Octopus Energy OVO Energy (October 2026)
Contents
- 1.Comparison at a glance
- 2.About Octopus Energy and OVO Energy
- 3.Tariffs and pricing
- 4.Octopus Energy and OVO Energy: tariff options
- 5.Customer reviews
- 6.Apps and account tools
- 7.Service and support
- 8.Complaints and how quickly they are resolved
- 9.How Octopus Energy and OVO Energy source electricity
- 10.Our verdict
- 11.FAQs
Comparison at a glance
Octopus Energy leads on customer feedback and app ratings, while OVO Energy has faster measured phone and email responses.
Octopus Energy has the stronger overall case if customer feedback and app ratings matter most. Its Which? total score is 74%, against 61% for OVO Energy, and it is better rated on both app platforms. Flexible Octopus also has the lower annual estimate shown, although it is only £8 a year below OVO’s Simpler Energy. OVO may suit households who prioritise quicker phone or email responses: it leads on both measured channels, while the Citizens Advice overall scores are nearly tied.
About Octopus Energy and OVO Energy
Who are Octopus Energy?
Octopus Energy is the household supply brand within Octopus Energy Group, whose work also covers energy technology and renewable investment. The group describes its approach as combining customer service with technology that helps change when homes use electricity. Its group background also identifies backing from pension funds, investors and energy companies.
The household supplier and the group's generation business have different roles. Octopus Energy sells energy to customers, while Octopus Energy Generation backs, builds and manages renewable projects. That wider activity helps explain the group's focus, but it is separate from the terms of a household energy account.
Products & services
Awards & recognition
Who are OVO Energy?
OVO Energy's household business includes customers formerly served by SSE Energy Services. Which? describes OVO as having taken over from SSE Energy Services as a domestic supplier. The company named in its current customer terms is OVO Energy Limited.
OVO's household approach combines home energy plans with account tools and optional services. Its account app lets customers keep track of their balance, see bills, send meter readings and follow energy use. The practical choice is between the underlying energy plan and any extra services, each with its own conditions.
Products & services
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Tariffs and pricing
Octopus Energy Flexible Octopus is a variable tariff with the lowest annual estimate shown: £1,664, compared with £1,672 for OVO’s Simpler Energy. The difference is £8 a year, or about £1 a month. Both have a £0 total exit fee, although their rates can change. These prices use monthly Direct Debit.
Octopus 18M Fixed October 2026 v5 costs £1,831 a year for 18 months, with a £150 total exit fee. For a shorter commitment, Octopus 12M Fixed October 2026 v6 runs for 12 months at £1,886 a year, with a lower £100 total exit fee. Choosing the shorter deal costs £55 more a year, but reduces both the contract term and the fee for leaving early.
OVO Energy Simpler Energy is OVO’s lowest-priced deal shown and has variable rates. OVO’s lowest fixed estimate is for 1 Year Fixed + Complete Cover 22 October 2026: £1,969 a year for 12 months, with a £100 total exit fee. It costs £138 a year, or about £11 a month, more than Octopus’s lowest fixed estimate, but the commitment is six months shorter and the exit fee is £50 lower.
OVO’s 1 Year Fixed 22 October 2026 is also a 12-month deal with a £100 total exit fee, at £1,972 a year. Fixed rates give more certainty than variable rates, but both suppliers’ lowest fixed estimates exceed their variable estimates shown here.
Octopus Energy and OVO Energy: tariff options
Octopus Energy tariffs
Flexible Octopus has variable rates, while the named fixed deals keep rates steady for 12 months or 18 months. The shorter fix ends sooner; the longer fix extends rate certainty but also the commitment. Early-leaving conditions belong to the exact edition, rather than every Octopus fixed tariff.
Agile Octopus changes electricity prices every half hour, so it suits homes able to move use between periods. Octopus Tracker changes rates daily for gas, electricity or both, with its formula and standing charge set for 12 months. Both expose customers to wholesale price rises; Tracker's protection can still allow prices above Ofgem's cap.[1]
For EV drivers, Octopus Go offers a set overnight window without needing a supported vehicle connection, while Intelligent Octopus Go manages charging through a supported car or charger. Cosy Octopus targets electric heating, and Flux combines solar-and-battery import and export. Export-only choices pay for measured electricity sent to the grid without replacing the home's import tariff.[2][3][4]
Eligibility
Your electricity must be supplied by Octopus; A connected SMETS2 or Secure SMETS1 meter must send half-hourly readings.
Eligibility
Join with Octopus supply and a working SMETS2 or Secure SMETS1 meter sending half-hourly readings. Economy 7 electricity meters need a single-register setting. Missing data can mean estimated daily use that may not be rebilled when readings arrive later; Leaving during the fixed period means waiting nine months to return. That wait does not apply if you leave at the end of the 12-month period without renewing.
Eligibility
Have an operational air-source or ground-source heat pump, electric boiler or electric radiators at your Octopus-supplied home. Other systems need approval; Use a connected SMETS2 or Secure SMETS1 smart meter sending half-hourly readings.
Eligibility
Have operational solar PV and a home battery, with both import and export accounts already with Octopus. The equipment need not have been installed by Octopus; Have an export MPAN and a connected SMETS2 or Secure SMETS1 smart meter covering import and export with half-hourly readings; Give Octopus your solar installation's MCS certificate and G98/G99 certification from the distributor; Permanently stop FiT deemed-export payments, including telling another FiT supplier when needed. FiT generation payments can continue without moving the generation contract; Set the battery's charging and discharge schedule yourself.
Eligibility
Have an Octopus account with a compatible import tariff, an export MPAN and a supported smart meter sending half-hourly export readings; Solar ownership or generation is not essential; battery export can qualify. Generation installations normally use MCS certification, though a non-MCS route is offered. DNO notification and the DNO's response are needed; Stop FiT export payments while keeping any generation payments. Separately, you cannot join if FiT payments began within the previous 12 months.
OVO Energy tariffs and charging add-ons
Simpler Energy is OVO's variable-rate choice, while the named fixed editions run for 12 months. A fix keeps energy rates steady rather than fixing how much energy the household uses. The Complete Cover edition has a cover element alongside the energy contract; its name alone does not mean every repair is covered or that cover is free. Cover eligibility, exclusions and renewal terms matter.
Charge Anytime is an add-on, not a replacement home tariff. Pay As You Go and separately charged monthly plans work alongside eligible OVO electricity plans. Monthly plans include a home-charging allowance and public-charging benefits. Electricity is initially billed at the home rate, then eligible smart charging earns an account credit. Urgent charging stays at the home rate, so it works differently from a whole-home overnight tariff.[5]
Eligibility
A compatible EV or charger , a smart mete r , and an OVO account. if you have solar PV installed at your home, you must have a Solar Compatible Charger. have a Compatible EV or Charger with a working internet connection. have a compatible electricity smart meter that communicates half-hourly data to OVO – currently the main types of smart meters that work with Charge Anytime are SMETS2 meters by any manufacturer, and SMETS1 meters manufactured by Secure.
Customer reviews
Octopus Energy scores 4.8 out of 5 on Trustpilot from 880,701 reviews, compared with 4.7 from 304,542 for OVO Energy, so both ratings draw on a very high volume of feedback. Five-star reviews make up 90% of Octopus’s total and 78% of OVO’s, while one-star reviews account for 3% and 9% respectively.
Octopus customers often praise polite, helpful staff who explain bills, tariffs and account queries clearly, alongside quick responses and access to a real person. Less happy customers describe slow replies to complex requests, including prolonged delays with technical installations or account changes.
OVO customers praise friendly staff and patient help with account queries. They also value workers who arrive promptly, leave the area tidy and explain technical work. Criticism centres on telephone waits, promised calls that do not arrive and difficulty getting billing questions or account updates settled. OVO replies to 99% of negative Trustpilot reviews, typically within 24 hours, compared with 97% for Octopus, typically within a week.
The Which? total scores are 74% for Octopus and 61% for OVO. In the customer survey, Octopus receives 4 out of 5 for service, ease of contact and statement clarity, against OVO’s 2 out of 5. The separate Which? supplier assessment gives Octopus 10 out of 10 for help for those who need it, compared with 9 out of 10 for OVO.
Apps and account tools
Both Android apps have at least one million installs, but Octopus is better rated on both platforms. On Google Play, it scores 4.3 out of 5 from 47,449 ratings, compared with 2.9 from 11,054 for OVO. The iOS gap is smaller: Octopus scores 4.8 from 263,000 ratings and OVO 4.6 from 18,000. OVO’s user feedback is therefore much more positive on iOS than Android.
OVO’s official app description lists tools for checking balances, finding bills, sending meter readings and tracking energy use, helping customers follow their account between bills. Customers can also join Power Move through the app and earn points for using electricity at greener times, subject to the scheme’s conditions.
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: 47 sec (April to June 2026)
Replies: 86.4% within 2 days (April to June 2026)
Hours: 7 days/week
Replies: 98.7% within 2 days (April to June 2026)
Average response: 1.1 min (April to June 2026)
Hours: Available
Citizens Advice scores for April to June 2026 are nearly tied: 3.67 out of 5 for Octopus and 3.65 for OVO, ranked fifth and sixth. OVO was faster on both measured contact channels, with an average call centre wait of 47 seconds, compared with 1 minute 9 seconds for Octopus. It also answered 98.7% of emails within two days, against 86.4% for Octopus.
OVO’s average webchat response time was 1 minute 7 seconds. Octopus’s routine phone hours are Monday to Thursday, 9am–5pm, and Friday, 9am–4pm; its email team is available seven days a week. These contact measures describe access and response speed, rather than how well a query is resolved.
For the same quarter, 95.08% of OVO’s smart meters were working, compared with 91% of Octopus’s. OVO also had the higher share of smart-meter bills based on actual readings, at 98.44% against 96.33%. For traditional-meter bills, Octopus had the higher actual-reading share, at 93.99% against 90.24%, so the billing comparison depends on the meter type.
| Billing and metering | Octopus Energy — April to June 2026 | OVO Energy — April to June 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Smart meters working correctly | 91% | 95.08% |
| Bills based on readings — smart meters | 96.33% | 98.44% |
| Bills based on readings — traditional meters | 93.99% | 90.24% |
Complaints and how quickly they are resolved
In Q2 2026, Octopus Energy reported 476 complaints per 100,000 customer accounts, compared with 1,775 for OVO Energy. Octopus had the lower complaint rate for this quarter. These figures count complaints, not the number or percentage of individual customers affected.
OVO resolved a higher share of complaints within both reported timescales in Q2 2026: 63.5% by the same or next working day and 90.7% within eight weeks. Octopus resolved 43% and 80% respectively. This means Octopus received fewer complaints relative to its account base, while OVO closed a greater share within these time limits. Resolution figures do not show whether customers were satisfied with the outcome.
The separate Citizens Advice measure counts complaints to advice bodies and the Energy Ombudsman, rather than complaints received directly by suppliers. For April to June 2026, Octopus recorded 21.4 complaints per 10,000 customers, compared with 37.5 for OVO. Octopus also had the lower rate on this measure, but its different scope and denominator mean it should not be treated as the same measure as supplier-reported complaints.
Neither supplier’s supplied complaint themes have a reporting period or percentage shares, so they cannot be tied to Q2 2026 or used to compare how common each problem was. Octopus describes actions it has taken and work still under way; no supplier responses were supplied for OVO.
How Octopus Energy and OVO Energy source electricity
Octopus Energy: renewable buying, nuclear power and local generation
Octopus's electricity supply disclosure for 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025 combines renewables with nuclear power. Nuclear is not renewable, although it produces electricity without burning fossil fuels. This annual supplier-wide account is different from a promise attached to a named household tariff.
Octopus says it buys electricity from sources such as wind, solar and hydro. It also buys renewable electricity from more than 700 UK generators through power purchase agreements, usually shortened to PPAs. These are contracts to buy a generator's electricity; the generators include some independent businesses and some within a portfolio Octopus operates.
Community energy is part of that buying approach. Octopus describes purchase agreements with community-owned projects where profits go back into local charity or environmental work. It also describes owned and adopted wind turbines in Yorkshire, South Wales and Lincolnshire. Its Fan Club arrangement gives qualifying nearby communities electricity discounts linked to turbine output.
There is a separate, tariff-specific meaning behind the green labels on Agile Octopus and Octopus Flux. Their pages say electricity use is matched with Renewable Energy Guarantee of Origin certificates from British renewable generation. These certificates record renewable output; matching does not make the electricity reaching a home renewable at every hour.
The wider group's generation activity is separate again. In May 2026, Octopus Energy Generation reported £8.5 billion of assets under management and 5.7 GW of portfolio capacity. Those are figures for the generation manager's portfolio, not a claim that the household supplier owns every project or that those assets back every tariff.
OVO Energy: overall supply and Greener Electricity
OVO's electricity supply disclosure for 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2026 includes gas, coal, renewables, nuclear and other sources. Gas and coal make up most of that annual supply mix. It describes electricity supplied to customers, not power generated by OVO, and it is not a live picture of the national grid.
OVO says it stopped using REGO certificates as standard in 2023. For its Greener Electricity customers, it instead describes buying electricity through agreements with UK renewable generators. Its household plan terms explain that renewable electricity equal to the customer's use is added to the grid under those agreements. This is a specific matching promise for Greener Electricity, not the fuel mix of every OVO account.
The home still receives the shared grid's mix of electricity. OVO also says it invests in new independent renewable power, while Power Move rewards eligible customers with points for using electricity at greener times. Moving use and buying renewable output are different actions: neither changes the annual disclosure into a wholly renewable supplier-wide mix.
The disclosures cover different years: Octopus Energy's is for 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025, while OVO Energy's is for 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2026. 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 |
Octopus Energy leads on customer feedback and app ratings, while OVO Energy has faster measured phone and email responses.
Octopus Energy is our overall pick for its stronger customer feedback across Trustpilot and the Which? survey, alongside better-rated apps on both platforms. Customers often praise helpful staff and clear answers to account questions. Its lower annual price estimates are a further consideration, although the £8 annual variable-tariff gap is too small to drive the choice on its own.
OVO may suit you better if quicker measured phone and email responses matter more than the broader customer-rating gap. It also has a higher share of working smart meters, while the near-tied Citizens Advice scores offer little reason to favour either supplier overall on that measure. The choice is between Octopus’s stronger customer feedback and app ratings, and OVO’s faster measured responses for households concerned about slow replies.
- Higher Trustpilot rating and Which? total score
- Better-rated apps on both iOS and Android
- Lower variable and fixed annual estimates shown
- Slower measured phone and email responses than OVO
- Some customers report delays with complex account or installation queries
- The lowest-priced fixed deal carries an 18-month term and £150 total exit fee
- Shorter measured call waits and a higher share of emails answered within two days
- Higher share of working smart meters
- Customers praise friendly staff and patient help with account queries
- Lower Which? customer-service rating and total score
- Lower Android app rating
- Some customers report missed callbacks and unresolved billing questions
Frequently asked questions
Will I pay an exit fee to leave Flexible Octopus or Simpler Energy?
Both named variable deals have a £0 total exit fee. Their energy rates can change, unlike the fixed deals priced here.
Can I choose a shorter Octopus fixed deal?
Yes. Octopus 12M Fixed October 2026 v6 runs for 12 months at £1,886 a year, with a £100 total exit fee. That is £55 more a year than the 18-month deal shown, but its term is six months shorter and its exit fee is £50 lower.
Which supplier answers calls and emails faster?
For April to June 2026, OVO’s average call centre wait time was 47 seconds, against 1 minute 9 seconds for Octopus. OVO answered 98.7% of emails within two days, compared with 86.4% for Octopus.
When can I phone Octopus about my account?
Octopus’s routine phone hours are Monday to Thursday, 9am–5pm, and Friday, 9am–4pm. Its email team is available seven days a week, according to its official contact page: https://octopus.energy/contact-us/.
Can I send meter readings and check bills in the OVO app?
Yes. OVO’s official app description says customers can send meter readings, find bills, check their balance and track energy use. Source: https://www.ovoenergy.com/.
Is OVO’s app rated differently on iPhone and Android?
Yes. OVO scores 4.6 out of 5 on the App Store from 18,000 ratings, compared with 2.9 on Google Play from 11,054 ratings. Octopus is better rated on both platforms, with scores of 4.8 and 4.3 respectively.
Which supplier has more bills based on actual meter readings?
For April to June 2026, OVO had the higher share for smart-meter bills: 98.44%, against 96.33% for Octopus. Octopus had the higher share for traditional-meter bills: 93.99%, against 90.24% for OVO.
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 Octopus Energy's iOS sampled positive reviews fell from 1 to 0. There were 36 other data changes this month — see the full changelog below for details.
Data changes this month (49)
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
OVO Energy
- Trustpilot reviews299,269 → 304,542
- iOS app days since last update25 → 29
- iOS sampled reviews avg stars3.67 → no longer available
- iOS sampled positive reviews2 → 0
- iOS sampled negative reviews1 → 0
- Play Store rating2.8167422 → 2.9077778
- Play Store ratings count10,825 → 11,054
- Play Store days since last update26 → 29
- Play Store positive ratings %43.2 → 46
- Play Store negative ratings %52.4 → 50.1
- Play Store neutral ratings %4.4 → 3.9
- Play Store net-positive %-9.2 → -4.1
- Citizens Advice rank8 → 6
- Citizens Advice score3.3 → 3.65
- Complaints per 10,000 customers39.5 → 37.5
- Avg call centre wait time93 → 47
- Avg social media response time413 → no longer available
- Emails responded within 2 days %98.5 → 98.7
- Cheapest variable tariff£1,610.88 → £1,672.27
- Cheapest fixed tariff£1,742.03 → £1,968.62
- Cheapest tariff£1,610.88 → £1,672.27
- Tariffs with comparison prices4 → 3
- Fixed tariffs with comparison prices3 → 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.