Octopus Energy OVO Energy (July 2026)
Overview
Octopus Energy wins across most categories, offering cheaper tariffs and higher ratings for its customer service and apps.
Octopus Energy leads this comparison based on the available data. It provides cheaper fixed and variable tariffs, alongside higher scores across most independent customer service and app metrics.
About Octopus Energy and OVO Energy
Who are Octopus Energy?
Octopus Energy started in 2015 and is backed by the Octopus Group and investors such as Generation Investment Management, Origin Energy, Tokyo Gas, and CPP Investments. It is the UK's largest domestic energy supplier. The company grew by attracting its own customers and by taking on households from failed suppliers, such as Bulb and Shell Energy. What sets Octopus apart is its in-house technology platform, Kraken, which runs its billing and customer service.
Who are OVO Energy?
OVO Energy started in 2009 and is part of the OVO Group, with investment from the Mitsubishi Corporation. It is one of the UK's largest domestic energy suppliers. The company grew significantly in 2020 when it bought the retail business of SSE. A key difference is its Beyond rewards programme, which gives customers perks, discounts, and free electric vehicle miles.
Use our referral link, and we'll both get £50 credit once your switch is complete.
Existing customer? Find out how you can benefit too. T&Cs apply (only one switching offer per household)
Tariffs and pricing
For households seeking price certainty, the cheapest fixed deal we found from Octopus Energy is the Octopus 12M Fixed July 2026 v2, priced at £1,697 a year. In comparison, OVO Energy's lowest-priced equivalent is the 1 Year Fixed + Boiler Cover 09 July 2026 tariff at £1,797 a year. Both options lock in rates for 12 months and include a £100 exit fee.
If you prefer a variable deal without a fixed term, Octopus Energy remains the cheaper option in this comparison. Its Flexible Octopus tariff has an estimated cost of £1,792 a year, whereas OVO Energy's Simpler Energy alternative is priced at £1,805 a year.
Tariff options
Octopus Energy tariffs
Octopus Energy offers a standard variable tariff and a mainstream fixed-term deal. It also has a wide range of smart and specialist tariffs for homes with electric vehicles, heat pumps, solar panels, and home batteries, as well as tracker options based on wholesale costs.
OVO Energy tariffs
OVO Energy offers a standard variable tariff alongside several fixed-term deals. Its range includes options to bundle energy with boiler cover or a renewable electricity upgrade, as well as specialist add-ons and export tariffs for electric vehicle owners and homes with solar panels.
Customer reviews
On Trustpilot, Octopus Energy holds a score of 4.8 out of 5 from a very high volume of reviews, while OVO Energy scores 4.7. Looking at the rating distribution, 90% of Octopus Energy's reviews are five-star, compared to 77% for OVO Energy.
Reviewers frequently mention Octopus Energy staff for their efficiency and helpfulness, pointing to quick response times and clear explanations. Conversely, some users report issues with poor phone lines and unanswered calls. OVO Energy customers often highlight polite staff and a personalised approach, though recurring complaints focus on poor communication and unresolved smart meter issues.
In the annual Which? survey, Octopus Energy achieves 74 out of 100, ahead of OVO Energy at 61 out of 100. Octopus Energy receives 4 out of 5 for overall customer service, whereas OVO Energy scores 2 out of 5. Both suppliers score 5 out of 10 for smart meters.
App quality and features
Both suppliers offer widely used mobile apps, each recording over 100,000 installs on the Google Play store. Across both major operating systems, Octopus Energy maintains higher average user ratings.
On the Apple App Store, Octopus Energy scores 4.8 out of 5, slightly ahead of OVO Energy at 4.6. A recent sample of OVO Energy iOS reviews indicates an average of 4.2 stars; users note the app is practical for checking balances, although one reported website login issues following installation.
The rating gap widens on the Google Play store, where Octopus Energy scores 4.4 out of 5 compared to OVO Energy's 3.3. Store data shows that both applications have received very recent updates.
Service and support
In the latest Citizens Advice rankings, Octopus Energy places 4th with a score of 3.67 out of 5. OVO Energy sits lower in 8th position, scoring 3.3 out of 5.
Phone support data shows an average call centre wait time of 1 minute 17 seconds for Octopus Energy, compared to 1 minute 33 seconds for OVO Energy. However, OVO Energy responds to emails faster, answering 98.5% within two days, compared with 86.1% for Octopus Energy. Additionally, OVO Energy reports an average social media response time of 6 minutes 53 seconds; Octopus Energy does not publish a comparable figure.
Both suppliers maintain formal vulnerability commitments registered with Citizens Advice. For general inquiries, Octopus Energy operates Monday to Thursday from 9am to 5pm, and Friday from 9am to 4pm. OVO Energy's lines are open from 9am to 5pm across all weekdays. Neither supplier offers weekend support hours.
Complaints and performance
Octopus Energy gets far fewer complaints than OVO Energy. In the last three months of 2025, Octopus had 495 complaints for every 100,000 customers. OVO Energy had 1,651 complaints for every 100,000 customers.
Green energy comparison
Octopus Energy
Based on Citizens Advice data from January to March 2026, Octopus Energy's electricity mix is mostly renewable, with some nuclear. The company describes its electricity as 100% zero-carbon. It generates its own renewable energy and buys power from other green generators. It also runs a scheme called Octoplus, which rewards customers for using less energy during peak times to help balance the grid.
OVO Energy
Based on Citizens Advice data from January to March 2026, OVO Energy's electricity mix is largely fossil fuels, with some renewable and nuclear energy. The company has a Plan Zero target to reach net zero by 2035. It does not offer 100% renewable electricity as standard. Instead, customers can buy a Greener Electricity upgrade for £80 a year. This backs their electricity use with UK renewable generation and includes a £40 yearly payment to help independent renewable generators. OVO also plants trees in the UK on behalf of its customers.
Our verdict
| If you care most about | Choose |
|---|---|
| The lowest annual cost on our assumptions | Octopus Energy |
| Overall customer service | Octopus Energy |
| A well-rated mobile app | Octopus Energy |
| A greener fuel mix | Octopus Energy |
Octopus Energy wins across most categories, offering cheaper tariffs and higher ratings for its customer service and apps.
Based on the data compared, Octopus Energy emerges as the stronger option. It provides lower costs for both the fixed and variable tariffs analysed, and achieves higher independent customer service scores from Citizens Advice and Which?.
While OVO Energy answers emails faster and offers a highly rated iOS app, its lower Google Play rating and higher tariff costs make it the weaker option overall based on the available evidence.
- Cheapest variable tariff at £1,792 / year
- 4.8 Trustpilot from 821,111+ reviews
- Top-4 Citizens Advice ranking
- iOS app rated 4.8 out of 5
- 86% of emails answered within 2 days
- Cheapest overall tariff carries a £100 exit fee
- 10% of Google Play ratings are negative
- Cheapest variable tariff at £1,805 / year
- 4.7 Trustpilot from 287,327+ reviews
- iOS app rated 4.6 out of 5
- 99% of emails answered within 2 days
- Cheapest overall tariff carries a £100 exit fee
- 40% of Google Play ratings are negative
Frequently asked questions
Who is the larger supplier?
Octopus Energy is the UK's largest domestic energy supplier, while OVO Energy is also one of the biggest domestic suppliers.
Does either supplier charge exit fees?
Yes. Both suppliers charge a £100 exit fee on the cheapest fixed tariffs we compared.
Which supplier has better Which? scores?
Octopus Energy scores 74 out of 100 in the annual Which? survey, compared to 61 out of 100 for OVO Energy.
Do both suppliers have highly rated Android apps?
No. Octopus Energy scores 4.4 on the Google Play store, while OVO Energy has a lower score of 3.3.
How long does it take to get through on the phone?
According to Citizens Advice, the average call centre wait time is 1 minute 17 seconds for Octopus Energy and 1 minute 33 seconds for OVO Energy.
Which supplier should I choose?
Octopus Energy performs better across the sources we reviewed, offering cheaper tariffs and stronger customer service scores.
Are there tariffs without fixed terms?
Yes. Octopus Energy offers the Flexible Octopus tariff, and OVO Energy offers the Simpler Energy tariff. Both are variable deals with no fixed term.
Do they have vulnerability commitments?
Yes. Both Octopus Energy and OVO Energy have formal vulnerability commitments registered with Citizens Advice.
What changed this month
This month, Octopus Energy's cheapest tariff term changed from a variable tariff to a 12-month fixed deal, OVO Energy's cheapest tariff term changed from a variable tariff to a 12-month fixed deal, and OVO Energy's tariff count rose from 1 to 5. There were 37 other data changes this month — see the full changelog below for details.
Data changes this month (49)
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
OVO Energy
- Trustpilot reviews282,070 → 287,327
- iOS app days since last update0 → 13
- iOS sampled reviews avg stars4 → 4.2
- iOS sampled positive reviews2 → 4
- iOS sampled negative reviews0 → 1
- iOS sampled neutral reviews1 → 0
- Play Store rating3.4702382 → 3.2850413
- Play Store ratings count10,218 → 10,351
- Play Store days since last update29 → 14
- Play Store positive ratings %60.4 → 55.4
- Play Store negative ratings %35.3 → 40.2
- Play Store neutral ratings %4.3 → 4.5
- Play Store net-positive %25.1 → 15.2
- Citizens Advice rank10 → 8
- Citizens Advice score2.76 → 3.3
- Complaints per 10,000 customers42.6 → 39.5
- Avg call centre wait time254 → 93
- Avg social media response time1267 → 413
- Emails responded within 2 days %83.6 → 98.5
- Cheapest fixed tariffnow available (£1,797.13)
- Cheapest tariff£1,804.82 → £1,797.13
- Cheapest tariff exit fee£0 → £100
- Cheapest tariff termvariable → 12 months
- Cheapest fixed tariff exit feenow available (£100)
- Cheapest fixed tariff termnow available (12 months)
- Tariff count1 → 5
- Fixed tariffs available0 → 4
- Shortest fixed termnow available (12 months)
- Longest fixed termnow available (24 months)
Related comparisons
Related reviews
Octopus Energy Review
Octopus Energy was set up in 2015 and is backed by the Octopus Group, as well as investors such as Generation Investment Management, Origin Energy, Tokyo Gas, and the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board. Through its own growth and by buying other suppliers like Bulb Energy and Shell Energy Retail,
Read review→
So Energy Review
So Energy is a UK domestic energy supplier set up in 2015. It is one of the UK's challenger suppliers. In 2021, the Irish state-owned energy company ESB bought a majority stake in the business, and the two companies merged under the So Energy brand.
Read review→
Cheapest Energy Suppliers in the UK
During summer, when heating usage typically drops, many households take the opportunity to reassess their energy bills. When comparing deals this month, your main choice is between the price certainty of a fixed tariff, the flexibility of a variable option, or a tracker tariff that moves with wholes
Read article→Related guides
Average Gas and Electricity Bill for a Three Bed House (2026)
If you live in a three-bedroom house, you might wonder if your energy bills are normal or if you are paying too much. For comparison purposes, this guide uses Ofgem's medium-consumption benchmark of 2,500 kWh of electricity and 9,500 kWh of gas a year. This usually describes a property with two or t
Read guide→
Who are the ‘Big Six’ energy suppliers?
For years, the term 'Big Six' was used to describe a specific group of energy companies that dominated the UK market. These companies emerged after the energy sector was privatised in the 1990s. Today, the phrase is mostly an outdated industry label. The original line-up no longer exists, as several
Read guide→
Octopus Energy Refer a Friend Code – 2026
Octopus Energy runs one of the most popular refer-a-friend schemes in the UK energy market. While many suppliers stopped offering sign-up bonuses during the recent energy crisis, Octopus kept its scheme open. If you use a referral link from an existing customer to switch your gas or electricity, you
Read guide→
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.