Octopus Energy Scottish Power (October 2026)
Contents
The main differences
Octopus Energy leads on customer and service ratings, while Scottish Power has higher Android ratings, faster email replies and a slightly lower tracker estimate.
Octopus Energy may suit you if customer feedback and service ratings matter most: it leads on Trustpilot, Which? and Citizens Advice. Scottish Power has higher Android user ratings and faster email responses. Its lowest annual estimate shown is £7 cheaper, although that tracker carries a £100 total exit fee, against £0 for Flexible Octopus. Neither supplier wins overall: the choice is between Octopus’s stronger service evidence and Scottish Power’s specific price, Android-rating and email-response advantages.
About Octopus Energy and Scottish Power
Who are Octopus Energy?
Octopus Energy's approach centres on building its own technology to run its energy business. Its household services link energy supply with changes to heating, transport and home electricity use, while its smart tariffs give customers different ways to manage when they use power.
Its customer recognition includes being named a Which? Recommended Provider in 2026, its ninth consecutive year. This is recognition of the supplier, rather than a promise that a particular tariff will be the best fit for every home.
Products & services
Awards & recognition
Who are Scottish Power?
Scottish Power's household choices include variable contracts and fixed-rate contracts. The named fixed editions in this comparison run for 13 months, while Standard and Cap Tracker Dec 2027 v1 are variable products. Those distinctions concern the energy contract; they do not by themselves establish a renewable electricity promise or an included household service.
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Tariffs and pricing
Octopus Energy. Flexible Octopus has the supplier’s lowest annual estimate shown at £1,664, with £0 exit fees. It is a variable tariff, so its rates can change. By contrast, Octopus 18M Fixed October 2026 v5 costs £1,831 a year, fixes rates for 18 months and has a £150 total exit fee.
For a shorter commitment, Octopus 12M Fixed October 2026 v6 costs £1,886 a year, with a 12-month term and a £100 total exit fee. Compared with the 18-month edition, you pay £55 more a year but have a shorter term and an exit fee that is £50 lower.
Scottish Power. Cap Tracker Dec 2027 v1 has variable rates and an estimate of £1,657 a year, with a £100 total exit fee. It is £7 cheaper a year than Flexible Octopus, or about £1 a month. Scottish Power also offers Standard at £1,672 a year with £0 exit fees, so choosing a variable tariff does not necessarily mean accepting the tracker’s exit charge.
Exclusive Help Beat Cancer Fixed Nov 2027 SM2 costs £2,082 a year, fixes rates for 13 months and has £0 exit fees. Octopus’s lowest fixed estimate is £251 lower a year, or about £21 a month, but comes with a longer term and an exit fee. All these estimates use monthly Direct Debit.
| Metric | Octopus Energy | Scottish Power |
|---|---|---|
| Lowest fixed estimate total exit fee | £150 | £0 |
Octopus Energy and Scottish Power tariff options
Octopus Energy tariffs
Flexible Octopus has variable rates. For fixed rates, Octopus 12M Fixed October 2026 v6 runs for 12 months, while Octopus 18M Fixed October 2026 v5 runs for 18 months. The shorter edition means less time committed to the agreed rates; the longer edition keeps them fixed for longer. Their early-exit conditions differ, so the longer commitment is not unavoidable across the fixed range.
Octopus Tracker changes prices daily for gas, electricity or both, while Agile Octopus changes electricity prices every half-hour. Both expose the household to wholesale price rises as well as falls. Tracker's fixed calculation period does not fix its daily energy price. Agile also fixes its formula and standing charge for a tariff term, but the term length is not stated here.[1]
For EV charging, Octopus Go uses a set overnight window without needing a supported vehicle connection, while Intelligent Octopus Go schedules charging through a supported vehicle or charger. Electric heating and solar storage need different equipment: Cosy accepts several electric heating systems, Snug controls suitable storage-heater circuits, and Flux combines import and export with a battery schedule managed by the household.[2][3]
Octopus Shape Shifters is aimed at households that can move some electricity use away from its peak hours. Its practical appeal is lower-priced electricity outside those periods, rather than automatic equipment control.[4]
Charge Pack is a battery-control feature, not a replacement household tariff. It needs an approved operational battery, compatible import and export tariffs, the Octopus app and a smart meter with half-hourly import and export readings. Customers give Octopus ongoing control and exclusive grid-service rights for the battery, cannot receive FiT payments from another provider, and may need to supply G98/G99, solar MCS and FiT documents. Session credits depend on the scheme's rules and the battery being online and available for control.[5]
Eligibility
Have a battery electric or plug-in hybrid vehicle charged mainly at the Octopus-supplied home, with integration through a supported vehicle OR charger; Have a working smart meter and allow half-hourly readings and relevant data sharing for grid services; Register the device in the Octopus app within seven days and keep a registered device connected for Octopus control through Wi-Fi, a built-in SIM or another agreed method. Losing control access for more than 30 days can end eligibility; Give Octopus exclusive demand-response control and do not enrol the premises in another provider's demand-response scheme.
Eligibility
An Octopus customer who owns or has a long-term lease of a battery electric or plug-in hybrid vehicle charged at the supplied home. Needs a communicating SMETS2 or Secure SMETS1 smart meter and half-hourly readings. A home EV charger is not required. If exporting, the export tariff must be compatible with Go.
Eligibility
Be supplied by Octopus and have a communicating SMETS2 or Secure SMETS1 meter with half-hourly readings.
Eligibility
Have an operational air-source or ground-source heat pump, electric boiler or electric radiators; other systems need Octopus approval; Use Octopus electricity supply with a communicating SMETS2 or Secure SMETS1 meter and half-hourly readings.
Eligibility
Have operational solar panels and a home battery at the supplied property, with Octopus import and export accounts; Have an export MPAN and a communicating SMETS2 or Secure SMETS1 smart meter recording import and export half-hourly; Supply the solar installation's MCS certificate and the distributor's G98/G99 certification; Permanently stop FiT deemed-export payments, notifying another FiT supplier where needed. Generation payments remain separate and continue; Set the battery's charging and discharging schedule yourself.
Eligibility
The resident must be the Octopus account holder. Electric night storage heaters of any brand must be controlled by an auxiliary load control switch (ALCS) in a compatible SMETS2 meter with a compatible control calendar and half-hourly readings. Allow Octopus to control the heaters and anything on the same circuit, including an immersion heater. Keep control access active and do not join another provider's flexibility scheme.
Eligibility
Be an Octopus customer with a working SMETS2 or Secure SMETS1 meter and half-hourly readings when joining. Economy 7 electricity meters need a single-register setup; missing readings can lead to estimated daily usage; Leaving during the fixed calculation period means waiting nine months to return. Leaving at the end of the 12-month period without renewing does not trigger that wait.
Eligibility
Have an Octopus account, compatible import tariff, export MPAN and supported smart meter sending half-hourly export readings; Stop FiT export payments while keeping generation payments. If FiT payments began in the previous 12 months, joining must wait; Generation is not compulsory. For generation installations, supply certification and DNO notification documents; Octopus also accepts some installations without an MCS certificate.
Eligibility
Have qualifying generation in Great Britain with capacity up to 5 MW, or up to 50 kW for micro-CHP; Have a working smart meter giving half-hourly export readings and DNO approval of the export MPAN by letter or email; Supply installation and installer certification under MCS or an accepted equivalent, including FlexiOrb; Do not receive FiT export payments alongside SEG payments.
Scottish Power tariffs
Standard and Cap Tracker Dec 2027 v1 are variable-rate contracts. The word “Tracker” in Cap Tracker's name does not make it the same product as Octopus Tracker: the Scottish Power edition is classified as variable in this comparison. A contract's early-exit conditions also matter separately from whether its rates can change.
Exclusive Help Beat Cancer Fixed Nov 2027 SM2 and Help Beat Cancer Fixed Nov 2027 TM2 both have 13-month fixed terms. They are separate editions with different early-exit conditions, so the commitment attached to the TM2 edition does not apply automatically to SM2. The fixed term describes how long the agreed rates last, rather than a fixed total bill.
- [1] Octopus Energy: Octopus Tracker
- [2] Octopus Energy: Octopus Go
- [3] Octopus Energy: Intelligent Octopus Go
- [4] Octopus Energy: Octopus Shape Shifters
- [5] Octopus Energy: Charge Pack
- Octopus Energy — Agile Octopus
- Octopus Energy — Cosy Octopus
- Octopus Energy — Octopus Flux
- Octopus Energy — Snug Octopus
- Octopus Energy — Outgoing Octopus
- Octopus Energy — Smart Export Guarantee
Customer reviews
Octopus Energy has a Trustpilot rating of 4.8 out of 5 from 880,701 reviews, compared with Scottish Power’s 4.4 from 209,217 reviews. Five-star reviews make up 90% for Octopus and 61% for Scottish Power, while one-star reviews account for 3% and 19% respectively. Scottish Power’s larger one-star share makes the criticisms particularly relevant alongside its headline rating.
Octopus reviewers often praise polite staff, clear answers and prompt help with bills, tariff changes and account problems. However, some harder cases take longer: less positive feedback describes slow replies to complex requests, installation delays and account changes left unresolved.
Scottish Power customers praise staff who explain tariff choices clearly and sort out queries by phone. Online account management also receives positive comments, and price and value recur as topics. Negative feedback includes smart-meter installation problems, long phone waits, unexpected bills and conflicting account information. Scottish Power typically replies to negative Trustpilot reviews within 24 hours, compared with one week for Octopus, although a reply does not necessarily settle the issue.
The Which? total scores are 74% for Octopus and 56% for Scottish Power. For overall service, customers rated Octopus 4 out of 5 and Scottish Power 2 out of 5. Separately, the Which? supplier assessment awarded Octopus 10 out of 10 for help for those who need it, against 7 for Scottish Power.
Apps and account management
Both Android apps have at least one million installs, but Scottish Power is better rated on Google Play at 4.7 out of 5, against Octopus’s 4.3. Those scores come from 98,799 and 47,449 ratings respectively. On iPhone, neither has a rating advantage: their iOS scores are tied at 4.8, from 88,000 ratings for Scottish Power and 263,000 for Octopus.
Octopus’s payment help says customers can use their online account or app to check their balance and change payment details, including the amount and date. This lets them manage regular payments without a phone call. Scottish Power’s latest Android release notes identify a navigation fix. Both suppliers have also issued three iOS updates in the past 90 days.[1]
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: 1.3 min (April to June 2026)
Replies: 86.4% within 2 days (April to June 2026)
Hours: 7 days/week
Replies: 96.9% within 2 days (April to June 2026)
Average response: 1.2 min (April to June 2026)
Hours: Available
For April to June 2026, Citizens Advice gave Octopus 3.67 out of 5, ranking it 5th, and Scottish Power 2.76, ranking it 12th. Contact measures show a more mixed picture. Average call centre waits were close at 1 minute 9 seconds for Octopus and 1 minute 18 seconds for Scottish Power, while Scottish Power answered 96.9% of emails within two days, against 86.4% for Octopus. Octopus’s higher overall score therefore does not extend to every contact channel.
Scottish Power’s average webchat response was 1 minute 14 seconds in the same quarter. Octopus’s current routine phone hours are Monday to Thursday, 9am–5pm, and Friday, 9am–4pm. Its email team is available seven days a week, which gives another route for queries outside the phone schedule.[1]
In April to June 2026, 91% of Octopus smart meters were working, against 89.24% for Scottish Power. Scottish Power had the higher share of smart-meter bills based on actual readings, at 97.32%, compared with 96.33% for Octopus. For traditional meters, Octopus had the higher reading-based billing share: 93.99%, against 90.47% for Scottish Power.
| Billing and metering | Octopus Energy — April to June 2026 | Scottish Power — April to June 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Smart meters working correctly | 91% | 89.24% |
| Bills based on readings — smart meters | 96.33% | 97.32% |
| Bills based on readings — traditional meters | 93.99% | 90.47% |
Complaints and resolution
In Q2 2026, Octopus Energy reported 476 complaints per 100,000 customer accounts, compared with 1,397 for Scottish Power. Octopus had the lower complaint rate for this quarter. These figures count complaints, not individual customers affected.
Scottish Power resolved a larger share of complaints quickly in Q2 2026: 60% were resolved the same or next working day, compared with 43% at Octopus. Within eight weeks, Scottish Power resolved 82%, compared with 80% at Octopus. This means Octopus received fewer complaints relative to its account base, while Scottish Power closed a greater share within these timescales. Resolution figures do not show whether customers were happy with the outcome.
The separate Citizens Advice measure also shows a lower rate for Octopus in April to June 2026: 21.4 complaints per 10,000 customers, compared with 76.4 for Scottish Power. This counts complaints to advice bodies and the Energy Ombudsman, rather than complaints received directly by each supplier, so it should not be read as the same measure as the supplier-reported rate.
Neither supplier’s complaint themes have a supplied reporting period, so they cannot be tied to Q2 2026 or compared as a same-period breakdown. Scottish Power gives shares but no further details or responses. Octopus describes its actions but gives no shares or detailed problem summaries, which limits comparison of how common or serious each issue was.
What the suppliers' green energy claims mean
Octopus Energy: electricity sources and tariff promises
Octopus Energy's electricity supply mix for 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025 was 86.4% renewable and 13.6% nuclear, with no gas, coal or other fuels reported. Nuclear generation is not renewable, so this supplier-wide mix is different from a wholly renewable tariff promise. The figures describe electricity supplied over that year, not the live mix reaching a home.[1]
Octopus says it mainly buys renewable electricity from wind, solar and hydro sources. It also describes buying electricity from UK renewable generators through Power Purchase Agreements, or PPAs. These are contracts to buy a generator's output. Its purchasing includes some independent generators as well as generators within the renewable portfolio it operates.
Community energy is another part of its buying approach. Octopus describes agreements with community-owned generation projects, where local people own and run generation and profits go back into local charity or environmental work. It also describes owning wind turbines in Yorkshire and South Wales and adopting turbines in Lincolnshire and Yorkshire. These are specific generation links, rather than a promise that every customer's electricity comes from those turbines.
The named household promises on Agile Octopus and Octopus Flux use Renewable Energy Guarantees of Origin, known as REGOs. Octopus matches each megawatt-hour used on those tariffs with a certificate from British renewable generation. That matching records renewable generation against consumption; homes still draw electricity from the shared grid, and the promise does not mean renewable generation matches use in every half-hour.
The related generation business has a separate role. Octopus Energy Generation, part of Octopus Energy Group, backs, builds and manages renewable projects. Its managed investment portfolio is wider than household electricity supply. Managing those assets is different from owning every project, and the portfolio is not a named household tariff's electricity allocation.
Scottish Power: keep the promise tied to the named tariff
Whether a Scottish Power contract has fixed or variable rates is separate from how its electricity is backed. The fixed-rate names in this comparison do not, by themselves, describe renewable sources, certificate matching or electricity bought from particular generators.
Our verdict
| If you care most about | Choose |
|---|---|
| The lowest annual tariff estimate shown | Scottish Power |
| Higher Android app user ratings | Scottish Power |
| A green tariff option | Either |
Octopus Energy leads on customer and service ratings, while Scottish Power has higher Android ratings, faster email replies and a slightly lower tracker estimate.
Octopus Energy may suit households that put customer feedback and independent service ratings first. Reviewers often praise clear, helpful staff, while its higher Trustpilot, Which? and Citizens Advice results reinforce that strength. It also has a higher share of working smart meters, although some customers report delays with complex account problems and installations.
Scottish Power may suit households that place more weight on Android user ratings and email response speed. Its iPhone rating also matches Octopus’s, although customer sentiment is weaker overall, with criticism of bills, phone waits and conflicting information. Its named SM2 fixed deal avoids exit fees, but the tracker’s £7 annual price advantage is modest beside its £100 exit fee. Neither supplier wins overall: Octopus has stronger service ratings, while Scottish Power’s advantages are its Android rating and email responses.
- Higher Trustpilot rating and a much larger five-star review share.
- Higher Which? total score and Citizens Advice service score.
- Flexible Octopus has **£0 exit fees**; the lowest fixed estimate shown is **£251 lower a year**.
- Lower Android user rating than Scottish Power.
- A smaller share of emails answered within two days.
- The **18-month** fixed deal shown has a **£150 total exit fee**, although a shorter fixed alternative is also priced.
- Higher Android user rating, with the same iOS rating as Octopus.
- Higher share of emails answered within two days.
- The lowest estimate shown is **£7 lower a year**; the named **13-month** SM2 fixed deal has **£0 exit fees**.
- Lower Trustpilot, Which? and Citizens Advice scores.
- One-star reviews account for **19%** of Trustpilot feedback.
- Cap Tracker Dec 2027 v1 carries a **£100 total exit fee** despite its variable rates.
Frequently asked questions
Does Scottish Power’s tracker have an exit fee?
Yes. Cap Tracker Dec 2027 v1 has a £100 total dual-fuel exit fee, even though its rates can change. Scottish Power Standard is estimated at £1,672 a year, £15 more than the tracker, with £0 exit fees.
Is there a shorter Octopus fixed deal than the 18-month option?
Yes. Octopus 12M Fixed October 2026 v6 has a 12-month term, an estimate of £1,886 a year and a £100 total exit fee. It costs £55 more a year than the 18-month edition, but has a shorter term and a £50 lower exit fee.
Which supplier answers emails faster?
Scottish Power answered 96.9% of emails within two days in April to June 2026, against 86.4% for Octopus. These figures measure replies, not how quickly a query was fully resolved.
When can I phone Octopus about a routine query?
Octopus’s routine phone hours are Monday to Thursday, 9am–5pm, and Friday, 9am–4pm. Its email team is available seven days a week.
Can I change my Octopus payment amount in the app?
Yes. Octopus says its online account or app lets customers check their current balance and manage payment details, including the payment amount and date.
Are the app ratings different on iPhone and Android?
Both suppliers have an iOS rating of 4.8 out of 5. On Android, Scottish Power is better rated at 4.7, against 4.3 for Octopus, so the rating advantage depends on which platform you use.
Which supplier issues more bills based on actual meter readings?
It depends on the meter type. In April to June 2026, Scottish Power had the higher share for smart-meter bills: 97.32%, against 96.33% for Octopus. Octopus had the higher share for traditional-meter bills: 93.99%, against 90.47%.
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 45 other data changes this month — see the full changelog below for details.
Data changes this month (61)
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
Scottish Power
- Trustpilot reviews203,838 → 209,217
- Trustpilot 5-star %60 → 61
- Trustpilot 2-star %3 → 2
- Trustpilot negative reviews replied %92 → 93
- Trustpilot positive reviews %74 → 75
- Trustpilot negative reviews %22 → 21
- Trustpilot net-positive %52 → 54
- iOS app ratings count87,000 → 88,000
- iOS app days since last update28 → 23
- iOS sampled reviews avg starsnow available (2.33)
- iOS sampled positive reviewsnow available (1)
- iOS sampled negative reviewsnow available (2)
- iOS sampled neutral reviewsnow available (0)
- Play Store rating4.731496 → 4.722909
- Play Store ratings count96,905 → 98,799
- Play Store days since last update28 → 20
- Play Store positive ratings %94.3 → 94.1
- Play Store negative ratings %4.5 → 4.7
- Play Store neutral ratings %1.2 → 1.3
- Play Store net-positive %89.8 → 89.4
- Citizens Advice rank10 → 12
- Citizens Advice score2.94 → 2.76
- Complaints per 10,000 customers61.8 → 76.4
- Avg call centre wait time76 → 78
- Avg social media response time145 → no longer available
- Emails responded within 2 days %94.3 → 96.9
- Cheapest variable tariff£1,610.81 → £1,657.15
- Cheapest fixed tariff£1,829.85 → £2,082.15
- Cheapest tariff£1,610.81 → £1,657.15
- Cheapest tariff exit fee£0 → £100
- Cheapest fixed tariff term12 months → 13 months
- Tariffs with comparison prices3 → 4
- Variable tariffs with comparison prices1 → 2
- Shortest fixed term12 months → 13 months
- Longest fixed term12 months → 13 months
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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.