Octopus Energy British Gas (July 2026)
Overview
Octopus Energy wins with stronger customer service, better apps, and slightly cheaper tariffs, though British Gas answers calls faster.
Octopus Energy leads this comparison based on higher independent ratings and app review scores. While British Gas records faster call and email response times, Octopus provides slightly cheaper tariffs and higher overall satisfaction scores in the provided data.
About Octopus Energy and British Gas
Who are Octopus Energy?
Started in 2015, Octopus Energy has grown to become the UK's largest domestic energy supplier. It operates within Octopus Energy Group and runs its services using its own tech platform, Kraken. As well as supplying energy, it focuses on smart home technology and runs a rewards scheme called Octoplus. It is a Which? Recommended Provider.
Who is British Gas?
Owned by Centrica, British Gas is one of the UK's oldest and largest domestic energy suppliers. It operates as Scottish Gas in Scotland. The company offers energy alongside boiler cover, home maintenance, and smart home devices through its Hive brand. It also runs a scheme called PeakSave, which gives customers cheaper electricity at certain times.
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Tariffs and pricing
The cheapest overall tariff available from Octopus Energy is the Octopus 12M Fixed July 2026 v2. This 12-month fixed deal costs £1,697 a year and carries a £100 total exit fee. In comparison, the cheapest option from British Gas is the Fix and Fall Jul28 v3, priced at £1,703 a year. This tariff requires a longer 24-month term and includes a £150 total exit fee, making Octopus the slightly cheaper option for fixed rates.
For households seeking variable options without a fixed term, the Flexible Octopus tariff is priced at £1,792 a year. The equivalent British Gas Standard Variable tariff costs slightly more, at £1,805 a year.
Tariff options
Octopus Energy
Octopus Energy offers mainstream fixed and variable tariffs for everyday household use. It also provides a wide selection of smart and specialist tariffs designed for homes with electric vehicles, heat pumps, solar panels, and home batteries.
British Gas
British Gas provides standard variable and fixed-term tariffs for everyday energy needs. It also offers prepayment options and a range of specialist smart tariffs for homes with electric vehicles, solar panels, and battery storage.
Customer reviews
Octopus Energy holds a 4.8 rating on Trustpilot from a large volume of reviews, with 90% of users awarding it five stars. British Gas maintains a 4.4 overall rating, comprising 65% five-star reviews alongside a 20% share of one-star ratings.
Reviewers frequently note the helpfulness of Octopus Energy staff and quick problem resolution, though a portion report issues with phone line quality. Conversely, British Gas customers often highlight the efficiency of visiting engineers, while noting difficulties with dropped calls and navigating departments. When addressing negative feedback, British Gas typically replies to reviews within 24 hours, whereas Octopus takes approximately one week.
In the latest Which? survey, Octopus Energy achieves an overall score of 74, compared to 59 for British Gas. Octopus receives 4 out of 5 for customer service and 10 out of 10 for helping those who need it. British Gas is rated 2 out of 5 for customer service and 0 out of 5 for switching.
App quality and features
Both suppliers provide apps with over 1,000,000 installs on Google Play, and both have received recent updates. Octopus Energy holds a 4.8 rating on the App Store, compared with 4.5 for British Gas. On Google Play, Octopus scores 4.4, while British Gas is rated at 4.0.
A recent sample of iOS reviews for British Gas indicates some user frustration regarding the login process and missing usage information following smart meter updates.
Service and support
Octopus Energy ranks 4th in the Citizens Advice table with an overall score of 3.67 out of 5. British Gas ranks 13th with a score of 2.61. Octopus records 21.3 complaints per 10,000 customers, compared to 68.7 for British Gas. Both suppliers maintain formal vulnerability commitments registered with Citizens Advice.
British Gas records faster response times, reporting an average call centre wait of 51 seconds, whereas Octopus Energy averages 1 minute 17 seconds. Additionally, British Gas responds to 97.9% of emails within two days and lists an average social media response time of 55 seconds.
Both suppliers accept Direct Debit, Cash/Cheque, and Prepayment. British Gas operates its phone lines on weekdays and Saturday mornings, while Octopus Energy's phone lines are closed on weekends.
Complaints and performance
Octopus Energy gets far fewer complaints than British Gas. In the last three months of 2025, Octopus had 495 complaints for every 100,000 customers. British Gas had 1,158. But British Gas is faster at sorting out the complaints it does get.
Green energy comparison
Octopus Energy
Octopus Energy supplies 100% zero-carbon electricity as standard. Based on Citizens Advice data, its electricity mix is mostly renewable, with some nuclear power. The company buys renewable energy directly from generators and matches its supply using Renewable Energy Guarantee of Origin (REGO) certificates. Its parent group also invests directly in green energy projects. It does not offer carbon offsetting for domestic gas, focusing instead on helping customers switch to clean heating like heat pumps.
British Gas
Based on Citizens Advice data, the British Gas electricity mix is largely nuclear, with some fossil fuels and renewables. The company is working to help the UK reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050. It does not offer carbon offsetting for its standard domestic tariffs, but it supports customers in cutting their carbon footprint by installing low-carbon technologies such as heat pumps and solar panels. It also runs PeakSave events to give customers cheaper electricity when renewable generation on the grid is high.[1]
Our verdict
| If you care most about | Choose |
|---|---|
| The lowest annual cost on our assumptions | Octopus Energy |
| Overall customer service | Octopus Energy |
| A well-rated mobile app | Octopus Energy |
| A greener fuel mix | Octopus Energy |
Octopus Energy wins with stronger customer service, better apps, and slightly cheaper tariffs, though British Gas answers calls faster.
Octopus Energy may suit households prioritising customer service, app ratings, and independent survey scores. It also supplies 100% zero-carbon electricity and offers slightly cheaper fixed and variable tariffs in this comparison.
British Gas may appeal to customers who value faster call centre wait times and quicker email responses, with its engineers frequently praised on Trustpilot. However, its lower Which? scores and higher proportion of negative reviews suggest Octopus is the stronger option based on the provided data.
- Slightly cheaper fixed and variable tariffs
- 100% zero-carbon electricity
- Higher Trustpilot and Which? scores
- Higher-rated mobile apps
- Longer average call centre wait time
- Longer response time to Trustpilot reviews
- Phone lines closed on weekends
- Faster average call centre wait times
- Quicker email responses
- Phone lines open on Saturday mornings
- Higher share of one-star Trustpilot reviews
- Lower Which? and Citizens Advice scores
- Slightly more expensive tariffs
Frequently asked questions
Which supplier is better overall?
Octopus Energy performs better across the sources we reviewed, achieving higher scores on Trustpilot, Which?, and Citizens Advice. It also offers slightly cheaper fixed and variable tariffs. British Gas is a viable alternative if you value faster call centre response times.
Does Octopus Energy or British Gas have the cheaper fixed tariff?
Octopus Energy currently offers the cheaper fixed deal. Its Octopus 12M Fixed July 2026 v2 tariff costs £1,697 a year, whereas the cheapest fixed option from British Gas is the Fix and Fall Jul28 v3 at £1,703 a year.
What do customers say about British Gas on Trustpilot?
British Gas has a 4.4 rating on Trustpilot. Customers frequently highlight the professionalism and efficiency of its engineers. However, 20% of its reviews are one-star, with common complaints focusing on dropped calls and difficulties reaching the right department.
Are the Octopus Energy and British Gas mobile apps easy to use?
Both suppliers provide popular apps, but Octopus Energy scores higher on both the App Store and Google Play. A recent sample of iOS reviews for British Gas suggests some users have experienced frustration with the login process and missing usage information.
How long does it take to get through to customer service?
British Gas answers calls faster, with an average call centre wait time of 51 seconds. Octopus Energy takes slightly longer, with an average wait time of 1 minute 17 seconds.
Should I choose Octopus Energy or British Gas?
Octopus Energy is the stronger choice for most households due to its higher customer satisfaction scores, better apps, and slightly lower prices. British Gas may suit you better if fast phone and email response times are your main priority.
Do both suppliers offer smart tariffs for electric vehicles?
Yes. Octopus Energy provides specialist options like Intelligent Octopus Go and Octopus Go, while British Gas offers an EV tariff with cheap overnight electricity.
How do the two suppliers compare in Which? ratings?
Octopus Energy achieves a much higher Which? score of 74, compared with 59 for British Gas. Octopus scores 4 out of 5 for customer service, while British Gas receives 2 out of 5.
What changed this month
This month, British Gas's cheapest tariff term changed from a variable tariff to a 24-month fixed deal, Octopus Energy's cheapest tariff term changed from a variable tariff to a 12-month fixed deal, and British Gas's iOS app updates in last 90 days rose from 0 to 3. There were 35 other data changes this month — see the full changelog below for details.
Data changes this month (44)
Octopus Energy
- Trustpilot reviews807,247 → 821,111
- iOS app ratings count244,000 → 245,000
- iOS app days since last update25 → 9
- Play Store rating4.4444447 → 4.4341745
- Play Store ratings count46,777 → 46,873
- Play Store days since last update25 → 11
- Play Store positive ratings %87 → 86.7
- Play Store negative ratings %9.8 → 10
- Play Store neutral ratings %3.2 → 3.3
- Play Store net-positive %77.2 → 76.7
- Citizens Advice rank3 → 4
- Citizens Advice score3.78 → 3.67
- Complaints per 10,000 customers21.8 → 21.3
- Avg call centre wait time72 → 77
- Emails responded within 2 days %90.4 → 86.1
- Cheapest variable tariff£1,566.25 → £1,792.32
- Cheapest fixed tariff£1,691.36 → £1,697.05
- Cheapest tariff£1,566.25 → £1,697.05
- Cheapest tariff exit fee£0 → £100
- Cheapest tariff termvariable → 12 months
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
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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.
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