Octopus Energy Outfox Energy (July 2026)
Overview
Octopus Energy leads on app quality and reviews, but Outfox Energy offers a significantly cheaper fixed tariff and scores higher with Citizens Advice.
Octopus Energy receives higher ratings for its digital tools and independent customer reviews. Outfox Energy currently offers a cheaper fixed tariff and scores higher in Citizens Advice service metrics.
About Octopus Energy and Outfox Energy
Who are Octopus Energy?
Founded in 2015 and backed by the Octopus Group, Octopus Energy is the UK's largest domestic energy supplier. It has grown through its own growth and by taking on customers from other suppliers such as Bulb and Shell Energy. A key difference is its in-house technology platform, Kraken, which runs its billing and customer service and is used by other energy companies.
Who are Outfox Energy?
Outfox Energy is one of the UK's smaller, independent energy suppliers. Based in Leicester, it started in 2017 as Outfox the Market before changing its name in 2025. The supplier focuses on simple fixed deals and cheap prices, running a digital customer service model that asks customers to manage their accounts online or through an app.
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Tariffs and pricing
Outfox Energy provides the lowest-priced fixed deal in this comparison with its Outfox the Price Cap - Fix'd DUAL July 2026 - 15M V8 tariff. This option costs £1,543 a year on a 15-month contract, carrying a £150 exit fee. In contrast, the lowest-priced fixed option from Octopus Energy is the Octopus 12M Fixed July 2026 v2, priced at £1,697 a year over a 12-month term with a £100 exit fee.
For households seeking a variable tariff without a fixed term, Octopus Energy is the cheaper option. Its Flexible Octopus variable tariff is priced at £1,792 a year, whereas the Fox Standard Dual tariff from Outfox Energy costs £1,805 a year.
Tariff Options
Octopus Energy
The supplier offers standard variable and fixed-rate tariffs for households wanting simple energy plans. It also has a wide range of smart and specialist tariffs for electric vehicle owners, heat pump users, and homes with solar panels and batteries.
Outfox Energy
The supplier offers standard variable and fixed-term tariffs of different lengths. It also offers a specialist tariff for electric vehicle owners.
Customer reviews
Both suppliers hold a 4.8 Trustpilot rating. However, Octopus Energy has a larger total volume of reviews and a higher proportion of five-star scores, at 90% compared to 76% for Outfox Energy. Reviewers frequently highlight Octopus staff for efficiency and quick responses, though some note difficulties with phone contact or line quality.
Outfox Energy customers similarly report polite staff and straightforward query resolution. On the negative side, Outfox holds a 9% share of one-star reviews, while Octopus has 3%.
In the annual Which? survey, Octopus Energy receives an overall score of 74, placing it slightly ahead of Outfox Energy at 71. Octopus achieves 10 out of 10 for help for those who need it, whereas Outfox scores 7 out of 10. For overall customer service in the same survey, Outfox scores 2 out of 5, compared to 4 out of 5 for Octopus.
App quality and features
Octopus Energy receives higher ratings for its mobile applications. Its iOS app holds a 4.8 rating across more than 245,000 reviews and has been updated very recently. On Google Play, the app maintains a 4.4 rating with over a million installs.
The Outfox Energy app receives lower scores across both platforms. It holds a 2.0 rating on the App Store from a smaller user base. A recent sample of iOS reviews averages 1.8 stars, with users stating the app lacks functionality and operates like a scaled-back website. On Google Play, it holds a 2.3 rating and a negative net-positive score.
Service and support
Outfox Energy ranks 2nd in the latest Citizens Advice data, achieving an overall score of 4.25 out of 5. Octopus Energy ranks 4th with a score of 3.67. Both suppliers report an average call centre wait time of 1 minute 17 seconds.
Outfox responds to 100% of emails within two days, whereas Octopus responds to 86.1% in the same timeframe. Outfox also publishes an average social media response time of 49 seconds; Octopus does not provide this specific figure. Both suppliers maintain registered vulnerability commitments with Citizens Advice.
Regarding payment methods, Outfox Energy exclusively accepts Direct Debit at a brand level. Its phone lines operate during weekday hours, alongside a shorter Saturday shift. Octopus accepts Direct Debit, cash, cheques, and prepayment, but its phone lines are closed on weekends.
Complaints and performance
In the last three months of 2025, Octopus Energy received 495 complaints for every 100,000 customers. It solved 45% of these by the end of the next working day, and 79% within eight weeks. There is no complaints data available for Outfox Energy, so we cannot compare the two suppliers directly on these numbers.
Green Energy Comparison
Octopus Energy
Octopus Energy supplies 100% zero-carbon electricity. Based on Citizens Advice data for January to March 2026, its electricity mix is largely renewable, with some nuclear. The company invests directly in green energy generation, managing about £6 billion in green energy assets. In 2026, it announced a planned investment in US reforestation and carbon removal projects. It does not offer a separate green tariff in current comparison data, as its standard electricity is already zero-carbon.[1][2]
Outfox Energy
Based on Citizens Advice data for January to March 2026, Outfox Energy's electricity mix is largely fossil fuels and renewables, with some nuclear. The supplier buys Renewable Energy Guarantee of Origin (REGO) certificates to match some of the electricity its customers use, but its overall mix is not fully renewable. It does not offer a standard green tariff in current comparison data, and there is no mention of carbon offsetting or direct sustainability investments on its main website.[3]
Our verdict
| If you care most about | Choose |
|---|---|
| The lowest annual cost on our assumptions | Outfox Energy |
| Overall customer service | Outfox Energy |
| A well-rated mobile app | Octopus Energy |
| A greener fuel mix | Octopus Energy |
Octopus Energy leads on app quality and reviews, but Outfox Energy offers a significantly cheaper fixed tariff and scores higher with Citizens Advice.
Octopus Energy may suit households prioritising highly rated smartphone apps, a wide range of smart tariffs, and high Trustpilot ratings. As one of the UK's largest suppliers, it generally receives higher scores for its digital tools.
Outfox Energy may appeal to customers whose primary focus is price. It currently offers a significantly cheaper fixed deal and achieves high scores with Citizens Advice, which may suit households comfortable using a basic website rather than a dedicated mobile app.
- Highly rated smartphone apps
- 90% five-star Trustpilot reviews
- Cheaper standard variable tariff
- Fixed tariff costs more than Outfox Energy
- Lower overall Citizens Advice score
- Cheaper fixed tariff available
- Ranks 2nd in Citizens Advice data
- Responds to 100% of emails within two days
- Lower smartphone app ratings
- Smaller proportion of five-star reviews
- Phone lines closed on Sundays
Frequently asked questions
Which supplier is better overall, Octopus Energy or Outfox Energy?
Octopus Energy performs better across app ratings and independent reviews, making it a strong all-round choice. Outfox Energy is a good alternative if you want a cheaper fixed tariff.
Who has the cheaper energy tariff, Octopus or Outfox?
Outfox Energy currently offers the cheaper fixed tariff, costing £1,543 a year compared to £1,697 for Octopus Energy. Octopus has a slightly cheaper standard variable tariff.
Do customers prefer Octopus Energy or Outfox Energy?
Both suppliers hold a 4.8 Trustpilot rating, but Octopus Energy has a much higher share of five-star reviews at 90%, compared to 76% for Outfox Energy.
Which supplier has the better smartphone app?
Octopus Energy has a much better app, scoring 4.8 on the App Store. The Outfox Energy app scores just 2.0, with users complaining about limited features.
Which supplier is faster at answering the phone?
Both suppliers take an average of 1 minute 17 seconds to answer calls, according to the latest Citizens Advice data.
Should I switch to Octopus Energy or Outfox Energy?
Choose Octopus Energy if you want highly rated digital tools and a wide range of tariffs. Choose Outfox Energy if you want a cheaper fixed deal and do not mind a basic app.
Does Outfox Energy offer a variable tariff?
Yes, Outfox Energy offers a standard variable tariff called Fox Standard Dual, which changes price with the market.
How quickly does Outfox Energy reply to emails?
According to Citizens Advice, Outfox Energy responds to 100% of emails within two days. Octopus Energy responds to 86.1% in the same time frame.
Can I manage my Outfox Energy account on an app?
Yes, Outfox Energy has an app, but it receives very low ratings. Many users report that it acts like a basic website rather than a fully featured app.
How much are the exit fees for Octopus and Outfox fixed tariffs?
The cheapest Outfox Energy fixed tariff has a £150 total exit fee. The cheapest Octopus Energy fixed tariff has a £100 total exit fee.
What changed this month
This month, Octopus Energy's cheapest tariff term changed from a variable tariff to a 12-month fixed deal, Outfox Energy's iOS sampled negative reviews rose from 2 to 4, and Octopus Energy's cheapest tariff exit fee rose from £0 to £100. There were 36 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
Outfox Energy
- Trustpilot reviews53,128 → 53,918
- Trustpilot negative reviews replied %98 → 100
- iOS app days since last update192 → 137
- iOS sampled reviews avg stars2 → 1.8
- iOS sampled negative reviews2 → 4
- Play Store rating2.31 → 2.3267326
- Play Store ratings count182 → 185
- Play Store days since last update125 → 140
- Play Store positive ratings %27.8 → 28.6
- Play Store negative ratings %63.3 → 62.6
- Play Store neutral ratings %8.9 → 8.8
- Play Store net-positive %-35.5 → -34
- Citizens Advice score3.9 → 4.25
- Complaints per 10,000 customers23.4 → 16.3
- Avg call centre wait time75 → 77
- Avg social media response timenow available (49)
- Emails responded within 2 days %99.5 → 100
- Cheapest variable tariff£1,584.24 → £1,804.79
- Cheapest fixed tariff£1,522.84 → £1,542.79
- Cheapest tariff£1,443.03 → £1,542.79
- Cheapest tariff exit fee£100 → £150
- Cheapest tariff term12 months → 15 months
- Cheapest fixed tariff term12 months → 15 months
- Fixed tariffs available3 → 4
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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.