Octopus Energy E.ON Next (October 2026)
Contents
- 1.Comparison at a glance
- 2.About Octopus Energy and E.ON Next
- 3.Tariffs and pricing
- 4.Octopus Energy and E.ON Next tariff options
- 5.Customer reviews
- 6.App ratings and feedback
- 7.Service and support
- 8.Complaints and how quickly they are resolved
- 9.What their green electricity claims mean
- 10.Our verdict
- 11.FAQs
Comparison at a glance
Octopus Energy leads on customer feedback and phone waits, while E.ON Next has lower quoted prices and stronger smart-meter measures.
Neither supplier leads on every household priority. Octopus Energy has stronger customer feedback, with 4.8 out of 5 on Trustpilot against E.ON Next’s 4.5, and a higher Which? total score. E.ON Next has the cheaper deal shown: Next Pledge Tracker 12m v12 is estimated at £1,622 a year, compared with £1,664 for Flexible Octopus. The trade-off is a 12-month contract and £50 total exit fee on the tracker, while Flexible Octopus has no exit fee.
About Octopus Energy and E.ON Next
Who are Octopus Energy?
Octopus has built its approach around its own energy technology, with a focus on simpler account handling and changing when homes use electricity.
The wider Octopus Energy Group also includes Octopus Energy Generation, which backs, builds and manages renewable projects. That generation business has a different role from household supply: its managed investment portfolio is not the same thing as electricity bought for a particular home tariff.
Products & services
Awards & recognition
Who are E.ON Next?
E.ON Next centres its customer service approach on teams called Energy Specialists. Its stated aim is to make energy accounts less of a hassle and deal with questions efficiently. This is the customer-facing part of its approach, alongside standard household plans and tariffs linked to home energy equipment.
It holds ServiceMark accreditation from the Institute of Customer Service. This recognises its customer service standards and commitment to improvement; it is separate from customer survey awards and does not guarantee the outcome of an individual query.
Products & services
Awards & recognition
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Tariffs and pricing
Eligibility
Requires payment by Direct Debit and a smart meter installation where possible
Eligibility
The quoted offer depends on the household's meter and payment arrangements; Direct Debit pricing applies to the advertised offer.
E.ON Next’s Next Pledge Tracker 12m v12 has the lowest annual estimate shown at £1,622, compared with £1,664 for Octopus Energy’s variable Flexible Octopus. Under the same assumptions, E.ON Next is £42 a year cheaper, or about £4 a month. Both deals have rates that can change, so the tracker does not offer fixed-rate certainty.
Octopus Energy Flexible Octopus has a £0 exit fee, while Octopus 18M Fixed October 2026 v5 holds rates for 18 months. The fixed deal costs an estimated £1,831 a year and has a £150 total exit fee.
For a shorter commitment, Octopus 12M Fixed October 2026 v6 costs £1,886 a year over 12 months, with a £100 total exit fee. That is £55 more a year than the 18-month deal, but its exit fee is £50 lower.
E.ON Next Although its rates can change, Next Pledge Tracker 12m v12 has a 12-month contract and £50 total exit fee. Next Flex is another variable option, with no exit fee and an annual estimate of £1,672 a year.
Next Fixed 12m v163 costs £1,791 a year for 12 months, with a £100 total exit fee. That is £41 a year cheaper than Octopus’s lowest-priced fixed deal, or about £3 a month. Fixed rates give more certainty about energy prices rather than fixing the total bill. All the quoted deals use monthly Direct Debit.
Octopus Energy and E.ON Next tariff options
Octopus Energy tariffs
Flexible Octopus has variable prices and no fixed contract term. The named October 2026 fixed deals instead hold rates for 12 months or 18 months. The shorter deal ends sooner and has a lower early-exit charge than the longer edition, so the longer commitment is not needed simply to get fixed rates.
For EV charging, Octopus Go gives an overnight window without needing a connected car or dedicated home charger. Intelligent Octopus Go instead needs a supported vehicle or charger connection and lets Octopus schedule charging. Agile suits households comfortable with half-hourly wholesale price changes, while Cosy and Flux link prices to electric heating or solar-and-battery use. Octopus's smart-tariff rules also impose waits when moving between smart tariffs and warn that missing meter data can affect billing.[1][2][3]
Eligibility
You need a battery electric or plug-in hybrid vehicle charged mainly at your Octopus-supplied home, a compatible 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 its control connection active. Allow device connection through Wi-Fi, an in-built SIM or another agreed method, data use and exclusive Octopus control for grid services; your home cannot join a third-party demand-response scheme. More than 30 days without active integration, or an incompatible change of equipment, can end eligibility.
Eligibility
Own or have a long-term lease of a battery electric or plug-in hybrid vehicle that you charge at your Octopus-supplied home. You need a connected SMETS2 or Secure SMETS1 smart meter giving half-hourly readings. A dedicated home EV charger is not needed. If you export electricity, only compatible export tariffs can be paired with Go.
Eligibility
Have Octopus home supply and a connected SMETS2 or Secure SMETS1 smart meter giving half-hourly readings.
Eligibility
Have an operational air or ground source heat pump, electric boiler or electric radiators at your Octopus-supplied home; other systems need approval; Have a connected SMETS2 or Secure SMETS1 smart meter giving half-hourly readings.
Eligibility
Have operational solar panels and a home battery, with Octopus import and export accounts; Have an export MPAN and a connected SMETS2 or Secure SMETS1 smart meter measuring import and export with half-hourly readings; Supply the solar installation's MCS certificate and your distributor's G98/G99 certification; Permanently stop FiT deemed-export payments and tell another FiT supplier if needed. Generation payments stay unchanged; Set your own battery charging and discharge schedule.
E.ON Next tariffs
Next Flex has variable rates without a fixed term. Next Fixed 12m v163 and Next Fixed 24m v79 hold rates for 12 months and 24 months respectively; the shorter edition also has a lower early-exit charge. Next Pledge Tracker 12m v12 keeps variable pricing during a 12-month contract. The Pledge approach follows the Ofgem price cap rather than half-hourly wholesale electricity prices, and needs Direct Debit payment.
Next Drive Smart needs an eligible EV and charger, while Next Drive offers overnight whole-home electricity alongside EV charging. Next Pumped accepts heat pumps or electric boilers, including planned installations, but excludes Smart Pay As You Go. Smart Saver rewards moving use into set periods; Optimise instead follows changing wholesale prices and manages solar battery output, so its costs are less predictable.[4]
Eligibility
Requires payment by Direct Debit and a smart meter installation where possible
Eligibility
The quoted offer depends on the household's meter and payment arrangements; Direct Debit pricing applies to the advertised offer.
Eligibility
Eligibility depends on the household's meter and payment arrangements.
Eligibility
Have a smart meter and consent to half-hourly readings; Have an eligible electric vehicle and an eligible charger.
Eligibility
Have a heat pump or electric boiler, or plan to install one; Have a working smart meter or agree to an installation, and allow half-hourly readings; Pay by monthly Direct Debit and manage the account online; Smart Pay As You Go customers cannot join.
Eligibility
Designed for solar-and-battery households. Battery compatibility, meter, account and payment conditions need confirmation before switching.
- [1] Octopus Energy: Octopus Go
- [2] Octopus Energy: Intelligent Octopus Go
- [3] Octopus Energy: smart-tariff rules
- [4] E.ON Next: Next Drive Smart
- Octopus Energy — Agile Octopus
- Octopus Energy — Cosy Octopus
- Octopus Energy — Octopus Flux
- E.ON Next — Next Pledge Tracker 12m v12
- E.ON Next — Next Pumped
- E.ON Next — Next Optimise
- E.ON Next — Next Fixed 12m v163
Customer reviews
Octopus Energy scores 4.8 out of 5 on Trustpilot from 880,701 reviews, compared with 4.5 from 235,587 for E.ON Next. Both have very high review volumes, but the balance of ratings differs: five-star reviews make up 90% of Octopus’s total against 75% for E.ON Next, while one-star reviews account for 3% and 9% respectively.
Octopus reviewers often praise polite, helpful staff who explain bills and resolve tariff or account questions promptly. They also value reaching a real person and getting clear answers. Criticism centres on slower replies to complex requests, communication gaps and lengthy delays with technical installations or account changes.
E.ON Next reviewers praise friendly phone staff, punctual engineers and straightforward switches. Negative feedback includes higher Direct Debits, unexpectedly large bills, delayed referral refunds and smart-meter connection problems. E.ON Next replies to 99% of negative reviews, typically within 24 hours, compared with 97% and one week for Octopus; a reply does not necessarily mean the issue is resolved.
The Which? total scores are 74% for Octopus and 66% for E.ON Next, while customers rated overall service 4 out of 5 for Octopus and 2 out of 5 for E.ON Next. Results from the separate Which? supplier assessment are mixed: E.ON Next scores 8 out of 10 on smart meters against 5 for Octopus, while help for those who need it scores 10 out of 10 for Octopus and 9 for E.ON Next.
App ratings and feedback
Both Android apps have reached at least one million installs. E.ON Next is slightly better rated on Google Play, at 4.4 out of 5 against Octopus’s 4.3. On iPhone, both score 4.8, with 263,000 ratings for Octopus and 50,000 for E.ON Next, so there is no rating advantage on that platform.
Alongside the high overall iPhone rating, individual users describe frustrations with E.ON Next’s app. One E.ON Next iPhone user reported being logged out despite enabling Face ID; another, reporting a different problem, found the energy-use graphs too limited. Both suppliers have released three iOS updates in the past 90 days.
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: 2 min (April to June 2026)
Hours: 9am - 5pm Monday to Thursday, 9am - 4pm Friday
Replies: 86.4% within 2 days (April to June 2026)
Hours: 7 days/week
Replies: 91.4% within 2 days (April to June 2026)
Hours: 8am - 10pm, 7 days a week
Replies: 100% within 2 days (April to June 2026)
For April to June 2026, Citizens Advice scores are close: 3.67 out of 5 for Octopus and 3.71 for E.ON Next, ranked fifth and third respectively. The call figures show a clearer difference, with an average call centre wait time of 1 minute 9 seconds for Octopus against 1 minute 57 seconds for E.ON Next.
E.ON Next answered 91.4% of emails within two days, compared with Octopus’s 86.4%. It also answered 100% of WhatsApp messages within two days. Both suppliers’ routine phone lines are open Monday to Thursday, 9am–5pm, and Friday, 9am–4pm. For help beyond those phone hours, Octopus lists email availability seven days a week, while E.ON Next lists social-media help from 8am–10pm daily.
For the same quarter, 94.82% of E.ON Next’s smart meters were working, compared with 91% for Octopus. Actual readings were used for 98.51% of E.ON Next’s smart-meter bills and 96.33% of Octopus’s. The shares of traditional-meter bills based on actual readings were closer, at 93.58% and 93.99% respectively. These measures favour E.ON Next for smart-meter performance, while Octopus has shorter phone waits.
| Billing and metering | Octopus Energy — April to June 2026 | E.ON Next — April to June 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Smart meters working correctly | 91% | 94.82% |
| Bills based on readings — smart meters | 96.33% | 98.51% |
| Bills based on readings — traditional meters | 93.99% | 93.58% |
Complaints and how quickly they are resolved
In Q2 2026, Octopus Energy reported 476 complaints per 100,000 customer accounts, compared with 760 for E.ON Next in the same quarter. Octopus therefore had the lower supplier-reported complaint rate. These figures count complaint events, not the number or share of individual customers affected.
E.ON Next reported faster complaint resolution in Q2 2026: it resolved 49.61% of complaints on the same or next working day and 89.69% within eight weeks. Octopus Energy resolved 43% and 80% within those timescales in Q2 2026. This gives a mixed picture for anyone choosing between them: Octopus recorded fewer complaints relative to its account base, while E.ON Next closed a larger share within both timescales. Resolution figures do not show whether customers were happy with the outcome.
For April to June 2026, Citizens Advice recorded 21.4 complaints to advice bodies and the Energy Ombudsman per 10,000 customers for Octopus Energy, compared with 27.1 for E.ON Next. Octopus had the lower rate on this separate measure too. These are not complaints received directly by the suppliers, and the rates use a different customer base from the supplier-reported figures.
The complaint themes below have no supplied reporting period, so they cannot be treated as a Q2 2026 breakdown or compared on a confirmed shared period. E.ON Next's data gives shares but no further detail or supplier responses; Octopus gives actions but no shares. This limits comparison of how common each problem is and how the suppliers have responded.
What their green electricity claims mean
Octopus Energy
Octopus buys renewable electricity from sources including wind, solar and hydro. Its annual electricity supply mix for 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025 was 86.4% renewable and 13.6% nuclear. Nuclear is not renewable, although it does not burn fossil fuels to generate electricity. These figures describe electricity supplied over that year, not the live mix reaching a home.[1]
Its purchasing includes contracts with more than 700 UK renewable generators. These Power Purchase Agreements, or PPAs, are agreements to buy power from generators. Octopus also describes buying power through more than 250 community energy agreements, where local people own and run generation and profits go back into local charity or environmental work.
Named tariff promises give another part of the picture. Agile Octopus and Octopus Flux match each megawatt-hour used with a Renewable Energy Guarantee of Origin, or REGO, from British renewable generation. These certificates record the renewable origin of an equivalent amount of electricity. Homes still draw from the shared grid, so this matching does not mean renewable generation covers their use at every moment.
There is also a local link through the Octopus Fan Club: eligible communities near participating turbines can get electricity discounts when the turbines are working hardest. Separately, Octopus Energy Generation reported 5.7 GW of capacity across its managed portfolio in May 2026, with £8.5 billion of assets under management. That is a group investment portfolio, rather than a promise that those projects supply every Octopus household tariff.
E.ON Next
E.ON Next's annual electricity disclosure covers electricity supplied under its licences to residential and business customers. For 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2026, natural gas made up 53.2% of supply, while renewables accounted for 27.3%. Coal, nuclear and other sources made up the rest. This is the combined supply mix, not the renewable backing promised on an individual household tariff.
Next Pumped has a specific renewable electricity promise. E.ON Next says its backing comes from E.ON renewable assets, agreements with independent UK generators and renewable electricity certificates. That combines generation purchases and certificate backing rather than a claim that all the electricity is produced by the household supplier itself.
For a household using electric heating, that distinction matters: Next Pumped's renewable backing applies to the named electricity tariff, while the annual disclosure covers a larger mix of customers and products. Its heating offer accepts heat pumps or electric boilers, including planned installations, and uses different prices across the day. The equipment and timing of use affect the practical choice as well as the renewable promise.
The disclosures cover different years. They show each supplier's stated annual supply mix, but do not give a same-period comparison.
Our verdict
| If you care most about | Choose |
|---|---|
| The lowest annual cost shown | E.ON Next |
| A well-rated mobile app | E.ON Next |
Octopus Energy leads on customer feedback and phone waits, while E.ON Next has lower quoted prices and stronger smart-meter measures.
Octopus Energy may suit households that place most weight on customer feedback and shorter phone waits. Reviewers often value helpful staff and clear answers, and Octopus has higher Trustpilot and Which? scores alongside shorter measured call waits. The main trade-offs here are weaker smart-meter measures than E.ON Next and higher quoted prices.
E.ON Next may suit you better if email support and smart-meter performance matter more. Reviewers praise friendly staff and punctual engineers, although unexpected bills and Direct Debit increases recur in criticism. Its lower-priced tracker comes with a contract and exit fee, so price is only part of the choice. Neither supplier has a firm overall lead: Citizens Advice scores are close, iPhone ratings are tied and contact results are split. Octopus has stronger customer feedback, while E.ON Next has stronger smart-meter measures and lower quoted costs.
- Higher Trustpilot rating and Which? total score.
- Shorter average call centre wait time.
- Flexible Octopus has no exit fee.
- The lowest annual estimates shown are higher for both changing-rate and fixed deals.
- Lower working-smart-meter share than E.ON Next.
- Lower annual estimates for the lowest-priced overall and fixed deals shown.
- Higher shares of working smart meters and smart-meter bills based on actual readings.
- Higher share of emails answered within two days and a slightly higher Android rating.
- Lower Trustpilot rating and Which? customer-service rating.
- Longer average call centre wait time.
- Next Pledge Tracker 12m v12 has a **12-month contract** and **£50 total exit fee**.
Frequently asked questions
Does E.ON Next’s tracker have an exit fee?
Yes. Next Pledge Tracker 12m v12 has a 12-month contract and a £50 total dual-fuel exit fee. Its rates can change during the contract, so the term does not mean the energy prices are fixed.
Which quoted deals have no exit fee?
Flexible Octopus and E.ON Next’s Next Flex both have a £0 exit fee. Their annual estimates are £1,664 and £1,672 respectively. Both have changing rates rather than fixed prices.
Can I get a shorter Octopus fixed deal?
Octopus 12M Fixed October 2026 v6 lasts 12 months, costs an estimated £1,886 a year and has a £100 total exit fee. Compared with the 18-month fixed deal shown, it costs £55 more a year but has a £50 lower exit fee.
When can I phone either supplier?
Both suppliers list routine phone hours of Monday to Thursday, 9am–5pm, and Friday, 9am–4pm. These are phone hours, not the hours for every support channel. Octopus lists email availability seven days a week, while E.ON Next lists social-media help from 8am–10pm daily.
Which supplier answers calls and emails faster?
For April to June 2026, Octopus had the shorter average call centre wait time: 1 minute 9 seconds, against E.ON Next’s 1 minute 57 seconds. E.ON Next answered a higher share of emails within two days, at 91.4% against 86.4%. These figures measure responses, not how quickly a problem is resolved.
Which supplier has the better-rated phone app?
The iPhone ratings are tied at 4.8 out of 5. On Android, E.ON Next is slightly ahead at 4.4, compared with Octopus’s 4.3. One E.ON Next iPhone user reported unwanted logouts, while another found the energy-use graphs limited.
Which supplier has more working smart meters?
For April to June 2026, 94.82% of E.ON Next’s smart meters were working, compared with 91% for Octopus. E.ON Next also had a higher share of smart-meter bills based on actual readings: 98.51% against 96.33%.
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 E.ON Next's play store days since last update rose from 4 to 16. There were 41 other data changes this month — see the full changelog below for details.
Data changes this month (52)
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
E.ON Next
- Trustpilot reviews225,716 → 235,587
- iOS app ratingnow available (4.8)
- iOS app ratings countnow available (50,000)
- iOS app days since last updatenow available (25)
- iOS app updates in last 90 days0 → 3
- iOS sampled reviews avg starsnow available (1.67)
- iOS sampled negative reviews0 → 3
- Play Store rating4.340909 → 4.3798914
- Play Store ratings count16,278 → 16,579
- Play Store days since last update4 → 16
- Play Store positive ratings %83.1 → 84.1
- Play Store negative ratings %13.8 → 12.9
- Play Store neutral ratings %3.2 → 2.9
- Play Store net-positive %69.3 → 71.2
- Complaints per 10,000 customers29.8 → 27.1
- Avg call centre wait time123 → 117
- Emails responded within 2 days %90.7 → 91.4
- Cheapest variable tariff£1,560.38 → £1,622.13
- Cheapest fixed tariff£1,509.55 → £1,790.52
- Cheapest tariff£1,509.55 → £1,622.13
- Cheapest tariff exit fee£200 → £50
- Cheapest tariff term24 months → 12 months
- Cheapest fixed tariff exit fee£200 → £100
- Cheapest fixed tariff term24 months → 12 months
- Tariffs with comparison prices6 → 4
- Fixed tariffs with comparison prices4 → 2
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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.