Octopus Energy E.ON Next (July 2026)
Overview
Octopus Energy is our recommended supplier for its cheaper fixed deal and better reviews, though E.ON Next offers a cheaper variable tariff.
Octopus Energy leads this comparison due to its lower-priced fixed tariff and stronger customer review scores across Trustpilot and Which?. However, E.ON Next may suit households seeking a variable tariff, as it currently offers a cheaper option in that category and holds a slightly higher overall score from Citizens Advice.
About Octopus Energy and E.ON Next
Who are Octopus Energy?
Founded in 2016, Octopus Energy is the UK's largest domestic energy supplier. It is backed by investors including Origin Energy and Tokyo Gas, and expanded through its own growth and by taking on customers from former suppliers like Bulb and Shell Energy. The company runs on its own Kraken platform to manage accounts and billing, and it installs home energy technology to give customers a single point of contact.
Who are E.ON Next?
Launched in 2020, E.ON Next is one of the UK's largest domestic energy suppliers. It took on customers from Npower and has announced a planned deal to buy OVO Energy, which would increase its scale. Like Octopus, it uses the Kraken platform for customer accounts, but a key difference is its use of dedicated Energy Specialists so customers deal with the same team. It also installs home energy technology and offers standard and specialist tariffs.
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Tariffs and pricing
The lowest-priced tariff in this comparison is the Octopus 12M Fixed July 2026 v2, a fixed deal from Octopus Energy costing £1,697 a year. This requires a 12-month contract and includes a £100 total exit fee. In comparison, E.ON Next's cheapest overall option is the Next Fixed 24m v51, a fixed tariff priced at £1,733 a year with a 24-month term and a £200 exit fee.
For households who prefer not to lock in their unit rates, E.ON Next provides a cheaper variable option. Its Next Pledge Tracker 12m v12 costs £1,747 a year, whereas the Flexible Octopus variable tariff is priced higher at £1,792 a year.
Octopus Energy and E.ON Next: Tariff Options
Octopus Energy tariffs
Octopus Energy offers a range of energy deals for households. These include standard variable and fixed-term options, as well as specialist smart tariffs for homes with electric vehicles, heat pumps, and solar panels.
E.ON Next tariffs
E.ON Next offers a variety of energy deals for domestic customers. The range covers standard variable and fixed-term tariffs, alongside specialist options designed for electric vehicle owners, homes with heat pumps, and those with solar panels.
Customer reviews
Octopus Energy holds a higher Trustpilot rating of 4.8 from a large volume of reviews, compared to E.ON Next's 4.5. Data shows 90% of Octopus reviews are five-star, while E.ON Next achieves 74% in the same category. Reviewers frequently note efficient service and quick response times from Octopus staff, although a minority report difficulties getting through on the phone or interacting with unhelpful agents.
Feedback for E.ON Next often highlights polite staff and straightforward account management. Conversely, a portion of reviews cite slow response times or unfulfilled callbacks, with 9% of the supplier's total reviews sitting at one star.
In the most recent Which? survey, Octopus Energy achieved an overall score of 74 out of 100, placing it ahead of E.ON Next at 66. Octopus received 4 out of 5 for both customer service and clarity of statements, whereas E.ON Next scored 2 out of 5 across those same metrics. E.ON Next does, however, perform better regarding smart meters, scoring 8 out of 10 compared to 5 out of 10 for Octopus.
App quality and features
Both suppliers provide highly rated mobile applications. On the App Store, Octopus Energy and E.ON Next are tied with a 4.8 rating. On Google Play, Octopus scores slightly higher at 4.4, compared to 4.3 for E.ON Next.
Both applications have recorded over a million installs and receive regular updates. A recent sample of E.ON Next iOS reviews includes reports of login resets and smart meter connectivity issues.
Service and support
E.ON Next performs slightly better in the latest Citizens Advice data, achieving a score of 3.71 out of 5 and ranking 3rd overall. Octopus Energy follows closely with a score of 3.67 out of 5, ranking 4th. E.ON Next also responds to 90.7% of emails within two days, compared to 86.1% for Octopus.
Octopus Energy, however, is faster to answer phone inquiries. Its average call centre wait time is 1 minute 17 seconds, while E.ON Next callers wait an average of 2 minutes 3 seconds. Octopus also records fewer complaints, logging 21.3 per 10,000 customers compared to 29.8 for E.ON Next.
Both suppliers maintain formal vulnerability commitments registered with Citizens Advice. They each accept Direct Debit, Cash/Cheque, and Prepayment methods, and operate their customer service lines Monday to Friday with no weekend hours.
Complaints and performance
In the last three months of 2025, Octopus Energy received 495 complaints for every 100,000 customers. E.ON Next received 795 complaints for every 100,000 customers.
Green Energy Comparison
Octopus Energy's green approach
Octopus Energy's electricity mix is a mostly renewable mix, with some nuclear. It supplies 100% zero-carbon electricity. Through its generation arm, the company manages around £6 billion in renewable energy projects. It also runs a 'Zero Bills' scheme, aiming to build 100,000 homes powered entirely by green technology with no energy bills by 2030.[1]
E.ON Next's green approach
E.ON Next's electricity mix is a mostly renewable mix, with some fossil fuels and a small amount of nuclear. It offers specific green tariffs, such as Next Gust, which gives 100% renewable electricity backed by agreements with UK wind generators. The supplier also installs solar panels, batteries, and heat pumps to help homes lower their carbon footprint, and it partners with the Woodland Trust to support ancient woodlands when customers choose a fixed tariff.[2]
Our verdict
| If you care most about | Choose |
|---|---|
| The lowest annual cost on our assumptions | Octopus Energy |
| Overall customer service | E.ON Next |
| A well-rated mobile app | Either |
| A marginally higher renewable percentage in the published fuel mix | E.ON Next |
Octopus Energy is our recommended supplier for its cheaper fixed deal and better reviews, though E.ON Next offers a cheaper variable tariff.
Octopus Energy leads this comparison due to its lower-priced fixed tariff and stronger performance across independent customer reviews. It holds a clear advantage on Trustpilot and in Which? survey results, while also answering phone calls faster than E.ON Next.
However, E.ON Next may suit households looking for a lower-priced tracker tariff, with variable rates over a 12-month term. It also edges ahead of Octopus Energy in the latest Citizens Advice overall score.
- Lower-priced fixed tariff option
- Higher Trustpilot and Which? ratings
- Faster average call centre wait times
- Higher-priced variable tariff
- Slightly lower Citizens Advice score
- Lower-priced variable tariff option
- Higher overall Citizens Advice score
- Faster email response times
- Higher-priced fixed tariff
- Lower Which? customer service score
- Longer average call centre wait times
Frequently asked questions
Which supplier is better overall?
Octopus Energy performs better across most of the data we compared, offering a cheaper fixed tariff and stronger customer reviews from Trustpilot and Which?. However, E.ON Next holds a slightly higher score from Citizens Advice and currently provides a cheaper variable tariff.
Who offers the cheapest fixed tariff?
Octopus Energy currently offers the cheaper fixed deal. Its Octopus 12M Fixed July 2026 v2 costs £1,697 a year, compared to £1,733 for the cheapest fixed tariff from E.ON Next.
Which supplier has better customer reviews?
Octopus Energy has stronger customer reviews. It holds a 4.8 rating on Trustpilot with 90% five-star reviews, and it scores 74 out of 100 in the Which? survey. E.ON Next holds a 4.5 on Trustpilot and scores 66 in the Which? survey.
Are the Octopus Energy and E.ON Next mobile apps any good?
Yes, both suppliers offer highly rated apps. They are tied with a 4.8 rating on the App Store, while Octopus Energy scores slightly higher on Google Play with a 4.4 rating compared to E.ON Next's 4.3.
Which supplier answers the phone faster?
Octopus Energy is faster on the phone. According to Citizens Advice data, its average call centre wait time is 1 minute 17 seconds, while E.ON Next callers wait an average of 2 minutes 3 seconds.
Should I choose Octopus Energy or E.ON Next?
Octopus Energy is our recommended supplier for households looking for a cheaper fixed deal and stronger customer service scores. However, E.ON Next may be a better choice if you want a lower-priced tracker tariff with variable rates over a 12-month term.
Who has the cheaper variable tariff?
E.ON Next offers the cheaper variable tariff. Its Next Pledge Tracker 12m v12 costs £1,747 a year, which is cheaper than the Flexible Octopus variable option at £1,792 a year.
Which supplier is better at replying to emails?
E.ON Next replies to emails faster. It responds to 90.7% of emails within two days, compared to 86.1% for Octopus Energy, according to Citizens Advice data.
How do they compare on smart meters?
E.ON Next scores higher for smart meters in the Which? survey, achieving 8 out of 10 compared to Octopus Energy's score of 5 out of 10.
What changed this month
This month, E.ON Next'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 E.ON Next's iOS sampled positive reviews rose from 0 to 1. There were 36 other data changes this month — see the full changelog below for details.
Data changes this month (45)
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
E.ON Next
- Trustpilot reviews205,883 → 211,533
- iOS app days since last update8 → 9
- iOS sampled reviews avg stars2.33 → 3
- iOS sampled positive reviews0 → 1
- iOS sampled negative reviews2 → 1
- iOS sampled neutral reviews1 → 0
- Play Store rating4.369063 → 4.3445005
- Play Store ratings count15,579 → 15,798
- Play Store days since last update24 → 9
- Play Store positive ratings %84.2 → 83.5
- Play Store negative ratings %13.2 → 13.7
- Play Store neutral ratings %2.6 → 2.8
- Play Store net-positive %71 → 69.8
- Citizens Advice rank5 → 3
- Complaints per 10,000 customers29.4 → 29.8
- Avg call centre wait time116 → 123
- Emails responded within 2 days %90.6 → 90.7
- Cheapest variable tariff£1,584.14 → £1,747
- Cheapest fixed tariff£1,645.75 → £1,733
- Cheapest tariff£1,584.14 → £1,733
- Cheapest tariff exit fee£0 → £200
- Cheapest tariff termvariable → 24 months
- Tariff count7 → 5
- Fixed tariffs available6 → 3
- Variable tariffs available1 → 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.