Octopus Energy Ecotricity (October 2026)
Contents
- 1.Octopus Energy and Ecotricity compared
- 2.About Octopus Energy and Ecotricity
- 3.Tariffs and pricing
- 4.Octopus Energy and Ecotricity tariff options
- 5.Customer reviews
- 6.Apps and online accounts
- 7.Service and support
- 8.Complaints and performance
- 9.How their green electricity approaches compare
- 10.Our verdict
- 11.FAQs
Octopus Energy and Ecotricity compared
Octopus Energy leads on customer feedback, app ratings and the priced variable deal, while Ecotricity has faster measured phone and email responses.
Octopus Energy has the stronger overall case, with higher customer-review scores, better-rated apps on both platforms and the cheaper variable deal shown. Its Which? total score is also higher, at 74% versus 66%. Flexible Octopus is estimated at £1,664 a year, against £1,868 for Ecotricity’s Standard Variable Green Tariff. Ecotricity may suit households that prioritise a quicker response: its measured average phone wait is shorter and it answers a larger share of emails within two days, although its wider customer feedback is less positive.
About Octopus Energy and Ecotricity
Who are Octopus Energy?
Octopus Energy is the retail brand of an international energy and technology group. Its broad approach combines household energy supply with technology that helps change when homes use electricity. The group is backed by pension funds, investors and energy companies.
Customer service is also part of its identity. Octopus was named a Which? Recommended Provider for 2026, its ninth consecutive year with the endorsement. This recognition covers the household supplier, rather than simply its technology or wider group activities.
Products & services
Awards & recognition
Who are Ecotricity?
Ecotricity’s approach centres on using money from energy bills to build new renewable energy sources. Founder Dale Vince describes its pricing approach as setting prices at a level that helps fund that work, linking the supply business with its aim of moving away from fossil fuels.
Its ethical approach also includes vegan-certified energy. Separately, its customer service received recognition in the small-supplier category of the 2026 Uswitch Energy Awards.
Products & services
Awards & recognition
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
Flexible Octopus has Octopus Energy’s lowest annual estimate shown, at £1,664, while Ecotricity’s Standard Variable Green Tariff is estimated at £1,868 a year. Flexible Octopus is therefore £204 a year cheaper, or about £17 a month, under the same assumptions. Both are variable tariffs, so their rates can change, but neither named deal charges a leaving fee: each has a **£0 total dual-fuel exit fee**.
Octopus 18M Fixed October 2026 v5 is estimated at £1,831 a year, with an 18-month term and a £150 total dual-fuel exit fee. That is £167 a year more than Flexible Octopus in return for rates agreed for the term. For a shorter commitment, Octopus 12M Fixed October 2026 v6 has a 12-month term and a lower £100 total exit fee, although its annual estimate is higher at £1,886.
There is no current fixed-tariff price for Ecotricity in this comparison, so a like-for-like fixed-price comparison is not possible. All the priced deals described here use monthly Direct Debit, and they represent only part of each supplier’s range.
| Metric | Octopus Energy | Ecotricity |
|---|---|---|
| Cheapest tariff total exit fee | £0 | £0 |
Octopus Energy and Ecotricity tariff options
Octopus Energy tariffs
Flexible Octopus has variable rates and no fixed contract term. The named October 2026 fixed editions offer 12-month and 18-month commitments. The shorter deal means an earlier chance to choose again; the longer deal keeps the agreed rates for longer. Both fixed editions have early-exit charges, so the longer commitment is not unavoidable.
Octopus Go suits EV owners who want a set overnight window without car integration. Intelligent Octopus Go instead needs an EV plus integration through a supported vehicle or charger, and lets Octopus schedule charging. Its current offer has fixed rates, although the contract length is not stated here.[1][2]
Agile Octopus exposes households to changing wholesale prices, including price spikes. Cosy Octopus uses set heating windows, while Octopus Flux combines import and export for solar-and-battery homes. Smart tariffs depend on half-hourly meter data; Octopus’s terms include fallback billing arrangements when readings are missing.[3]
Charge Pack is a battery-control add-on, not a replacement household tariff. It works alongside compatible import and export tariffs. Octopus controls battery charging and discharging, with credits for qualifying sessions; the number of sessions is not guaranteed.[4]
Eligibility
You need a battery electric or plug-in hybrid vehicle charged mainly at your Octopus-supplied home, a working smart meter with half-hourly readings, and integration through a supported vehicle OR charger. Register the device in the Octopus app within seven days and keep it connected through Wi-Fi, a built-in SIM or another agreed method. Octopus needs ongoing control and data access, with exclusive rights to manage grid-response services; third-party household grid-response schemes are not allowed. Losing integration for more than 30 days can end eligibility.
Eligibility
Be an Octopus customer with an owned or long-term leased battery electric or plug-in hybrid vehicle charged at home; a home charger is not required; Have a connected SMETS2 or Secure SMETS1 smart meter giving Octopus half-hourly readings; If you export electricity, pair Go only with a compatible export tariff.
Eligibility
Be an Octopus customer with a connected SMETS2 or Secure SMETS1 meter and consent to half-hourly readings.
Eligibility
Have an operational air-source or ground-source heat pump, electric boiler or electric radiators at your Octopus-supplied home; ask Octopus about other systems; Use a connected SMETS2 or Secure SMETS1 meter giving Octopus half-hourly readings.
Eligibility
You need operational solar panels and a home battery, Octopus import and export accounts, an export MPAN, and a connected SMETS2 or Secure SMETS1 meter with import/export half-hourly readings. Supply your solar MCS certificate and distributor G98/G99 certification. Equipment need not have been installed by Octopus. You set the battery schedule yourself. Any existing FiT export payments must stop permanently and be replaced by measured Flux export payments; FiT generation payments continue.
Ecotricity tariffs
The Standard Variable Green Tariff has variable rates rather than a fixed-rate commitment. Ecotricity’s tariff information explains that this green variable offer is exempt from Ofgem’s price cap, so the cap is not the ceiling for its rates.[5]
Its EV loyalty renewal terms have a narrower scope: existing 1-year Fixed EV customers whose deal ends within 49 calendar days, or ended within the past seven days. They describe a 12-month fix with an off-peak window of 00:00–05:00 GMT. Customers need an EV charged at the property, a communicating smart meter with half-hourly data consent, monthly Direct Debit and fully online account management. Losing these conditions can trigger a move to the Out of Contract tariff and early-exit charges.[6]
Customer reviews
Octopus Energy scores 4.8 out of 5 on Trustpilot from 880,701 reviews, compared with Ecotricity’s 4.1 from 6,683 reviews. The ratings breakdown shows a wider contrast: 90% of Octopus reviews are five-star and 3% are one-star, against 66% and 22% for Ecotricity. Ecotricity’s positive headline score therefore sits alongside a substantially larger share of one-star feedback.
Octopus reviewers often praise helpful, polite staff who explain bills and resolve tariff or account questions. They also value direct contact with a person and prompt responses. Less happy customers describe slow replies to complex requests, with some installation problems and account changes left unresolved for long periods.
Ecotricity’s positive feedback centres on friendly, knowledgeable phone advisers who give clear answers and help customers through switching. Sustainability and price also feature in customer discussions. Ecotricity replies to 100% of negative reviews, typically within 24 hours, compared with Octopus’s 97% and typical one-week response. These replies acknowledge the feedback but do not necessarily mean the issue is settled.
The Which? total scores are 74% for Octopus and 66% for Ecotricity. In the customer ratings, Octopus receives 4 out of 5 for overall service versus 2 for Ecotricity, and 4 for statement clarity versus 2. Separately, the Which? supplier assessment awards 10 out of 10 to Octopus and 9 to Ecotricity for help for those who need it.
Apps and online accounts
Octopus is better rated on both platforms: 4.8 out of 5 on iOS and 4.3 on Android, compared with Ecotricity’s 1.8 and 2.9, respectively. Octopus’s scores come from much larger rating totals, and its Android app has 1,000,000+ installs. The balance of Android feedback also differs: Octopus has more positive than negative ratings, while Ecotricity has more negative than positive ratings.
Octopus has had three iOS updates in the past 90 days, while Ecotricity has had none. Octopus’s Android app was also updated more recently. For customers on Ecotricity’s named EV loyalty renewal offer, the terms allow full account management through the app or online account, with no paper bills or letters.
Service and support
Average response: 1.2 min (April to June 2026)
Hours: Monday 9am-5pm, Tuesday 9am-5pm, Wednesday 9am-5pm, Thursday 9am-5pm, Friday 9am-4pm
Average response: 49 sec (April to June 2026)
Replies: 86.4% within 2 days (April to June 2026)
Hours: 7 days/week
Replies: 93.6% within 2 days (April to June 2026)
For April to June 2026, Citizens Advice gives Octopus 3.67 out of 5, ranked fifth, and Ecotricity 3.4, ranked eighth. Ecotricity has faster measured responses on both contact channels: its average call centre wait time is 49 seconds, against 1 minute 9 seconds for Octopus, and it answers 93.6% of emails within two days, compared with 86.4%. These measures describe response speed, not how well an enquiry is resolved.
Octopus’s routine phone hours are Monday to Thursday, 9am–5pm, and Friday, 9am–4pm. Its email team is available seven days a week, so households can also contact it at weekends, although an immediate reply is not guaranteed.
The suppliers are closely matched on smart-meter bills based on actual readings: in April to June 2026, the shares were 96.33% for Octopus and 96.25% for Ecotricity. For traditional-meter bills, the shares were 93.99% and 87.19%, respectively, a wider gap in Octopus’s favour. Octopus also had a higher share of working smart meters, at 91% against 89.88% for Ecotricity. Actual readings reduce reliance on estimated use, while a working smart meter matters for sending readings automatically.
| Billing and metering | Octopus Energy — April to June 2026 | Ecotricity — April to June 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Smart meters working correctly | 91% | 89.88% |
| Bills based on readings — smart meters | 96.33% | 96.25% |
| Bills based on readings — traditional meters | 93.99% | 87.19% |
Complaints and performance
Octopus Energy reported 476 complaints per 100,000 customer accounts in Q2 2026. Ecotricity reported 291 per 100,000 customer accounts in Q1 2026. These figures cover different quarters, so they do not give a like-for-like comparison. They count complaint events, not the number or percentage of individual customers affected.
In Q2 2026, Octopus Energy reported resolving 43% of complaints on the same or next working day and 80% within eight weeks. Ecotricity reported 41% and 98% respectively in Q1 2026. These figures show how quickly complaints were closed, not whether customers were happy with the outcome. The different quarters also prevent a direct comparison of resolution performance.
The Citizens Advice figures cover the same period for both suppliers: April to June 2026. Octopus Energy had 21.4 complaints to advice bodies and the Energy Ombudsman per 10,000 customers, compared with Ecotricity’s 22.6. Octopus had the lower rate on this measure. These are not complaints received directly by the suppliers, and the rates are separate from the supplier-reported figures per 100,000 customer accounts.
Neither supplier’s complaint themes have a supplied reporting period, so they cannot be tied to the headline quarters or compared over a confirmed matching period. Octopus gives actions taken and work under way, but no complaint shares. Ecotricity gives shares for its listed reasons, but no further detail about the problems or its response.
How their green electricity approaches compare
Octopus Energy: renewable purchases, nuclear power and named tariff promises
Octopus buys electricity from sources including wind, solar and hydro. Its supplier-wide electricity disclosure for 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025 reports renewable and nuclear power. Nuclear is not renewable, so this overall mix differs from the renewable promise attached to particular tariffs.
The supplier says it buys renewable electricity from more than 700 UK generators through power purchase agreements, or PPAs. These are contracts to buy a generator’s electricity. Some generators are independent and some are within the portfolio described on its green energy page. Octopus also buys power through community energy projects, where local people own and run generation and profits support local charitable or environmental work.
On Agile Octopus and Octopus Flux, the specific green promise is to match electricity use with British Renewable Energy Guarantees of Origin, known as REGOs. These certificates record renewable generation; matching use with certificates does not mean renewable electricity reaches the home in every half-hour.
Octopus also describes owned and adopted wind turbines in Britain. Separately, Octopus Energy Generation, part of the group, backs, builds and manages renewable projects. Its May 2026 portfolio figures cover £8.5 billion of assets under management and 5.7 GW of capacity. These describe the generation business’s managed portfolio, not assets all owned by the household supplier or a promise about every tariff.
Ecotricity: renewable supply and funding new generation
Ecotricity’s electricity disclosure for 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2026 reports an entirely renewable supply mix. Its listed sources include offshore wind, onshore wind, solar and hydro. This is an annual account of electricity supplied by Ecotricity Ltd, rather than a live measure of the electricity flowing into a home.
Ecotricity explains that its green electricity enters the shared grid. Customers receive power through the national and local networks, rather than through a separate connection to its generators. Its broader approach is to use bill money to build new renewable sources, making new generation part of the company’s purpose.
Its certification from The Vegan Society and Viva! adds a separate ethical standard. Vegan certification and renewable sourcing answer different questions: the former concerns the energy’s vegan credentials, while the fuel disclosure records its electricity sources.
The disclosures cover different years: Octopus’s figures below cover 2024/25, while Ecotricity’s cover 2025/26. They are not a same-period comparison.
Our verdict
| If you care most about | Choose |
|---|---|
| The lowest annual cost shown | Octopus Energy |
| A well-rated mobile app | Octopus Energy |
| A green tariff option | Either |
Octopus Energy leads on customer feedback, app ratings and the priced variable deal, while Ecotricity has faster measured phone and email responses.
Octopus Energy gets our overall recommendation for customer feedback that is stronger across several measures. Reviewers often value its clear explanations and helpful staff, while Which? customers give it higher ratings for service and statement clarity. Its apps are also better rated on both platforms. Some reviewers nevertheless report slow responses to complex account or installation problems, and Ecotricity has quicker measured phone and email responses.
Octopus may suit you if customer feedback, clearer statements and better-rated apps matter most. Its lower variable estimate adds a price advantage without a fixed-rate commitment. Ecotricity may be a better fit if shorter phone waits and prompt email replies are your priority, although its priced variable deal has a higher estimate and its overall feedback is less positive. Faster responses do not guarantee that a difficult issue will be settled quickly with either supplier.
- Higher Trustpilot rating and a much smaller one-star share.
- Higher Which? customer ratings for service and statement clarity.
- Better-rated apps on iOS and Android.
- Flexible Octopus is £204 a year cheaper than Ecotricity’s priced variable deal.
- Longer measured phone waits and a lower share of emails answered within two days.
- Some reviewers describe delays with complex account changes and installations.
- The named 18-month fixed deal carries a £150 total exit fee.
- Shorter measured phone waits and more emails answered within two days.
- Positive reviews praise friendly, knowledgeable phone advisers.
- The priced Standard Variable Green Tariff has a £0 total exit fee.
- 22% of Trustpilot reviews are one-star.
- Lower user ratings on both app platforms.
- The priced variable deal costs £204 more a year than Flexible Octopus.
Frequently asked questions
How much cheaper is Flexible Octopus?
Flexible Octopus is estimated at £1,664 a year, against £1,868 for Ecotricity’s Standard Variable Green Tariff. The difference is £204 a year, or about £17 a month, under the same assumptions. Both have variable rates.
Will I pay an exit fee on the variable deals?
Flexible Octopus and Ecotricity’s Standard Variable Green Tariff each have a £0 total dual-fuel exit fee. That applies to these named deals, rather than every tariff either supplier offers.
Does Octopus have a shorter fixed deal?
Yes. Octopus 12M Fixed October 2026 v6 has a 12-month term, an estimated annual cost of £1,886 and a £100 total exit fee. Its named 18-month alternative costs £1,831 a year with a £150 total exit fee, so the shorter commitment comes with a higher annual estimate but a lower leaving charge.
Which supplier answers calls and emails faster?
In April to June 2026, Ecotricity’s average call centre wait time was 49 seconds, compared with 1 minute 9 seconds for Octopus. Ecotricity answered 93.6% of emails within two days, against 86.4% for Octopus. These measure response speed, not how quickly the underlying issue was settled.
When can I phone Octopus about a routine enquiry?
Octopus’s routine phone hours are Monday to Thursday, 9am–5pm, and Friday, 9am–4pm. Its email team is available seven days a week; that is a separate channel schedule, not a promise of an immediate response.
Which supplier’s app is better rated on my phone?
Octopus is better rated on both platforms. On iOS it scores 4.8 out of 5 from 263,000 ratings, against Ecotricity’s 1.8 from 112. On Android it scores 4.3 from 47,449 ratings, against 2.9 from 185.
How often are bills based on actual meter readings?
For April to June 2026, actual readings were used for 96.33% of Octopus smart-meter bills and 96.25% of Ecotricity smart-meter bills. For traditional-meter bills, the shares were 93.99% and 87.19%. These figures describe the share of bills using actual readings rather than estimates.
What changed this month
This month, Octopus Energy's iOS app days since last update rose from 1 to 25, Octopus Energy's play store days since last update rose from 1 to 17, and Ecotricity's iOS app updates in last 90 days fell from 2 to 0. There were 44 other data changes this month — see the full changelog below for details.
Data changes this month (58)
Octopus Energy
- Trustpilot reviews857,633 → 880,701
- Trustpilot negative reviews replied %96 → 97
- iOS app ratings count254,000 → 263,000
- iOS app days since last update1 → 25
- iOS sampled reviews avg stars2.5 → no longer available
- iOS sampled positive reviews1 → 0
- iOS sampled negative reviews1 → 0
- Play Store rating4.3669577 → 4.328419
- Play Store ratings count47,238 → 47,449
- Play Store days since last update1 → 17
- Play Store positive ratings %84.5 → 83.2
- Play Store negative ratings %11.7 → 12.6
- Play Store neutral ratings %3.7 → 4.2
- Play Store net-positive %72.8 → 70.6
- Citizens Advice rank4 → 5
- Complaints per 10,000 customers21.3 → 21.4
- Avg call centre wait time77 → 69
- Emails responded within 2 days %86.1 → 86.4
- Cheapest variable tariff£1,598.38 → £1,664.22
- Cheapest fixed tariff£1,641.76 → £1,831.1
- Cheapest tariff£1,598.38 → £1,664.22
- Cheapest fixed tariff exit fee£100 → £150
- Cheapest fixed tariff term12 months → 18 months
- Tariffs with comparison prices2 → 3
- Fixed tariffs with comparison prices1 → 2
- Longest fixed term12 months → 18 months
Ecotricity
- Trustpilot rating4.2 → 4.1
- Trustpilot reviews6,635 → 6,683
- Trustpilot negative reviews replied %94 → 100
- iOS app ratings count111 → 112
- iOS app days since last update77 → 129
- iOS app updates in last 90 days2 → 0
- iOS sampled reviews avg stars1.67 → no longer available
- iOS sampled negative reviews2 → 0
- iOS sampled neutral reviews1 → 0
- Play Store rating2.82 → 2.86
- Play Store ratings count182 → 185
- Play Store days since last update76 → 38
- Play Store positive ratings %40 → 41
- Play Store negative ratings %50 → 49.2
- Play Store neutral ratings %10 → 9.8
- Play Store net-positive %-10 → -8.2
- Citizens Advice rank7 → 8
- Citizens Advice score3.36 → 3.4
- Complaints per 10,000 customers21.5 → 22.6
- Avg call centre wait time45 → 49
- Emails responded within 2 days %95.2 → 93.6
- Cheapest variable tariff£1,813.46 → £1,868.03
- Cheapest fixed tariff£1,558.98 → no longer available
- Cheapest tariff£1,558.98 → £1,868.03
- Cheapest tariff exit fee£200 → £0
- Cheapest tariff term24 months → 0 months
- Cheapest fixed tariff exit fee£200 → no longer available
- Cheapest fixed tariff term24 months → no longer available
- Tariffs with comparison prices2 → 1
- Fixed tariffs with comparison prices1 → 0
- Shortest fixed term24 months → no longer available
- Longest fixed term24 months → no longer available
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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.