British Gas Utility Warehouse (September 2026)
Overview
There is no single best choice: compare price, service, app and green-energy evidence separately.
About British Gas and Utility Warehouse
Who is British Gas?
British Gas is owned by Centrica and is one of the UK's oldest and best-known energy suppliers. It is one of the UK's largest domestic suppliers. As well as energy, it offers boiler cover, home care plans, 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. British Gas won the award for Best Overall Improvement at the Uswitch Energy Awards in 2025.
Products & services
Awards & recognition
Who are Utility Warehouse?
Utility Warehouse is owned by Telecom Plus PLC. It is a multi-utility energy supplier and uses a bundle model, meaning it bundles energy with broadband, mobile, and insurance. Customers get better rates and discounts the more services they take. It also offers a cashback card for shopping at certain retailers, which takes money off the monthly bill. Utility Warehouse won Best Value for Money at the Uswitch Energy Awards in 2025.
Products & services
Awards & recognition
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Tariffs and pricing
Utility Warehouse provides the lowest-priced overall deal in this comparison. Its most affordable option is the UW Tracker Saver 5, a variable tracker tariff estimated at £1,511 a year. This comes in £40 a year cheaper than the lowest-priced deal from British Gas, the Cap Tracker Plus Sep27 v1, which costs £1,551 a year.
While neither of these tracker tariffs requires a fixed term, both apply exit fees if you leave the contract early. British Gas charges a £50 exit fee on its tracker, whereas Utility Warehouse sets this fee at £150.
For households seeking a fixed-rate contract, Utility Warehouse remains the cheaper option. The UW Fixed Saver 95 costs £1,595 a year on an 11-month term, carrying a £150 exit fee. In contrast, the lowest-priced fixed option from British Gas costs £1,649 a year, requires a longer 21-month commitment, and includes a £200 exit fee.
| Metric | British Gas | Utility Warehouse |
|---|---|---|
| Cheapest tariff | £1,551 / year | £1,511 / year |
| Cheapest variable tariff | £1,551 / year | £1,511 / year |
| Cheapest fixed tariff | £1,649 / year | £1,595 / year |
British Gas and Utility Warehouse: Tariff Options
British Gas
British Gas offers a range of standard variable and fixed-term tariffs to suit different household needs. It also has specialist options for electric vehicle owners, homes with solar panels, and customers with home batteries.
Utility Warehouse
Utility Warehouse offers standard variable and fixed-term tariffs, with rates that often depend on how many services a customer bundles. It also has specialist tariffs for electric vehicle charging, prepayment, and exporting solar energy.
Customer reviews
British Gas holds a 4.5 out of 5 Trustpilot rating across 353,681 reviews, whereas Utility Warehouse scores 4.2 out of 5 from a smaller pool of 83,008 reviews. Despite the lower overall score, Utility Warehouse maintains a higher proportion of five-star ratings at 70%, compared to 66% for British Gas. Additionally, British Gas records a higher share of one-star reviews at 20%, against 14% for Utility Warehouse.
Reviewers frequently highlight British Gas engineers for punctuality and politeness, though some report experiencing unhelpful communication loops and slow responses. Utility Warehouse customers regularly note knowledgeable support staff and the practical benefits of bundling multiple household services. Conversely, some Utility Warehouse users express frustration over extended phone wait times when contacting customer service.
In the annual Which? survey, Utility Warehouse achieves a higher overall score of 69 out of 100, compared to 59 for British Gas. Utility Warehouse receives 3 out of 5 for both customer service and value for money, while British Gas scores 2 out of 5 in these categories. Furthermore, Utility Warehouse secures 10 out of 10 for help for those who need it, ahead of the 8 out of 10 awarded to British Gas.
App quality and ratings
Both suppliers provide frequently updated and highly rated mobile applications. On the App Store, British Gas and Utility Warehouse each score 4.5 out of 5, based on 14,000 and 11,000 ratings respectively.
Google Play ratings are similarly matched. British Gas holds a 4.2 out of 5 rating from 13,701 reviews, and Utility Warehouse matches this 4.2 score across 11,195 reviews. Download volumes are substantial for both, with British Gas recording over one million installs and Utility Warehouse exceeding 500,000.
Recent iOS feedback for British Gas indicates that some users experience difficulties with app usability and smart meter data updates. Meanwhile, Utility Warehouse users often highlight the app's utility for managing purchase cashback, although a portion of reviews cite issues with initial setup and account top-ups.
Customer service and support
Average wait: 51 sec
Hours: Weekdays 8am–6pm, open Saturday 9am–2pm, closed Sunday
Average wait: 7.3 min
Hours: Weekdays 8:30am–5pm, open Saturday 9am–4:30pm, closed Sunday
Replies: 98% within 2 days
Hours: 24/7
Replies: 41% within 2 days
Hours: 24/7
Average response: ~1 min
Hours: Business hrs
British Gas places slightly higher in the Citizens Advice rankings, sitting 13th overall with a score of 2.61 out of 5. Utility Warehouse follows closely in 14th place, scoring 2.45 out of 5. Both suppliers maintain formal vulnerability commitments registered with the organisation.
When contacting support by phone, British Gas connects customers significantly faster, averaging a call centre wait time of 51 seconds. Utility Warehouse takes considerably longer, with an average wait of 7 minutes and 16 seconds. British Gas also replies to 97.9% of emails within two days, whereas Utility Warehouse achieves this for 40.5% of email enquiries.
Weekend support is available from both providers. Utility Warehouse operates its phone lines on weekdays from 8:30am to 5pm, and on Saturdays from 9am to 4:30pm. British Gas offers slightly longer weekday hours from 8am to 6pm, but shorter Saturday hours from 9am to 2pm.
| Metric | British Gas | Utility Warehouse |
|---|---|---|
| Complaints per 10,000 customers | 68.7 | 38.1 |
| Average social media response time | 55 seconds | N/A |
Complaints and performance
Complaint figures are shown with each supplier’s reporting period. No winner is declared when periods differ or one figure is missing.
Green Energy Comparison
British Gas
British Gas aims to reach net zero by 2045 and plans to make its fleet of vehicles 100% electric by 2030. It is preparing to launch plug-in solar panels and offers solar and battery installations through Hive partners to help customers generate and store their own power. According to Citizens Advice, its electricity fuel mix is largely nuclear, with some fossil fuels and renewables. It offers home energy upgrades like heat pumps and insulation to help customers cut their carbon footprint. You can find more about its green goals at britishgas.co.uk.[1][2]
Utility Warehouse
Utility Warehouse supports tree planting in the UK through the UW Foundation. It commits to planting a tree for every new customer taking all of its services. It recently removed REGO-backed green energy from its Double Gold tariff to keep prices low. According to Citizens Advice, its electricity fuel mix is largely fossil fuels, with some nuclear and other sources. It supports customers who generate their own renewable electricity through export tariffs. You can find more about its green initiatives at uw.co.uk.[3][4]
- [1] British Gas: aims to reach net zero by 2045
- [2] British Gas: generate and store their own power
- [3] Uw.co.uk: supports tree planting
- [4] Uw.co.uk: customer taking all of its services
- Supplier website (British Gas)
- Supplier website (Utility Warehouse)
- Citizens Advice (British Gas)
- Citizens Advice (Utility Warehouse)
Our verdict
| If you care most about | Choose |
|---|---|
| The lowest annual cost on our assumptions | Utility Warehouse |
| Overall customer service | British Gas |
| A well-rated mobile app | Either |
| A greener fuel mix | British Gas |
There is no single best choice: compare price, service, app and green-energy evidence separately.
Use the decision table to match the available evidence to the factors that matter most to your household.
- Cheapest variable tariff at £1,551 / year
- 4.5 Trustpilot from 353,681 reviews
- iOS app rated 4.5 out of 5
- 98% of emails answered within 2 days
- Cheapest overall tariff carries a £50 exit fee
- 20% of Trustpilot reviews are 1-star
- 16% of Google Play ratings are negative
- Cheapest variable tariff at £1,511 / year
- 4.2 Trustpilot from 83,008 reviews
- iOS app rated 4.5 out of 5
- Cheapest overall tariff carries a £150 exit fee
- Only 41% of emails answered within 2 days
- 16% of Google Play ratings are negative
Frequently asked questions
Which is cheaper, British Gas or Utility Warehouse?
On the stored annual-cost assumptions, British Gas is £1,551 and Utility Warehouse is £1,511. Utility Warehouse is lower by about £40 a year.
Can British Gas and Utility Warehouse complaint rates be compared directly?
No direct complaint-rate winner is declared because British Gas and Utility Warehouse do not both have figures for the same stated reporting period.
Which supplier leads on customer service?
On the comparable customer-service measure used in the decision table, British Gas leads.
Which supplier has the better app evidence?
The comparable app evidence is treated as a tie.
Do tariff eligibility rules matter?
Yes. Specialist, time-of-use, EV, heat-pump and export tariffs can have equipment, meter or account requirements. Check the current supplier terms before applying.
Which supplier has the greener evidence?
On the comparable green-energy measure used in the decision table, British Gas leads. This row is based on published fuel-mix percentages.
Which is better overall, British Gas or Utility Warehouse?
There is no single overall winner in this repaired draft. Price, service, app and green-energy evidence are kept as separate choices in the decision table.
When was this comparison updated?
The structured source payload is for September 2026.
What changed this month
This month, British Gas's fixed tariffs available rose from 1 to 3, British Gas's iOS sampled negative reviews rose from 0 to 3, and Utility Warehouse's iOS sampled neutral reviews rose from 0 to 1. There were 29 other data changes this month — see the full changelog below for details.
Data changes this month (39)
British Gas
- Trustpilot rating4.4 → 4.5
- Trustpilot reviews350,018 → 353,681
- Trustpilot 5-star %65 → 66
- Trustpilot 3-star %4 → 3
- Trustpilot positive reviews %73 → 74
- Trustpilot neutral reviews %4 → 3
- Trustpilot net-positive %50 → 51
- iOS app ratings count13,000 → 14,000
- iOS app days since last update9 → 15
- iOS sampled reviews avg starsnow available (1.67)
- iOS sampled negative reviews0 → 3
- Play Store rating4.0881915 → 4.1812863
- Play Store ratings count13,409 → 13,701
- Play Store days since last update10 → 18
- Play Store positive ratings %77.4 → 80.1
- Play Store negative ratings %19.1 → 16.4
- Play Store net-positive %58.3 → 63.7
- Avg social media response timenow available (55)
- Cheapest variable tariff£1,744.71 → £1,550.78
- Cheapest fixed tariff£1,833.95 → £1,649.29
- Cheapest tariff£1,744.71 → £1,550.78
- Cheapest fixed tariff exit fee£150 → £200
- Cheapest fixed tariff term24 months → 21 months
- Tariff count3 → 5
- Fixed tariffs available1 → 3
- Shortest fixed term24 months → 21 months
Utility Warehouse
- Trustpilot reviews81,260 → 83,008
- iOS app days since last update4 → 5
- iOS sampled reviews avg stars2.67 → 2.5
- iOS sampled neutral reviews0 → 1
- Play Store rating4.186519 → 4.1761994
- Play Store ratings count11,150 → 11,195
- Play Store days since last update4 → 6
- Play Store positive ratings %79.1 → 78.9
- Play Store negative ratings %15.9 → 16
- Play Store net-positive %63.2 → 62.9
- Cheapest variable tariff£1,697.5 → £1,510.93
- Cheapest fixed tariff£1,806.26 → £1,595.22
- Cheapest tariff£1,697.5 → £1,510.93
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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.