Home Energy OVO Energy (September 2026)
Overview
OVO Energy has stronger published service and app evidence, while Home Energy offers a cheaper variable tariff.
Based on available evidence, OVO Energy scores higher across customer service metrics and app ratings. Conversely, Home Energy provides a cheaper standard variable tariff, which may suit households prioritising upfront costs.
About Home Energy and OVO Energy
Who is Home Energy?
Home Energy is a family-owned, independent supplier based in London. It is a newer entrant to the UK market and positions itself as a cheaper alternative to larger suppliers. The company focuses on simple energy with clear billing and aims to give customers easy-to-use online tools to manage their accounts.
Who are OVO Energy?
OVO Energy was set up in 2009 and is one of the UK's largest domestic suppliers. It grew through its own expansion and by buying SSE's retail energy business in 2020. In May 2026, E.ON announced a planned deal to buy OVO Energy, which is waiting for regulatory approval. What sets it apart is its Beyond rewards programme and its Power Move scheme, which rewards customers for shifting their energy use to off-peak times.
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Tariffs and pricing
Across both suppliers, the lowest priced option is Home Energy's Fair Variable Dual at £1,453 a year. This comes in £158 a year cheaper than OVO Energy's equivalent Simpler Energy tariff, priced at £1,611 a year. Both plans are variable, meaning they have no fixed term and charge a £0 exit fee.
For those looking to lock in rates, OVO Energy provides fixed deals. Its 1 Year Fixed + Boiler Cover 27 August 2026 tariff costs £1,742 a year, carrying a 12-month contract alongside a £100 exit fee. Home Energy does not feature a fixed tariff in this comparison.
Home Energy and OVO Energy: Tariff Options
Home Energy
Home Energy offers a straightforward product range focused on flexible pricing, with a standard variable tariff for domestic customers.
OVO Energy
OVO Energy offers a mix of standard and specialist tariffs, including variable options, fixed deals, and add-ons for electric vehicle owners.
Customer reviews
OVO Energy holds a 4.7-star Trustpilot rating drawn from over 299,000 reviews. In contrast, Home Energy maintains a 4.1-star rating based on a smaller sample of 873 reviews.
Looking at the breakdown, 78% of OVO Energy's reviews award five stars, while Home Energy receives top marks from 72% of its reviewers. Home Energy does record a higher proportion of one-star feedback at 19%, compared to 9% for OVO Energy. Both providers actively address criticism, replying to almost all negative comments.
Feedback for OVO Energy highlights polite staff and efficient problem resolution, although some users mention long wait times. Home Energy customers frequently note the low prices and helpful service, but a portion report difficulties with direct debits and the switching process. Additionally, OVO Energy achieves a Which? customer satisfaction score of 61, which includes a 9 out of 10 rating for helping those who need it. Home Energy is not included in this particular survey.
App quality
OVO Energy's iOS application holds a 4.6 rating on the App Store across 18,000 ratings, while its Google Play equivalent scores lower at 2.8. The supplier has updated its software recently to introduce new features and address bugs.
Home Energy's apps score 2.3 on iOS and 2.2 on Google Play. However, these figures stem from samples of fewer than 20 ratings each, limiting direct comparison with OVO Energy. Furthermore, Home Energy has not updated its applications in over six months.
Recent App Store reviews indicate that Home Energy's software is relatively basic, with some users struggling to manage direct debits through the platform. Conversely, OVO Energy customers generally describe their app as comprehensive, though a few report occasional loading issues on larger devices.
Service and support
In the Citizens Advice ratings, OVO Energy scores 3.3 out of 5, ranking 8th among the compared suppliers. Home Energy currently lacks a Citizens Advice score, restricting a comprehensive service comparison.
Citizens Advice data shows OVO Energy has an average call centre wait time of 1 minute 33 seconds and a social media response time of 6 minutes 53 seconds. The supplier also answers 98.5% of emails within two days.
Additionally, OVO Energy has registered formal vulnerability commitments with Citizens Advice. Its support team operates on weekdays from 9am to 5pm, accepting payments via Direct Debit, cash, cheque, and prepayment.
Complaints and performance
We do not have complaints data for Home Energy. For OVO Energy, the figures cover the second quarter of 2026 (Q2 2026). Because Home Energy has no data available, we cannot compare the two suppliers directly on complaints.
Green Energy Comparison
Home Energy
Home Energy is part of the Net Zero Planet Group and aims to reach net zero by 2050. It uses a mixed fuel approach rather than offering renewable energy only. Its electricity fuel mix is largely renewable energy and natural gas, with some nuclear and coal. The company says this mix helps it balance sustainability with low prices.[1]
OVO Energy
OVO Energy has a Plan Zero strategy to become a net zero business by 2035. It also funds tree planting in UK schools and communities. Its standard electricity fuel mix is largely fossil fuels, with some renewable and nuclear energy. Customers can choose to add a greener electricity upgrade to some fixed tariffs, and it offers a Smart Export Guarantee rate for customers who buy solar panels and a battery.[2]
Our verdict
| If you care most about | Choose |
|---|---|
| The lowest annual cost on our assumptions | Home Energy |
| A well-rated mobile app | OVO Energy |
OVO Energy has stronger published service and app evidence, while Home Energy offers a cheaper variable tariff.
Based on available evidence, OVO Energy performs better regarding customer service and app quality, while Home Energy provides a cheaper variable tariff. Because Home Energy lacks independent data from Citizens Advice and Which?, this assessment relies on a limited dataset for that supplier.
Home Energy may suit households prioritising a cheaper standard variable tariff. Alternatively, OVO Energy could be a better fit for those who prefer a supplier with established customer service scores and regularly updated applications.
- Cheaper standard variable tariff
- Replies to 95% of negative Trustpilot reviews
- No fixed tariff available in this comparison
- Lacks Citizens Advice and Which? scores
- Very few app ratings and no updates in over six months
- 4.7-star Trustpilot rating from over 299,000 reviews
- 4.6 rating on the App Store
- Answers 98.5% of emails within two days
- Variable tariff costs £158 a year more than Home Energy's equivalent
- Lower Google Play rating of 2.8
- £100 exit fee on its cheapest fixed tariff
Frequently asked questions
Which supplier is better, Home Energy or OVO Energy?
OVO Energy performs better on customer service and app ratings, based on the available evidence. However, Home Energy currently offers a cheaper standard variable tariff.
Does Home Energy or OVO Energy offer a cheaper variable tariff?
Home Energy offers the cheaper variable tariff. Its Fair Variable Dual plan costs £1,453 a year, which is £158 less than OVO Energy's equivalent tariff.
What do customers say about Home Energy on Trustpilot?
Home Energy holds a 4.1-star rating on Trustpilot. Customers often praise the low prices and helpful staff, but some have reported issues with managing direct debits.
Are the OVO Energy apps easy to use?
OVO Energy has a strong 4.6 rating on the App Store, with users finding it comprehensive. However, its Google Play rating is lower at 2.8, and some users report occasional loading issues.
How long does it take OVO Energy to answer the phone?
OVO Energy has an average call centre wait time of 1 minute 33 seconds, according to Citizens Advice. Call wait times for Home Energy are not currently available.
Should I choose Home Energy or OVO Energy?
If you want the cheapest variable tariff, Home Energy is the stronger option. If you prefer a supplier with proven customer service scores and highly rated apps, OVO Energy performs better.
Does OVO Energy offer fixed tariffs?
Yes, OVO Energy offers fixed deals, including a 12-month tariff that comes with boiler cover. These plans lock in your unit rates for a year but carry a £100 exit fee.
Do Home Energy and OVO Energy reply to complaints?
Yes, both suppliers actively reply to negative feedback. OVO Energy replies to 99% of its negative Trustpilot reviews, while Home Energy replies to 95%.
Does Home Energy have a good mobile app?
Home Energy's apps have very low rating scores, but these are based on small samples of fewer than 20 ratings. The apps have not been updated in over six months.
What payment methods does OVO Energy accept?
According to Citizens Advice, OVO Energy accepts payments by Direct Debit, cash, cheque, and prepayment. Its customer service team is open on weekdays from 9am to 5pm.
What changed this month
This month, OVO Energy's play store net-positive % fell from 1.3 to -9.2, Home Energy's iOS sampled reviews avg stars rose from 1 to 2, and Home Energy's play store net-positive % fell from -26.6 to -43.7. There were 26 other data changes this month — see the full changelog below for details.
Data changes this month (33)
Home Energy
- Trustpilot rating4 → 4.1
- Trustpilot reviews827 → 873
- Trustpilot 5-star %71 → 72
- Trustpilot 1-star %20 → 19
- Trustpilot positive reviews %75 → 76
- Trustpilot negative reviews %23 → 22
- Trustpilot net-positive %52 → 54
- iOS app days since last update158 → 188
- iOS sampled reviews avg stars1 → 2
- iOS sampled negative reviews3 → 2
- Play Store rating2.4 → 2.1875
- Play Store ratings count15 → 16
- Play Store days since last update159 → 189
- Play Store positive ratings %26.7 → 18.8
- Play Store negative ratings %53.3 → 62.5
- Play Store neutral ratings %20 → 18.8
- Play Store net-positive %-26.6 → -43.7
- Cheapest variable tariff£1,625.43 → £1,452.53
- Cheapest tariff£1,625.43 → £1,452.53
OVO Energy
- Trustpilot reviews293,863 → 299,269
- Trustpilot 5-star %77 → 78
- Trustpilot 4-star %10 → 9
- iOS app days since last update37 → 25
- Play Store rating3.0206423 → 2.8167422
- Play Store ratings count10,621 → 10,825
- Play Store days since last update37 → 26
- Play Store positive ratings %48.2 → 43.2
- Play Store negative ratings %46.9 → 52.4
- Play Store neutral ratings %4.9 → 4.4
- Play Store net-positive %1.3 → -9.2
- Cheapest variable tariff£1,804.82 → £1,610.88
- Cheapest fixed tariff£1,923.42 → £1,742.03
- Cheapest tariff£1,804.82 → £1,610.88
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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.