set up in 2015 with the aim of making energy better for UK homes. Its co-founders include Simon Oscroft and Charlie Davies, and Davies now leads the business as chief executive.
The company has been supplying British homes for over a decade and now serves around 300,000 UK households. It is not a stand-alone business: its parent company is ESB, and So Energy sits within ESB's wider group. So Energy describes itself as a sustainable energy provider, with a stated vision of making sustainable energy accessible for every home. It puts weight on keeping things simple and on support from its UK-based customer team.
Products & services
Awards & recognition
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Tariffs and pricing
Eligibility
Requires a smart meter
The lowest annual estimate shown for So Energy is the So Green Tracker 24m, a tracker tariff at £1,571 a year. For British Gas, the lowest shown is the Cap Tracker Mar2028 v1, also a tracker tariff, at £1,622 a year. That makes So Energy's deal £52 a year cheaper, or about £4 a month. Because both are trackers, their rates can change rather than staying fixed.
The contracts differ more than the prices. So Green Tracker 24m runs for 24 months, carries a £185 exit fee and needs a smart meter, whereas the British Gas Cap Tracker has an end date of 31 March 2028 and a £50 exit fee. If you want a shorter commitment with So Energy, So Green Tracker 15m costs £1,619 a year on a 15-month contract with a £98 exit fee, although it also needs a smart meter.
For a fixed price, So Energy's So Narwhal 24m costs £1,944 a year, which is £122 less than British Gas's Fix and Fall Nov28 v1 at £2,066. Both are 24-month fixed deals, with a £185 exit fee on So Narwhal and a £250 exit fee on Fix and Fall. Both fixed deals cost several hundred pounds a year more than either supplier's cheapest tracker, which is worth weighing if you prefer knowing your rates in advance.
If you want to be free to leave without a charge, British Gas Standard Variable and So Flex both cost £1,672 a year. The two are effectively identical under our assumptions, and neither has an exit fee.
British Gas and So Energy: tariff options
British Gas
Households who simply want gas and electricity can choose a price that moves, one that follows the price cap or a fixed price. The Standard Variable tariff can go up or down with the energy market, within Ofgem's price cap, and has no exit fee. The Cap Tracker follows the price cap, while Fix and Fall fixes prices for two years, with a price review after 12 months based on Ofgem's price cap. Both of these charge an exit fee if you leave early, so the Standard Variable tariff is the one to pick if you want to be free to leave.[1]
The smart tariffs need a smart electricity meter and give cheaper off-peak electricity, so they suit homes that can move heavy use into those hours. The choice depends on your equipment: EV Power for overnight car charging, Heat Power for heat pumps or electric heating, and Charge Power for home batteries.
If you generate your own electricity, the SEG tariff pays for what you export. EV drivers can also add Hive Power+ to a British Gas electricity tariff, but it needs a compatible EV charger and a smart meter in credit mode.
So Energy
So Energy's everyday choice comes down to how much certainty you want. So Flex has no contract and no exit fees. Its rates move with the Ofgem price cap every three months, so bills fall when the cap falls but rise when it goes up. The fixed-rate tariffs hold unit rates and standing charges for 12, 18 or 24 months and come with 100% renewable electricity, but early exit fees apply if you leave before the end.
So Green Tracker sits between the two. Its rates follow the price cap every three months but stay a set amount below it, and the gap is bigger on the 24-month version than on the 15-month one. You need a smart meter, which So Energy will fit for free, and early exit fees apply on both terms.
So EV gives electric car drivers a cheaper rate for the car and the rest of the home between midnight and 5am. It works with any EV and charger but needs a smart meter sending half-hourly readings. New customers therefore start on So Flex and move across once So Energy has checked their readings, which takes about five days. So Energy is also trialling So Unique, a time-of-use tariff that uses smart meter data to set personal Peak, Off-peak and Super Off-peak rates. Its first trial phase has finished and the waiting list has closed, so households cannot currently sign up.[2][3]
Eligibility
Requires a smart meter
Eligibility
Requires a smart meter
Customer reviews
Both suppliers have similar headline Trustpilot ratings: British Gas scores 4.4 from a very high volume of 360,671 reviews, and So Energy scores 4.5 from 32,071. The breakdown separates them more clearly. For So Energy, 73% of reviews are five-star and 12% are one-star, while British Gas has 66% five-star and 20% one-star, so one in five of its reviews is a one-star rating. As a result, So Energy has a net-positive score of 69% against 51%.
Much of the praise for British Gas is for its engineers, who reviewers say turn up on time, work efficiently, leave homes tidy and explain boilers and equipment clearly. The complaints centre on customer service: long phone waits, trouble reaching someone helpful, mixed messages from different advisers and appointments moved without enough notice.
So Energy reviewers often mention helpful staff, clear communication about tariff renewals and billing, an easy online account and straightforward prices. Here too, the criticism is about customer service: some reviewers report long waits and unhelpful answers, while others describe slow progress on complicated billing or meter-reading problems. Both suppliers reply to 99% of negative reviews, typically within 24 hours.
The Which? total score is almost level, at 60% for So Energy and 59% for British Gas, but the results behind it differ. In the Which? customer survey, So Energy customers gave 4 out of 5 for both ease of contacting and clarity of statements, against 2 out of 5 for British Gas. The Which? supplier assessment is more mixed: British Gas scored 8 out of 10 for help for those who need it (So Energy 7) and 3 out of 10 for smart meters (So Energy 2), but 0 out of 5 for switching, against 3 for So Energy.
Mobile apps
So Energy's apps have the higher ratings on both platforms, at 4.7 from 267 ratings on the App Store and 4.7 from 157 on Google Play, where its net-positive score is 90.9%. British Gas is rated 4.5 from 16,000 App Store ratings and 4.1 from 14,084 on Google Play, with a net-positive score of 58.5%. With 1,000,000+ Play Store installs, the British Gas app's ratings reflect a much larger group of users than So Energy's.
So Energy says customers can use its app to send meter readings and check their balance. Some iPhone users praise how easy the app is to navigate and to check usage, although one user reported that a correct meter reading was rejected as unusually high, so they had to enter it on the website instead. So Energy's latest update adds alerts in reading history for readings that look unusual, a section for moving home and better screen reader support.
British Gas's latest update gives Pay As You Go customers simpler top-ups from the Home screen and adds in-app explanations when monthly payments change after a Direct Debit review. Recent iPhone comments are critical, though. One user said electricity usage stopped showing after a smart meter change, another found the separate gas and electricity log-ins clunky and missed the consumption information, and a third said the app was slow to open.
Customer service and support
Average response: 2 min (April to June 2026)
Replies: 91.9% within 2 days (April to June 2026)
Hours: Available
Average response: 5.1 min (April to June 2026)
Hours: Available
For April to June 2026, Citizens Advice gives So Energy a customer service score of 2.85 out of 5, ranked 11th, and British Gas 2.61, ranked 14th. That gap of 0.24 points is in So Energy's favour and is useful, although it is not wide.
Citizens Advice figures for the same period show So Energy had an average call centre wait time of 2 minutes and an average webchat response time of 5 minutes 8 seconds, and it answered 91.9% of emails within two days. A current figure is not available for British Gas on these channels, so waiting times cannot be compared directly, although Citizens Advice lists webchat as a contact option for both suppliers.
Which? evidence on contact is split. So Energy customers rated ease of contacting 4 out of 5, against 2 for British Gas, while the Which? supplier assessment of contact arrangements gave British Gas 9 out of 12 and So Energy 4.
On meters and bills, Citizens Advice reports that 90.08% of So Energy's smart meters were working. It also reports that 97.08% of So Energy bills for homes with smart meters, and 93.76% for homes with traditional meters, were based on actual readings, which makes them less likely to need correcting later. A current figure is not available for British Gas.
| Billing and metering | British Gas — April to June 2026 | So Energy — April to June 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Smart meters working correctly | Not reported | 90.08% |
| Bills based on readings — smart meters | Not reported | 97.08% |
| Bills based on readings — traditional meters | Not reported | 93.76% |
Complaints and how they are handled
Both suppliers' own complaint figures are for Q2 2026, so they can be compared directly. British Gas received 944 complaints per 100,000 customer accounts, while So Energy received 1,474. This counts complaints made, not the number of customers who complained, so it does not tell you what share of each supplier's customers had a problem.
So Energy dealt with more of its complaints quickly in the same quarter. It resolved 49% by the next working day and 93% within eight weeks, compared with 42.5% and 85.5% for British Gas. These figures show how fast complaints were closed, not whether customers were happy with the outcome.
Citizens Advice figures for April to June 2026 measure something different. They count complaints made to advice bodies and the Energy Ombudsman, not complaints made directly to the supplier. On this measure, British Gas had 68.8 complaints per 10,000 customers and So Energy had 43.7. Because this uses a different base, it cannot be set against the per 100,000 accounts figures above.
Taken together, the picture is mixed. So Energy received more complaints for its size, but it resolved a larger share quickly and it had the lower rate of complaints to outside bodies. British Gas received fewer complaints for its size, but it resolved a smaller share quickly and had the higher rate of complaints to outside bodies. If you care most about the complaint rate suppliers report, British Gas has the lower figure. If you care most about how a problem is handled, So Energy did better on these measures.
Main reasons for complaints
The percentages below show each reason's share of that supplier's own complaints, not a share of all customers. Neither supplier gave a period for these reasons, so they should not be assumed to cover Q2 2026. The categories also do not line up neatly. British Gas uses one broad billing category, while So Energy separates billing and meter-reading issues unrelated to meter type from those involving smart or advanced meters. So Energy listed its reasons without describing the problems or saying what it is doing about them.
British Gas and So Energy: green energy
British Gas
British Gas publishes a fuel mix page that sets out where its electricity comes from, what effect it has on the environment and what the company is doing to be more sustainable. That page describes the power British Gas supplies overall, which is separate from anything promised about a particular tariff.
Much of its green message is about when you use electricity. British Gas says its smart time-of-use tariffs make clever use of cleaner energy and that using off-peak electricity is better for the environment, as well as cheaper. These tariffs need a smart electricity meter, which records when you use power so off-peak hours can be charged at the lower rate. A household gets the benefit by moving use into those hours, such as charging an EV overnight or running the dishwasher late.[1]
Homes that make their own power can join the Smart Export Guarantee tariff, which pays for spare electricity sent back to the grid. British Gas says all renewable systems are welcome, not just solar panels, and that its own electricity customers get its best export price.
British Gas says homes produce around 40% of the UK's carbon emissions. It offers heat pumps, insulation, solar panels, batteries and EV chargers as ways to cut a home's carbon footprint. These are separate purchases rather than part of an energy tariff.[2]
Outside household supply, its Energy for Tomorrow programme has used matched funding to help five local sports clubs install solar panels and upgrade their facilities. The company also says it is helping the UK reach zero carbon emissions by 2050. That is a wider company aim rather than a description of the electricity supplied on any tariff.
So Energy
So Energy's green promise depends on the tariff you pick. All its fixed-rate tariffs come with 100% renewable electricity as standard, which it describes as guaranteed UK-generated power. So Green Tracker carries the same 100% renewable, UK-generated promise, and So EV is described as a 100% renewable electricity EV tariff. So Flex, the standard variable tariff, is a mix of renewable and non-renewable electricity. These promises cover electricity. Power reaches every home through the shared national grid, so the promise describes the renewable electricity So Energy sources for that tariff rather than a separate supply to your house.
So Energy says choosing a fixed, EV or green tracker tariff supports UK-based renewable energy projects and adds clean power to the National Grid. It publishes an Additionality Statement showing where its green energy comes from. Customers can also vote for the source they want it to invest in: solar, wind, hydro or biomass. Biomass means burning organic material such as wood to make steam that drives a turbine. Its team counts the votes to make sure each choice is covered by a UK-based generator.
Its smart tariffs help in a different way. Moving electricity use away from the busy morning (7am to 9am) and early evening (4pm to 7pm) peaks eases pressure on the grid at times when fossil-fuel backup power is used. So EV and So Unique hold the 2026 Uswitch Flex Accreditation, which rewards shifting use to cheaper times rather than renewable credentials.
For homes that want to make their own power, So Energy installs solar and battery systems that let households generate electricity, store it or sell it to the grid. Its partners also fit heat pumps, which heat a home and its hot water using electricity instead of gas.
Our verdict
| If you care most about | Choose |
|---|---|
| A lower annual cost on the cheapest deal | So Energy |
| A higher Citizens Advice customer service score | So Energy |
| Higher ratings on both app stores | So Energy |
So Energy edges British Gas on price, customer ratings and app scores, though its cheapest deal shown ties you in for 24 months with a £185 exit fee.
So Energy leads on most of the measures compared here. Its customers leave a higher share of five-star Trustpilot reviews, it has the higher Citizens Advice score, and Which? survey customers rate it better for ease of contacting and clear statements. Its apps are also better rated on both stores, and its cheapest priced deal costs less.
The main drawback with So Energy is the commitment on its cheapest deal shown: 24 months, a £185 exit fee and a smart meter. Some of its reviewers also report long waits when problems get complicated. British Gas may suit you better if you want the lower £50 exit fee on its Cap Tracker or use its engineer services such as boiler repairs and HomeCare cover. It may also suit you if you put weight on its higher Which? assessment scores for help for those who need it and for contact arrangements. If renewable electricity on a named tariff matters to you, So Energy says its fixed-rate and So Green Tracker tariffs come with 100% renewable, UK-generated electricity.
- Rated 4.4 on Trustpilot from 360,671 reviews, with engineers often praised for punctual, tidy work
- £50 exit fee on its Cap Tracker, against £185 on So Energy's cheapest deal shown
- Which? supplier assessment gives 8 out of 10 for help for those who need it and 9 out of 12 for contacting your supplier
- Offers boiler servicing, repairs and HomeCare cover alongside energy
- 20% of Trustpilot reviews are one-star, with complaints about phone waits and rescheduled appointments
- Lower Citizens Advice score of 2.61, ranked 14th
- Which? customers rate ease of contacting and clarity of statements 2 out of 5
- Rated 4.1 on Google Play, with a net-positive score of 58.5%
- Cheapest fixed deal shown costs £2,066 a year with a £250 exit fee
- Cheapest priced deal is £52 a year less than British Gas's
- 73% of Trustpilot reviews are five-star, with praise for helpful staff and clear billing
- Higher Citizens Advice score of 2.85, ranked 11th
- Apps rated 4.7 on both the App Store and Google Play
- 97.08% of bills for smart-meter homes based on actual readings
- Cheapest deal ties you in for 24 months with a £185 exit fee and needs a smart meter
- Which? supplier assessment gives 4 out of 12 for contacting your supplier and 2 out of 10 for smart meters
- Some reviewers report long waits and slow progress on billing or meter-reading problems
- App ratings come from far fewer users than British Gas's
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Frequently asked questions
Do I need a smart meter for So Energy's cheapest tariff shown?
Yes. So Green Tracker 24m, the cheapest So Energy tariff priced here at £1,571 a year, needs a smart meter. So Energy says it will fit one for free. The 15-month version of the tariff also needs a smart meter.
What does it cost to leave the cheapest deals early?
The British Gas Cap Tracker Mar2028 v1 has a £50 exit fee. So Energy's So Green Tracker 24m has a £185 exit fee on a 24-month contract. If you want a smaller fee with So Energy, So Green Tracker 15m costs £1,619 a year on a 15-month contract with a £98 exit fee.
Is there a tariff with no exit fee?
Yes. British Gas Standard Variable and So Flex both cost £1,672 a year, which is effectively identical under our assumptions, and neither charges an exit fee. Both cost more than each supplier's cheapest tracker tariff.
Which supplier is easier to contact?
The evidence is split. Which? customers rated So Energy 4 out of 5 for ease of contacting, against 2 for British Gas. The Which? supplier assessment gave British Gas 9 out of 12 for contact arrangements and So Energy 4. For April to June 2026, So Energy's average call centre wait time was 2 minutes and its average webchat response time was 5 minutes 8 seconds. A current figure is not available for British Gas.
What can I do in the So Energy app?
So Energy says you can send meter readings and check your balance in its app. Its latest update adds alerts for readings that look unusual. The app is rated 4.7 on both the App Store and Google Play.
Can I top up a British Gas Pay As You Go meter in the app?
Yes. British Gas offers Pay As You Go, and says smart Pay As You Go meters can be topped up online or in its app, including with Apple Pay and Google Pay. Its latest app update gives Pay As You Go customers simpler top-ups from the Home screen.
Are So Energy's bills based on real meter readings?
Mostly. Citizens Advice reports that for April to June 2026, 97.08% of So Energy bills for homes with smart meters and 93.76% for homes with traditional meters were based on actual readings. A current figure is not available for British Gas.
Does either supplier offer boiler cover?
Both offer paid cover that is separate from your energy tariff. British Gas sells HomeCare cover for boilers, plumbing, drains and electrics, along with boiler servicing, repairs and installation. So Energy offers paid Home Cover for boilers and home services to its customers.
What changed this month
This month, So Energy's iOS app updates in last 90 days rose from 1 to 3, So Energy's shortest fixed term rose from 12 months to 24 months, and British Gas's iOS app days since last update fell from 29 to 5. There were 19 other data changes this month — see the full changelog below for details.
Data changes this month (26)
British Gas
- Trustpilot reviews357,334 → 360,671
- iOS app ratings count15,000 → 16,000
- iOS app days since last update29 → 5
- iOS sampled reviews avg stars1.67 → 1.33
- Play Store rating4.2234955 → 4.0832157
- Play Store ratings count13,984 → 14,084
- Play Store days since last update30 → 6
- Play Store positive ratings %81.6 → 77.7
- Play Store negative ratings %15.5 → 19.2
- Play Store neutral ratings %2.9 → 3.1
- Play Store net-positive %66.1 → 58.5
- Cheapest fixed tariff£1,950.21 → £2,066.49
So Energy
- Trustpilot reviews31,359 → 32,071
- iOS app ratings count247 → 267
- iOS app days since last update24 → 13
- iOS app updates in last 90 days1 → 3
- Play Store rating4.69 → 4.68
- Play Store ratings count148 → 157
- Play Store days since last update24 → 13
- Play Store positive ratings %93.1 → 92.2
- Play Store negative ratings %1.4 → 1.3
- Play Store neutral ratings %5.5 → 6.5
- Play Store net-positive %91.7 → 90.9
- Fixed tariffs with comparison prices3 → 1
- Variable tariffs with comparison prices3 → 5
- Shortest fixed 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.