E.ON Next Sainsbury’s Energy (September 2026)
Overview
There is no single best choice: compare price, service, app and green-energy evidence separately.
About E.ON Next and Sainsbury's Energy
Who is E.ON Next?
E.ON Next is the retail branch of the E.ON Group in the UK. It launched in 2020 to replace the legacy E.ON and npower brands, and is now one of the UK's largest energy suppliers. The supplier focuses on digital account management, encouraging customers to handle their energy through its app and website. E.ON Next achieved the Uswitch Flex Accreditation in 2026 for its flexible time-of-use tariffs.
Who is Sainsbury's Energy?
Sainsbury’s Energy is a partnership between the supermarket chain and E.ON Next. E.ON Next holds the supply licence and manages the gas and electricity, meaning the brand is supported by one of the UK's largest suppliers. The main feature that sets it apart is its link to the Nectar reward scheme, letting customers earn points when they sign up and shop.
Use our referral link, and we'll both get £50 credit once your switch is complete.
Existing customer? Find out how you can benefit too. T&Cs apply (only one switching offer per household)
Tariffs and pricing
E.ON Next provides the lowest-priced overall tariff in this comparison. Its Next Fixed 24m Exclusive v11 costs £1,510 a year and requires a 24-month commitment with a £200 exit fee. In contrast, Sainsbury's Energy's most affordable option is the Sainsbury's Standard Variable tariff at £1,611 a year, which operates without a fixed term or exit fees.
When comparing fixed deals directly, E.ON Next remains the cheaper option at £1,510 a year, whereas Sainsbury's Energy charges £1,640 a year for its Fix and Reward Fixed 24m v51 (also a 24-month contract with a £200 exit fee). For households preferring variable rates, E.ON Next costs £1,560 a year, compared to £1,611 a year from Sainsbury's Energy.
E.ON Next and Sainsbury’s Energy: tariff options
E.ON Next
These are the household tariffs currently available in our comparison data. Prices and availability can vary by region, meter type and payment method.
Sainsbury’s Energy
These are the household tariffs currently available in our comparison data. Prices and availability can vary by region, meter type and payment method.
Customer reviews
E.ON Next holds a 4.5 out of 5 Trustpilot rating based on 225,716 reviews, while Sainsbury's Energy scores 4.3 out of 5 from 3,139 reviews. Both suppliers maintain a net-positive sentiment of 75%. E.ON Next replies to 99% of its negative reviews, whereas Sainsbury's Energy responds to 31%.
E.ON Next customers frequently note helpful staff, a straightforward switching process, and professional engineers who arrive on time and explain their work. Conversely, some households report rising costs and occasional communication gaps during support requests. Sainsbury's Energy reviewers highlight polite staff and rapid online messaging responses, though some mention minor billing errors and pricing concerns.
In the annual Which? survey, Sainsbury's Energy achieves a higher overall score of 71, compared to 66 for E.ON Next. Sainsbury's Energy receives 4 out of 5 for both customer service and clarity of statements, whereas E.ON Next scores 2 out of 5 in these categories. Both suppliers perform well in helping those who need it, with Sainsbury's Energy achieving 10 out of 10 and E.ON Next scoring 9 out of 10.
App quality and features
App data is only available for E.ON Next in this comparison. The supplier holds a Google Play rating of 4.3 out of 5 across 16,278 reviews, showing a net-positive sentiment of 69%. The Android application has over a million installs and has been updated very recently.
Sainsbury's Energy does not currently have app ratings available in the provided data. Furthermore, iOS app metrics are not available for either supplier at this time.
Service and support
Citizens Advice data is currently only available for E.ON Next. The supplier holds an overall score of 3.71 out of 5 and ranks 3rd in the latest assessment, with a complaints rate of 29.8 per 10,000 customers.
When calling E.ON Next, customers wait an average of 2 minutes and 3 seconds. The provider responds to 90.7% of emails within two days and has formal vulnerability commitments registered with Citizens Advice. Comparable service data for Sainsbury's Energy is not currently available.
E.ON Next accepts payments via Direct Debit, Cash/Cheque, and Prepayment. Its phone lines operate Monday to Thursday from 9am to 5pm, and Friday from 9am to 4pm.
Complaints and performance
Both suppliers have published their complaints data for the second quarter of 2026. E.ON Next received 760 complaints for every 100,000 customers, which is fewer than Sainsbury's Energy, who received 906.21.
Green Energy Comparison
E.ON Next
E.ON Next's published fuel mix includes renewable, fossil-fuel, nuclear and other sources. For its specific green tariffs, the supplier uses Renewable Energy Guarantee of Origin (REGO) certificates to match the electricity its customers use with power generated from renewable sources. It also offers a specific green tariff, Next Gust, which is backed by 100% renewable electricity from UK wind assets. All of its fixed tariffs come with a one-off donation to the Woodland Trust to help restore ancient woodlands.[1]
Sainsbury's Energy
Because E.ON Next supplies its energy, Sainsbury’s Energy shares the same electricity fuel mix. [This means its electricity fuel mix is published under E.ON Next's supply licence. It does not list specific green tariffs on its main pages, but it helps customers be more sustainable by giving discounts on home energy upgrades through E.ON Next, such as solar panels, home batteries, and electric vehicle chargers.[2]
Our verdict
| If you care most about | Choose |
|---|---|
| The lowest annual cost on our assumptions | E.ON Next |
| Overall customer service | E.ON Next |
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.
- —
- —
- —
- —
Frequently asked questions
Which is cheaper, E.ON Next or Sainsbury’s Energy?
On the stored annual-cost assumptions, E.ON Next is £1,510 and Sainsbury’s Energy is £1,611. E.ON Next is lower by about £101 a year.
Can E.ON Next and Sainsbury’s Energy complaint rates be compared directly?
Yes. Both figures cover Q2 2026: E.ON Next reports 760 complaints per 100,000 customers and Sainsbury’s Energy reports 906.
Which supplier leads on customer service?
On the comparable customer-service measure used in the decision table, E.ON Next leads.
Which supplier has the better app evidence?
The supplied data does not support a like-for-like app winner.
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?
The supplied data does not support a like-for-like green-energy winner. This row is based on published fuel-mix percentages.
Which is better overall, E.ON Next or Sainsbury’s Energy?
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, E.ON Next's iOS app updates in last 90 days fell from 3 to 0, E.ON Next's iOS sampled neutral reviews fell from 1 to 0, and Sainsbury’s Energy's shortest fixed term rose from 12 months to 24 months. There were 20 other data changes this month — see the full changelog below for details.
Data changes this month (26)
E.ON Next
- Trustpilot reviews219,212 → 225,716
- Trustpilot 5-star %74 → 75
- Trustpilot 4-star %12 → 11
- iOS app rating4.8 → no longer available
- iOS app ratings count49,000 → no longer available
- iOS app days since last update4 → no longer available
- iOS app updates in last 90 days3 → 0
- iOS sampled reviews avg stars3 → no longer available
- iOS sampled neutral reviews1 → 0
- Play Store rating4.324643 → 4.340909
- Play Store ratings count16,070 → 16,278
- Play Store days since last update5 → 4
- Play Store positive ratings %82.6 → 83.1
- Play Store negative ratings %14.2 → 13.8
- Play Store net-positive %68.4 → 69.3
- Cheapest variable tariff£1,747 → £1,560.38
- Cheapest fixed tariff£1,745.58 → £1,509.55
- Cheapest tariff£1,745.58 → £1,509.55
- Tariff count5 → 6
- Fixed tariffs available3 → 4
Sainsbury’s Energy
- Trustpilot reviews3,127 → 3,139
- Trustpilot negative reviews replied %35 → 31
- Cheapest variable tariff£1,804.81 → £1,610.88
- Cheapest fixed tariff£1,840.79 → £1,639.64
- Cheapest tariff£1,804.81 → £1,610.88
- Shortest fixed term12 months → 24 months
Related comparisons
Related reviews
Sainsbury’s Energy Review
Sainsbury’s Energy is a household energy brand aimed at regular shoppers of the Sainsbury’s supermarket chain. It is not a standalone energy supplier. Instead, it is a trading name used under licence by E.ON Next, which is one of the biggest domestic suppliers in the UK. This means E.ON Next supplie
Read review →
Fuse Energy Review
Fuse Energy supplies domestic gas and electricity with app-based account management and support available around the clock. It also develops and operates renewable generation projects.
Read review →Best No-Exit-Fee Energy Suppliers in the UK
16 suppliers had qualifying evidence for September 2026. Suppliers are ordered using each supplier’s cheapest tariff with a £0 exit fee. The ranking is price-based: Home Energy had the lowest qualifying annual cost at £1,453.
Read article →Related guides
Which energy suppliers are going bust?
The UK energy market has seen massive upheaval over the past few years. During the peak of the energy crisis in 2021 and 2022, wholesale costs soared and caused dozens of suppliers to collapse. By July 2026, the market has largely stabilised. However, smaller companies still occasionally fail, and t
Read guide →
The Trouble with Energy Company Reviews on Trustpilot (and other sites)
When you are looking to change your energy supplier, reading customer reviews is usually the first step. With the Ofgem price cap set at £1,663 a year for a typical dual-fuel household paying by Direct Debit as of July 2026, moving to a cheaper fixed tariff can save you real money. But before you ha
Read guide →
How to Choose a Green Energy Supplier in the UK
Before comparing suppliers, it helps to know how they back up their green claims. When you sign up for a green tariff, the electricity flowing into your home is exactly the same as your neighbour's. All power mixes together in the National Grid. A green tariff simply means your supplier promises to
Read guide →
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.