British Gas Utility Warehouse (July 2026)
Overview
Utility Warehouse offers cheaper tariffs and better Which? scores, though British Gas is much faster at answering calls and emails.
Utility Warehouse leads this comparison by offering lower-priced fixed and variable tariffs, alongside higher scores in the annual Which? customer survey. British Gas may suit households prioritising fast customer service, given its significantly shorter call and email response times.
About British Gas and Utility Warehouse
Who is British Gas?
Owned by Centrica plc, British Gas is one of the UK's oldest and most recognised energy brands. It is one of the UK's largest domestic energy suppliers. As well as energy, it offers home services and smart technology through its Hive brand. A main feature is its PeakSave scheme, giving customers half-price electricity on Sundays.
Who are Utility Warehouse?
Set up in 2002 and owned by Telecom Plus plc, Utility Warehouse is one of the UK's largest energy suppliers. It grows through a word-of-mouth model using a network of independent partners. The company bundles energy with broadband, mobile, and home insurance into a single monthly bill. Customers get cheaper energy rates when they take more than one service, and it offers up to £400 towards exit fees to help new customers switch. It also provides a cashback card that takes money off the monthly utility bill when shopping at partner retailers.
Use our referral link, and we'll both get £50 credit once your switch is complete.
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Tariffs and pricing
Utility Warehouse provides the lowest-priced overall tariff in this comparison at £1,671 a year. This 12-month fixed contract, UW Fixed Saver 90, includes a £150 total exit fee.
The lowest-priced option from British Gas is also a fixed deal, Fix and Fall Jul28 v3, priced at £1,703 a year. This tariff requires a 24-month commitment and carries an identical £150 total exit fee.
For households seeking a variable tariff without a fixed term, Utility Warehouse remains the cheaper option. Its UW Tracker Saver 2 costs £1,683 a year, whereas the British Gas Standard Variable tariff is priced at £1,805 a year.
British Gas and Utility Warehouse: Tariff Options
British Gas
British Gas offers a range of mainstream household tariffs alongside specialist smart options.
Utility Warehouse
Utility Warehouse provides a selection of mainstream variable and fixed tariffs, as well as specialist options.
Customer reviews
British Gas holds a slightly higher Trustpilot rating of 4.4 out of 5 from a large volume of reviews, compared with 4.2 for Utility Warehouse. Both suppliers reply to 99% of their negative feedback. However, Utility Warehouse records a higher share of five-star reviews (70% versus 65%) and a lower proportion of one-star scores (14% against 20%).
Reviewers often note prompt engineers and straightforward service from British Gas, though some report dropped calls and difficulty reaching the correct department. Utility Warehouse customers frequently highlight helpful staff and value when bundling services, while negative feedback occasionally mentions long waits and issues with broadband or smart meter installations.
In the annual Which? survey, Utility Warehouse achieves a higher overall score of 69, compared with 59 for British Gas. It receives 3 out of 5 for both customer service and value for money, whereas British Gas scores 2 out of 5 across the same categories.
Looking at specific Which? sub-scores, Utility Warehouse receives 10 out of 10 for helping those who need it, against 8 out of 10 for British Gas. Furthermore, British Gas scores 0 out of 5 for the switching process, while Utility Warehouse achieves 3 out of 5.
App quality and ratings
Both suppliers provide well-rated apps on Apple devices, with the British Gas and Utility Warehouse iOS apps each scoring 4.5 out of 5. On Android, Utility Warehouse holds a slight lead, scoring 4.2 on the Google Play Store compared with 4.0 for British Gas.
Both applications are actively maintained with recent updates. British Gas records over a million installs on Google Play, while Utility Warehouse shows over 500,000.
A recent sample of iOS reviews for the British Gas app indicates some users experience difficulty with smart meter readings and separate login screens for gas and electricity. Utility Warehouse iOS users frequently mention the cashback card feature, though some report problems topping up meters or managing bundled broadband.
Customer service and support
British Gas scores slightly higher in the Citizens Advice ratings, achieving 2.61 out of 5 compared with 2.45 for Utility Warehouse. Both suppliers maintain formal vulnerability commitments registered with Citizens Advice.
British Gas answers calls considerably faster, recording an average wait time of 51 seconds. Utility Warehouse averages 7 minutes 16 seconds. British Gas also demonstrates quicker email support, responding to 98% of emails within two days, whereas Utility Warehouse responds to 41% in the same timeframe.
On social media, British Gas responds in an average of 55 seconds; Utility Warehouse does not publish equivalent data. On Citizens Advice’s complaints-per-10,000-customers measure, Utility Warehouse has a lower rate: 38.1 compared with 68.7 for British Gas.
Utility Warehouse operates its phone lines from 8:30am to 5pm on weekdays, and 9am to 4:30pm on Saturdays. British Gas is available from 8am to 6pm on weekdays, and 9am to 2pm on Saturdays.
Complaints and performance
British Gas gets fewer complaints than Utility Warehouse. In the last three months of 2025, British Gas had 1,158 complaints for every 100,000 customers. Utility Warehouse had 1,815 complaints for every 100,000 customers.
Green Energy Comparison
British Gas
The British Gas electricity fuel mix is largely nuclear, with some fossil fuel and renewables. The supplier aims to help the UK reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050. It sells and installs green technology for homes, such as heat pumps, solar panels, home batteries, and electric vehicle chargers. It also runs a Smart Export Guarantee scheme to pay customers who generate their own renewable power.[1]
Utility Warehouse
The Utility Warehouse electricity fuel mix is largely fossil fuels, with some nuclear. The company plants a tree for every new customer that joins. It offers green energy tariffs that give 100% renewable electricity backed by Renewable Energy Guarantees of Origin certificates. It also supports the Smart Export Guarantee, allowing customers who generate their own renewable electricity to get paid for exporting it back to the grid, and installs energy-efficient boilers.
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 |
Utility Warehouse offers cheaper tariffs and better Which? scores, though British Gas is much faster at answering calls and emails.
Utility Warehouse leads this comparison overall. It provides lower-priced fixed and variable tariffs, and achieves higher scores in the annual Which? customer survey. It also registers fewer complaints per 10,000 customers than British Gas.
British Gas may be the more suitable option for households prioritising rapid customer service. It answers calls and emails significantly faster than Utility Warehouse and holds a slightly higher score with Citizens Advice.
- Fast average call centre wait times
- Responds to 98% of emails within two days
- Slightly higher Citizens Advice score
- Higher-priced fixed and variable tariffs
- Lower Which? customer scores
- Higher rate of complaints per 10,000 customers
- Lower-priced fixed and variable tariffs
- Higher Which? customer scores
- Fewer complaints per 10,000 customers
- Longer average call wait times
- Slower email response rates
- Slightly lower Citizens Advice score
Frequently asked questions
Which supplier is better overall?
Utility Warehouse wins this comparison by offering cheaper fixed and variable tariffs and scoring higher in the Which? customer survey. However, British Gas is a better option if you want fast call and email response times.
Who has the cheaper fixed deal?
Utility Warehouse offers the cheaper fixed deal in this comparison. Its UW Fixed Saver 90 tariff costs £1,671 a year, compared with £1,703 a year for the British Gas Fix and Fall Jul28 v3 tariff.
How do their Trustpilot scores compare?
British Gas has a slightly higher Trustpilot rating at 4.4 out of 5, compared with 4.2 for Utility Warehouse. However, Utility Warehouse has a higher percentage of five-star reviews.
Which supplier has the better app?
Both suppliers offer highly rated apps. They both score 4.5 out of 5 on the Apple App Store, but Utility Warehouse takes a slight lead on Android devices with a score of 4.2 compared with 4.0 for British Gas.
Who answers the phone faster?
British Gas answers the phone much faster. Its average call centre wait time is 51 seconds, while Utility Warehouse takes an average of 7 minutes 16 seconds to answer.
Should I choose British Gas or Utility Warehouse?
If price is your main priority, Utility Warehouse is the better choice as it offers cheaper tariffs. If you value fast customer service and quick email responses, British Gas is the better option.
Do both suppliers have vulnerability commitments?
Yes, both British Gas and Utility Warehouse have formal vulnerability commitments registered with Citizens Advice to help support their customers.
What are the exit fees for their cheapest deals?
Both suppliers charge a £150 total exit fee for their cheapest fixed tariffs.
How did they perform in the Which? survey?
Utility Warehouse scored 69 out of 100 in the annual Which? customer survey, while British Gas scored 59. Utility Warehouse scored higher for both customer service and value for money.
What are their opening hours?
Utility Warehouse phone lines are open from 8:30am to 5pm on weekdays, and 9am to 4:30pm on Saturdays. British Gas is open from 8am to 6pm on weekdays, and 9am to 2pm on Saturdays.
What changed this month
This month, British Gas's cheapest tariff term changed from a variable tariff to a 24-month fixed deal, Utility Warehouse's cheapest tariff term changed from a variable tariff to a 12-month fixed deal, and Utility Warehouse's tariff count rose from 1 to 9. There were 40 other data changes this month — see the full changelog below for details.
Data changes this month (54)
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
Utility Warehouse
- Trustpilot rating4.3 → 4.2
- Trustpilot reviews78,116 → 79,523
- iOS app days since last update3 → 13
- iOS sampled reviews avg stars2.67 → 2.4
- iOS sampled positive reviews1 → 2
- iOS sampled negative reviews2 → 3
- Play Store rating4.2325583 → 4.202414
- Play Store ratings count11,042 → 11,089
- Play Store days since last update22 → 14
- Play Store positive ratings %80.6 → 79.5
- Play Store negative ratings %14.9 → 15.6
- Play Store neutral ratings %4.6 → 4.9
- Play Store net-positive %65.7 → 63.9
- Citizens Advice rank12 → 14
- Citizens Advice score2.66 → 2.45
- Complaints per 10,000 customers34.4 → 38.1
- Avg call centre wait time176 → 436
- Emails responded within 2 days %69.7 → 40.5
- Cheapest variable tariff£1,583.12 → £1,682.7
- Cheapest fixed tariffnow available (£1,670.87)
- Cheapest tariff£1,583.12 → £1,670.87
- Cheapest tariff exit fee£0 → £150
- Cheapest tariff termvariable → 12 months
- Cheapest fixed tariff exit feenow available (£150)
- Cheapest fixed tariff termnow available (12 months)
- Tariff count1 → 9
- Fixed tariffs available0 → 3
- Variable tariffs available1 → 6
- Shortest fixed termnow available (12 months)
- Longest fixed termnow available (12 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.