E.ON Next So Energy (August 2026)
Overview
E.ON Next wins on customer service scores and cheaper fixed deals, though So Energy has lower variable rates and faster phone support.
E.ON Next leads this comparison due to its higher independent customer service rankings and cheaper fixed tariffs. However, So Energy currently offers a lower-priced variable tracker deal and answers phone calls faster, which may suit households prioritising those specific features.
About E.ON Next and So Energy
Who is E.ON Next?
E.ON Next is part of the E.ON Group and launched in 2020 to replace the legacy E.ON and npower brands. It is one of the UK's largest suppliers. It focuses on a digital-first service, asking customers to manage their accounts online or through its app. What sets it apart is its wide range of tariffs and discounts on home energy tech installations, as well as giving customers access to dedicated energy specialists for account support.
Who is So Energy?
So Energy started in 2015 and merged with the ESB group in 2021 to increase its scale. It is a mid-sized supplier. It focuses on keeping things simple with a streamlined choice of tariffs. What sets it apart is its customer voting system, which lets customers choose whether the company buys its renewable electricity from wind, solar, hydro, or biomass generators. It also runs a loyalty scheme with prize draws.
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Tariffs and pricing
So Energy provides the cheapest overall deal in this comparison at £1,687 a year via its So Green Tracker 24m variable tariff. In contrast, E.ON Next's lowest-priced option is a 24-month fixed contract, Next Fixed 24m v57, which costs £1,746 a year.
For households seeking price certainty, E.ON Next undercuts So Energy's lowest fixed option by £83 a year. While So Energy's cheapest fixed contract lasts 18 months, both suppliers require a 24-month term for their absolute cheapest overall deals. Exit fees apply to these lowest-priced tariffs, set at £200 for E.ON Next and £190 for So Energy.
E.ON Next and So Energy: Tariff Options
E.ON Next
E.ON Next offers a range of standard variable and fixed tariffs, alongside specialist options for electric vehicle owners, homes with solar panels, and those with heat pumps. Its fixed deals come with terms of 12 or 24 months.
So Energy
So Energy offers a streamlined choice of standard variable and fixed tariffs, as well as a few specialist options for electric vehicle drivers and homes with solar panels. Its fixed deals come with terms of 12, 18, or 24 months.
Customer reviews
Both E.ON Next and So Energy hold a 4.5 out of 5 rating on Trustpilot. E.ON Next maintains this score across a larger volume of over 219,000 reviews, with 74% of customers awarding five stars. Feedback frequently notes polite staff and efficient problem resolution, though some users report concerns regarding pricing and contradictory advice.
So Energy's identical score is drawn from over 30,000 reviews, where 73% are five stars. Customers regularly highlight helpful staff and good value, while negative feedback occasionally points to communication issues and unexpected charges.
In the annual Which? survey, E.ON Next achieves a score of 66 out of 100, placing it ahead of So Energy at 60. Although So Energy receives a slightly higher customer service rating (3 out of 5 compared to E.ON Next's 2 out of 5), it trails on smart meters, scoring 2 out of 10 against E.ON Next's 8 out of 10.
App quality and features
E.ON Next scores 4.8 out of 5 on the App Store from 49,000 ratings. Recent iOS reviews indicate the software provides the necessary information for straightforward account management, though a few users note occasional login resets. On Google Play, the supplier holds a 4.3 out of 5 rating across more than 16,000 reviews.
So Energy's app scores 4.7 on the App Store and 4.6 on Google Play. These figures are based on smaller samples of fewer than 200 ratings per platform, making direct comparisons with E.ON Next's larger user base difficult. Recent iOS feedback for So Energy highlights a clean design, alongside some reports of glitches when submitting meter readings. Both suppliers update their software regularly.
Service and support
E.ON Next places 3rd overall in the Citizens Advice rankings with a score of 3.71 out of 5. So Energy ranks 12th, scoring 2.86. Both suppliers maintain formal vulnerability commitments registered with the organisation.
Despite the lower overall score, So Energy answers phone calls faster, averaging a wait time of 1 minute 6 seconds compared to E.ON Next's 2 minutes 3 seconds. Both providers respond to around 91% of emails within two days. Additionally, So Energy publishes its social media response time, which averages 5 minutes 51 seconds; E.ON Next does not provide this specific data point.
Complaints and performance
In the first quarter of 2026, E.ON Next received fewer complaints than So Energy. E.ON Next had 780 complaints for every 100,000 customers, while So Energy had 1,573.
E.ON Next was also faster at sorting out problems. It resolved 50.6% of complaints by the end of the next working day, compared to 46% for So Energy. Over an eight-week period, E.ON Next resolved 90.5% of issues, while So Energy resolved 88%.
For E.ON Next, the main reason customers complained was customer service (33.87%), followed by payments (13.7%). So Energy customers complained most about payment issues (24%) and customer service (19%). Both suppliers also had complaints about billing, meter reading, and debt.
E.ON Next beats So Energy on complaints because it receives fewer of them and sorts them out faster.
Green Energy Comparison
E.ON Next
E.ON Next has a mostly renewable electricity mix, with some fossil fuels and a small amount of nuclear. It offers 100% renewable electricity on specific tariffs, such as its Next Gust deal, which is backed by agreements with UK wind generators. For its fixed tariffs, the supplier partners with the Woodland Trust. It makes a one-off donation for every customer who signs up, which helps fund ancient woodland restoration.[1]
So Energy
So Energy has a mostly renewable electricity mix, with some fossil fuels and a small amount of nuclear. It guarantees 100% renewable electricity on all its fixed-rate tariffs. The supplier focuses on UK-based renewable generators and lets customers vote on where it sources its green energy, choosing between wind, solar, hydro, and biomass.[2]
Our verdict
| If you care most about | Choose |
|---|---|
| The lowest annual cost on our assumptions | So Energy |
| Overall customer service | E.ON Next |
| A well-rated mobile app | E.ON Next |
| A greener fuel mix | E.ON Next |
E.ON Next wins on customer service scores and cheaper fixed deals, though So Energy has lower variable rates and faster phone support.
E.ON Next leads this comparison due to its higher placement in independent customer service metrics from Citizens Advice and Which?. It also features an app tested by tens of thousands of users and currently offers a cheaper fixed tariff.
So Energy may suit households seeking a variable tracker tariff, as its current variable deal undercuts E.ON Next. It also answers phone calls faster on average and guarantees 100% renewable electricity on its fixed contracts. However, E.ON Next's higher overall customer service scores and larger app user base give it the edge in this comparison.
- Ranks 3rd with Citizens Advice
- Cheaper fixed tariff
- Highly rated apps with a large user base
- Higher exit fees on its cheapest tariff
- Longer average call wait times
- Cheaper variable tracker tariff
- Faster average call wait times
- Guarantees 100% renewable electricity on fixed deals
- Lower Citizens Advice score
- More expensive fixed tariff
- Much smaller app user base
Frequently asked questions
Which supplier is better overall?
E.ON Next wins overall due to its stronger Citizens Advice score and cheaper fixed deals, though So Energy is cheaper for variable tracker tariffs.
Who has the cheapest fixed deal?
E.ON Next currently offers the cheaper fixed tariff, coming in £83 a year cheaper than So Energy's lowest fixed option.
Do customers prefer E.ON Next or So Energy?
Both suppliers score 4.5 out of 5 on Trustpilot. However, E.ON Next ranks higher in the annual Which? survey, scoring 66 out of 100 compared to So Energy's 60.
Which supplier has the better app?
E.ON Next has a very highly rated iOS app with tens of thousands of reviews. So Energy's app also scores well, but is based on a much smaller number of ratings.
Who answers the phone faster?
So Energy answers calls faster, with an average wait time of 1 minute 6 seconds, compared to 2 minutes 3 seconds for E.ON Next.
Should I switch to E.ON Next or So Energy?
If you want a cheaper fixed deal and strong customer service scores, E.ON Next is the better choice. If you prefer a variable tracker tariff and fast phone support, So Energy is worth considering.
Do these suppliers charge exit fees?
Yes, both suppliers charge exit fees on their cheapest fixed and variable tracker deals. E.ON Next charges up to £200, while So Energy charges £190 on its cheapest overall tariff.
Do E.ON Next and So Energy have vulnerability commitments?
E.ON Next has formal vulnerability commitments registered with Citizens Advice. So Energy also has these commitments in place.
Do they offer EV tariffs?
Yes, both E.ON Next and So Energy offer specialist tariffs designed for electric vehicle drivers, providing cheaper off-peak electricity rates.
How do they score with Which?
E.ON Next scores 66 out of 100 in the Which? survey, while So Energy scores 60. So Energy scores slightly better for overall customer service, but E.ON Next performs much better on smart meters.
What changed this month
This month, So Energy's play store days since last update rose from 22 to 46, So Energy's iOS app days since last update rose from 22 to 45, and E.ON Next's iOS sampled positive reviews fell from 1 to 0. There were 27 other data changes this month — see the full changelog below for details.
Data changes this month (38)
E.ON Next
- Trustpilot reviews211,533 → 219,212
- iOS app ratings count48,000 → 49,000
- iOS app days since last update9 → 4
- iOS sampled positive reviews1 → 0
- iOS sampled negative reviews1 → 0
- iOS sampled neutral reviews0 → 1
- Play Store rating4.3445005 → 4.324643
- Play Store ratings count15,798 → 16,070
- Play Store days since last update9 → 5
- Play Store positive ratings %83.5 → 82.6
- Play Store negative ratings %13.7 → 14.2
- Play Store neutral ratings %2.8 → 3.2
- Play Store net-positive %69.8 → 68.4
- Cheapest fixed tariff£1,733 → £1,745.58
- Cheapest tariff£1,733 → £1,745.58
- Cheapest fixed tariff exit fee£100 → £200
- Cheapest fixed tariff term12 months → 24 months
So Energy
- Trustpilot reviews29,771 → 30,220
- Trustpilot negative reviews replied %99 → 100
- iOS app ratings count170 → 197
- iOS app days since last update22 → 45
- iOS app updates in last 90 days3 → 2
- iOS sampled reviews avg stars3.8 → 3.67
- iOS sampled positive reviews3 → 2
- iOS sampled negative reviews2 → 1
- Play Store rating4.6 → 4.62
- Play Store ratings count118 → 127
- Play Store days since last update22 → 46
- Play Store positive ratings %91.3 → 92
- Play Store negative ratings %4.3 → 3.2
- Play Store neutral ratings %4.3 → 4.8
- Play Store net-positive %87 → 88.8
- Cheapest variable tariff£1,744.17 → £1,687.08
- Cheapest fixed tariff£1,637.61 → £1,828.88
- Cheapest tariff£1,637.61 → £1,687.08
- Cheapest fixed tariff term24 months → 18 months
- Tariff count5 → 6
- Variable tariffs available2 → 3
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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.