Octopus Energy Ecotricity (August 2026)
Overview
Octopus Energy wins on app quality and customer service, though Ecotricity offers a cheaper fixed tariff.
Octopus Energy scores higher across customer reviews, app ratings, and Citizens Advice metrics. Ecotricity, however, may suit households looking to lock in their unit rates, as it currently offers a cheaper fixed tariff.
About Octopus Energy and Ecotricity
Who are Octopus Energy?
Set up in 2015, Octopus Energy is backed by Octopus Group and has grown to become the UK's largest domestic energy supplier. It also operates in countries such as Germany, Japan, and the USA. The company runs its own technology platform, Kraken, to manage customer accounts and billing. It offers a wide range of smart tariffs for homes with electric vehicles, heat pumps, and solar panels.
Who are Ecotricity?
Set up in 1995, Ecotricity is one of the UK's oldest green energy suppliers and operates as a smaller domestic supplier. It is owned by the Green Britain Group and uses a not-for-dividend model, meaning it uses customer bills to build new renewable energy projects rather than paying shareholders. The company focuses on green energy and ethical pricing, and it is the only UK supplier to offer vegan-certified electricity.
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Tariffs and pricing
Ecotricity's lowest-priced tariff is the EcoFixed - 2 Year August 26 v1, priced at £1,677 a year. This 24-month fixed deal carries a £200 exit fee. In contrast, Octopus Energy's cheapest option is the Flexible Octopus variable tariff at £1,792 a year, which features no fixed term and zero exit fees.
For households preferring price certainty, Ecotricity provides the cheaper fixed deal at £1,677 a year. Octopus Energy's lowest fixed option costs £1,841 a year and includes a 12-month term with a £100 exit fee. Conversely, Octopus Energy supplies the cheaper variable option; Ecotricity's Standard Variable Green Tariff is priced higher at £2,032 a year.
Based on the provided comparison data, neither supplier shows evidence of participating in the Warm Home Discount or the Energy Switch Guarantee.
Tariff Options
Octopus Energy
Octopus Energy offers a standard variable tariff and fixed deals with terms of 12 months. It also offers a wide range of specialist smart tariffs for homes with electric vehicles, heat pumps, solar panels, and battery storage.
Ecotricity
Ecotricity offers a standard variable tariff, a 24-month fixed deal and a 12-month fixed EV tariff, alongside options for prepayment customers and homes that generate their own power.[1]
Customer reviews
Octopus Energy maintains a 4.8 out of 5 Trustpilot rating across 837,814 reviews, with 90% of these being five-star. Ecotricity holds a 4.2 out of 5 rating from a smaller sample of 6,590 reviews, comprising 66% five-star and 22% one-star ratings.
Trustpilot feedback for Octopus Energy frequently mentions helpful staff, quick response times, and a smooth user experience, alongside occasional notes regarding delayed email replies. Ecotricity customers also report polite and knowledgeable staff; however, recurring complaints cite unhelpful support interactions, difficulties obtaining email responses, and concerns regarding pricing and billing.
The annual Which? survey awards Octopus Energy a score of 74 out of 100, compared to Ecotricity's 66. For overall customer service, Octopus Energy achieves 4 out of 5, while Ecotricity receives 2 out of 5. Both suppliers are rated 3 out of 5 for value for money.
Examining the Which? sub-scores, Octopus Energy receives 10 out of 10 for helping those who need it, slightly ahead of Ecotricity's 9 out of 10. Ecotricity registers lower marks for switching (1 out of 5) and clarity of statements (2 out of 5). In these same categories, Octopus Energy scores 3 and 4 out of 5, respectively.
App quality and features
Octopus Energy's iOS app holds a 4.8 rating across 249,000 ratings. Ecotricity's iOS app scores 1.8 from 110 ratings, representing a significantly smaller sample size for comparison.
On the Google Play Store, Octopus Energy achieves a 4.4 rating from 47,091 ratings, yielding a net-positive share of 74.5%. Ecotricity scores 2.8 from 181 ratings, which translates to a net-positive share of -14%.
Over the last 90 days, Octopus Energy has updated its iOS app three times, while Ecotricity has issued two updates. On Android, Octopus Energy's app received an update two days ago, whereas Ecotricity's most recent update occurred 47 days ago.
Recent iOS reviews for Octopus Energy highlight praise from vulnerable customers, alongside reported issues regarding sudden direct debit increases and smart meter data gaps. Ecotricity's recent app feedback notes lost access to historical bills and login problems following a recent update, including a user describing the new version as a poor upgrade.
Customer service and support
Citizens Advice awards Octopus Energy a score of 3.67 out of 5, placing it 4th in the rankings. Ecotricity ranks 7th with a score of 3.36 out of 5. Both suppliers maintain formal vulnerability commitments registered with Citizens Advice.
Ecotricity records faster phone response times, averaging a 45-second call centre wait compared to 1 minute 17 seconds for Octopus Energy. Additionally, Ecotricity responds to 95.2% of emails within two days, whereas Octopus Energy achieves this for 86.1% of emails.
Octopus Energy operates its phone lines Monday to Thursday from 9am to 5pm, and Fridays from 9am to 4pm, remaining closed on weekends. Ecotricity provides extended availability, operating weekdays from 9am to 7pm and weekends from 9am to 5pm. At a brand level, both suppliers accept Direct Debit, Cash/Cheque, and Prepayment.
Complaints and performance
Both suppliers have published their complaints data for Q4 2025. Ecotricity received fewer complaints than Octopus Energy, taking on 320 complaints for every 100,000 customers. Octopus received 495 complaints per 100,000 customers in the same period.
Green Energy Comparison
Octopus Energy
Based on Citizens Advice data, Octopus Energy supplies a mostly renewable mix, with some nuclear power. The company offers 100% zero-carbon electricity as standard. It manages over 400 green energy generators, such as wind and solar farms, through its generation arm. It also runs a Zero Bills homes scheme, working with developers to build houses with solar panels, batteries, and heat pumps so residents pay no energy bills for up to 10 years. While it does not have a specific green tariff in comparison data this month, its smart tariffs help customers shift their energy use to times when the grid is greener.[1][2]
Ecotricity
Ecotricity supplies a 100% renewable electricity mix, according to Citizens Advice data. The company builds its own wind and solar parks around Britain to generate green electricity. Its gas supply is a mix of sustainable green gas and fossil gas. To balance this, the company offsets the carbon from the fossil gas by investing in direct carbon removal projects in Britain through its Carbon Bank.[3]
Our verdict
| If you care most about | Choose |
|---|---|
| The lowest annual cost on our assumptions | Ecotricity |
| Overall customer service | Octopus Energy |
| A well-rated mobile app | Octopus Energy |
| A greener fuel mix | Ecotricity |
Octopus Energy is stronger for app quality and broader service metrics, while Ecotricity offers a cheaper fixed tariff and a greener fuel mix.
Octopus Energy scores higher across most customer service and app metrics, which may suit households prioritising digital account management. However, Ecotricity records faster response times for calls and emails, and currently provides a cheaper fixed deal than Octopus Energy.
Both suppliers highlight green energy credentials: Ecotricity provides a 100% renewable mix, and Octopus Energy offers 100% zero-carbon electricity. Based on the data, Octopus Energy scores higher across broader service metrics, while Ecotricity may be more suitable for households prioritising a cheaper 24-month fixed price.
- Higher Trustpilot and Citizens Advice scores
- Higher app ratings on iOS and Android
- Cheaper standard variable tariff
- 100% zero-carbon electricity
- Slower average call wait times than Ecotricity
- No weekend customer service hours
- Fixed tariff costs more than Ecotricity's
- Cheaper fixed tariff available
- Answers phone calls in 45 seconds on average
- Phone lines open on weekends
- 100% renewable electricity mix
- Lower scores on Trustpilot and Citizens Advice
- Lower app ratings on both platforms
- Standard variable tariff costs more than Octopus Energy's
Frequently asked questions
Which supplier is better overall, Octopus Energy or Ecotricity?
Octopus Energy performs better across most metrics we reviewed, including app ratings and customer reviews. However, Ecotricity currently offers a cheaper fixed tariff and faster phone response times.
Which supplier has the cheaper standard variable tariff?
Octopus Energy has the cheaper variable tariff. Its Flexible Octopus deal costs £1,792 a year, while Ecotricity's Standard Variable Green Tariff costs £2,032 a year.
Do customers prefer Octopus Energy or Ecotricity?
Octopus Energy holds a higher Trustpilot rating of 4.8 out of 5, compared to Ecotricity's 4.2 out of 5. Octopus Energy also scores higher for overall customer service in the annual Which? survey.
Are the Octopus Energy and Ecotricity apps any good?
Octopus Energy's app receives very high scores on both iOS and Android. Ecotricity's app scores are much lower, with recent reviews mentioning login issues and lost access to historical data.
Which supplier is faster to contact?
Ecotricity answers phone calls faster, with an average wait time of 45 seconds compared to 1 minute 17 seconds for Octopus Energy. Ecotricity is also faster at replying to emails.
Should I choose a fixed or variable tariff from these suppliers?
If you want to lock in a price, Ecotricity offers a cheaper 24-month fixed deal. If you prefer a variable tariff with no exit fees, Octopus Energy's option costs less than Ecotricity's.
Do Octopus Energy and Ecotricity charge exit fees?
Octopus Energy's cheapest overall tariff has no exit fees, but its fixed deal carries a £100 exit fee. Ecotricity's cheapest fixed tariff comes with a £200 exit fee, while its variable tariff has no exit fees.
Can I contact Ecotricity or Octopus Energy on weekends?
Ecotricity's phone lines are open on Saturdays and Sundays from 9am to 5pm. Octopus Energy's phone lines are closed on weekends.
Do both suppliers offer green energy?
Yes. Ecotricity provides a 100% zero-carbon electricity mix, and Octopus Energy offers 100% zero-carbon electricity as standard. Both suppliers also support households that generate their own power.
What changed this month
This month, Ecotricity's play store days since last update rose from 23 to 47, Ecotricity's iOS app updates in last 90 days rose from 1 to 2, and Octopus Energy's iOS sampled positive reviews rose from 0 to 1. There were 35 other data changes this month — see the full changelog below for details.
Data changes this month (49)
Octopus Energy
- Trustpilot reviews821,111 → 837,814
- iOS app ratings count245,000 → 249,000
- iOS app days since last update9 → 6
- iOS sampled reviews avg starsnow available (2)
- iOS sampled positive reviews0 → 1
- iOS sampled negative reviews0 → 2
- Play Store rating4.4341745 → 4.3956046
- Play Store ratings count46,873 → 47,091
- Play Store days since last update11 → 2
- Play Store positive ratings %86.7 → 85.5
- Play Store negative ratings %10 → 11
- Play Store neutral ratings %3.3 → 3.5
- Play Store net-positive %76.7 → 74.5
- Cheapest fixed tariff£1,697.05 → £1,841.19
- Cheapest tariff£1,697.05 → £1,792.32
- Cheapest tariff exit fee£100 → £0
- Cheapest tariff term12 months → 0 months
- Tariff count2 → 3
- Fixed tariffs available1 → 2
Ecotricity
- Trustpilot reviews6,559 → 6,590
- Trustpilot 3-star %2 → 3
- Trustpilot 1-star %23 → 22
- Trustpilot negative reviews replied %98 → 100
- Trustpilot negative reviews %26 → 25
- Trustpilot neutral reviews %2 → 3
- Trustpilot net-positive %46 → 47
- iOS app ratings count108 → 110
- iOS app days since last update39 → 47
- iOS app updates in last 90 days1 → 2
- iOS sampled reviews avg stars1.67 → 2.33
- iOS sampled positive reviews0 → 1
- iOS sampled neutral reviews1 → 0
- Play Store rating2.7 → 2.75
- Play Store ratings count179 → 181
- Play Store days since last update23 → 47
- Play Store positive ratings %37.1 → 38
- Play Store negative ratings %53.1 → 52
- Play Store neutral ratings %9.7 → 10.1
- Play Store net-positive %-16 → -14
- Cheapest fixed tariffnow available (£1,677.29)
- Cheapest tariff£2,032.01 → £1,677.29
- Cheapest tariff exit fee£0 → £200
- Cheapest tariff term0 months → 24 months
- Cheapest fixed tariff exit feenow available (£200)
- Cheapest fixed tariff termnow available (24 months)
- Tariff count1 → 2
- Fixed tariffs available0 → 1
- Shortest fixed termnow available (24 months)
- Longest fixed termnow available (24 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.