Octopus Energy Scottish Power (July 2026)
Overview
Octopus Energy leads with cheaper tariffs and stronger customer service scores, though Scottish Power offers a higher Google Play rating and no exit fees on its cheapest fixed deal.
Octopus Energy leads this comparison based on lower tariff pricing and higher independent customer service scores. Scottish Power holds a stronger rating on Google Play and answers emails faster, but Octopus Energy performs better across most other metrics, including Trustpilot and Citizens Advice.
About Octopus Energy and Scottish Power
Who are Octopus Energy?
Started in 2015, Octopus Energy has grown to become the UK's largest domestic energy supplier, expanding through its own growth and by taking on customers from suppliers like Bulb and Shell Energy Retail. Owned by Octopus Energy Group, it licenses its in-house Kraken software to other suppliers worldwide. The company focuses on smart technology to help customers shift their energy use, offering a wide range of specialist tariffs alongside a rewards scheme called Octoplus. In the 2026 Uswitch Energy Awards, it won Overall Customer Satisfaction, Customer Service, and Value for Money, and it is a Which? Recommended Provider for 2026, an accreditation it has held for nine years in a row.
Who are Scottish Power?
Formed in 1990 and owned by the Spanish energy company Iberdrola, Scottish Power is one of the UK's largest domestic energy suppliers. It supplies gas and electricity to homes across the country and operates the electricity network in parts of Scotland, Wales, and England. The supplier offers standard energy tariffs alongside home services like boiler care and solar panel installation, and it has a long-running partnership with Cancer Research UK. In the 2024 Uswitch Energy Awards, Scottish Power won the Best Overall Improvement award.
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Tariffs and pricing
Octopus Energy currently offers the cheaper overall deal in this comparison. Its lowest-priced option is the Octopus 12M Fixed July 2026 v2, a fixed tariff priced at £1,697 a year, which carries a £100 total exit fee. Scottish Power's cheapest deal is the Exclusive Help Beat Cancer Fixed Jul 2027 SM4, a 12-month fixed tariff costing £1,776 a year, which does not charge exit fees.
For households seeking a deal without a fixed contract, Octopus Energy also provides the cheaper standard variable tariff. The Flexible Octopus tariff costs £1,792 a year, whereas Scottish Power's Standard variable tariff is priced at £1,805 a year.
Octopus Energy and Scottish Power: Tariff Options
Octopus Energy
Octopus Energy offers standard variable and fixed-term options, alongside a wide range of smart and specialist tariffs. These include options for electric vehicle drivers, homes with heat pumps, and households with solar panels and battery storage.
Scottish Power
Scottish Power offers standard variable and fixed-term options, including deals that support charity. It also has specialist tariffs and add-ons for smart meter users and electric vehicle drivers.
Customer reviews
Octopus Energy holds a 4.8 Trustpilot score based on a high volume of feedback, with 90% of reviewers awarding it five stars. Scottish Power achieves a rating of 4.4, with 20% of its reviews giving one star.
Customer feedback for Octopus Energy frequently highlights quick response times and helpful staff, although a few users mention poor phone line quality. Scottish Power customers often note the patience and respect shown by staff, particularly towards vulnerable individuals, but some cite issues with pricing and account mishandling.
In the annual Which? survey, Octopus Energy achieves a higher overall score of 74, compared to 56 for Scottish Power. Octopus scores 4 out of 5 for overall customer service and 10 out of 10 for helping those who need it, while Scottish Power scores 2 out of 5 and 7 out of 10 in those respective categories. Additionally, Octopus scores 8 out of 15 for complaints, whereas Scottish Power scores 4 out of 15.
App quality and ratings
Both suppliers offer smartphone apps with over 1,000,000 downloads each on Google Play. On the App Store, Octopus Energy and Scottish Power share a rating of 4.8, though Octopus has a larger number of reviews.
On Google Play, Scottish Power holds a higher rating of 4.7, compared to Octopus Energy's 4.4. Both apps receive regular updates to fix bugs and improve performance.
Customer service and support
Octopus Energy ranks higher in the latest Citizens Advice data, placing 4th overall with a score of 3.67 out of 5. Scottish Power places 10th with a score of 2.94 out of 5. When calling customer service, wait times are similar, with both suppliers answering the phone in about 1 minute 16 seconds on average.
Scottish Power shows stronger digital support metrics, responding to 94% of emails within two days, compared to 86% for Octopus Energy. It also responds to social media queries in 2 minutes 25 seconds, a metric Octopus does not currently publish. Both suppliers have formal vulnerability commitments registered with Citizens Advice.
For general enquiries, Scottish Power's phone lines are open from 9am to 5pm on weekdays. Octopus Energy operates from 9am to 5pm Monday to Thursday, and closes at 4pm on Fridays.
Complaints and performance
Octopus Energy gets far fewer complaints than Scottish Power. In the last three months of 2025, Octopus had 495 complaints for every 100,000 customers. Scottish Power had 1,458 complaints per 100,000 customers in the same period.
Green Energy Comparison
Octopus Energy
Octopus Energy provides 100% zero-carbon electricity as standard for its domestic customers. Based on Citizens Advice data for January to March 2026, its electricity fuel mix is mostly renewable, with some nuclear. The company invests in renewable energy generation and installs low-carbon technology such as heat pumps, solar panels, and electric vehicle chargers. It also runs the Octopus Fan Club, which gives customers cheaper electricity when local wind turbines are spinning.[1]
Scottish Power
Through its parent company, Scottish Power invests heavily in renewable energy and generates 100% renewable electricity from its own UK wind farms. It also offers 100% green electricity on some of its fixed tariffs and helps customers transition to greener energy by installing solar panels and electric vehicle chargers. However, based on Citizens Advice data for January to March 2026, the electricity supply mix for its standard domestic customers is largely fossil fuels, with some renewable, nuclear, and other sources.[2]
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 | Either |
| A greener fuel mix | Octopus Energy |
Octopus Energy leads with cheaper tariffs and stronger customer service scores, though Scottish Power offers a higher Google Play rating and no exit fees on its cheapest fixed deal.
Octopus Energy scores higher across most of the sources reviewed, which may make it a suitable choice for many households. It offers cheaper fixed and variable tariffs in the data compared, alongside 100% zero-carbon electricity as standard.
Scottish Power may appeal to Android users, as it holds a higher rating on Google Play. It also offers a fixed tariff with no exit fees and responds to emails faster than Octopus. However, Octopus Energy's combination of lower prices and higher independent service scores places it ahead overall.
- Cheaper fixed and variable tariffs
- 100% zero-carbon electricity as standard
- Higher Citizens Advice and Which? scores
- Higher Trustpilot rating
- £100 total exit fee on its cheapest fixed deal
- Lower Google Play app rating than Scottish Power
- No exit fees on its cheapest fixed deal
- Higher Google Play app rating
- Faster email response times
- More expensive fixed and variable tariffs
- Lower Citizens Advice and Which? scores
- 20% of Trustpilot reviews are one-star
Frequently asked questions
Which supplier is better overall?
Octopus Energy wins overall due to its cheaper fixed tariff and higher independent customer service scores. While Scottish Power has a better Google Play app rating and answers emails slightly faster, Octopus performs better across most other areas.
Which supplier has the cheaper fixed tariff?
Octopus Energy currently offers the cheaper fixed deal in the data we compared. Its 12-month fixed tariff costs £1,697 a year, while Scottish Power's cheapest fixed option costs £1,776 a year.
What do customers say about Scottish Power?
Customers on Trustpilot often praise Scottish Power for helpful staff, particularly when dealing with vulnerable individuals. However, some reviewers complain about pricing and account mishandling, resulting in a lower overall score than Octopus Energy.
Which supplier has the better mobile app?
It depends on your device. Both suppliers score an impressive 4.8 on the App Store, but Scottish Power takes the lead on Google Play with a rating of 4.7, compared to Octopus Energy's 4.4.
Which supplier answers the phone faster?
Call wait times are effectively identical between the two suppliers. Both Octopus Energy and Scottish Power answer the phone in about 1 minute 16 seconds on average.
Should I switch to Octopus Energy or Scottish Power?
If you want the cheaper tariff in this comparison and stronger customer-service scores, Octopus Energy is the stronger option. However, Scottish Power is a solid alternative if you want an app with a higher Android rating or a fixed deal with no exit fees.
Do either of these suppliers charge exit fees?
Octopus Energy charges a £100 total exit fee on its cheapest fixed deal. In contrast, Scottish Power's cheapest fixed option currently comes with no exit fees.
How quickly do they reply to emails?
Scottish Power is faster at replying to emails, responding to 94% within two days. Octopus Energy responds to 86% of emails in the same timeframe.
How do they perform in the Which? survey?
Octopus Energy scores 74 in the annual Which? survey, achieving high marks for overall customer service. Scottish Power scores 56, with lower ratings for customer service and value for money.
What changed this month
This month, Octopus Energy's cheapest tariff term changed from a variable tariff to a 12-month fixed deal, Scottish Power's iOS app days since last update rose from 0 to 34, and Scottish Power's iOS sampled negative reviews fell from 1 to 0. There were 39 other data changes this month — see the full changelog below for details.
Data changes this month (48)
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
Scottish Power
- Trustpilot rating4.3 → 4.4
- Trustpilot reviews186,114 → 192,283
- Trustpilot negative reviews replied %89 → 90
- iOS app days since last update0 → 34
- iOS app updates in last 90 days3 → 1
- iOS sampled reviews avg stars3.33 → 6
- iOS sampled negative reviews1 → 0
- iOS sampled neutral reviews1 → 0
- Play Store rating4.715794 → 4.7245803
- Play Store ratings count93,031 → 94,149
- Play Store days since last update45 → 30
- Play Store positive ratings %93.9 → 94.1
- Play Store negative ratings %4.8 → 4.6
- Play Store net-positive %89.1 → 89.5
- Citizens Advice rank9 → 10
- Citizens Advice score3.11 → 2.94
- Complaints per 10,000 customers52.4 → 61.8
- Avg call centre wait time80 → 76
- Avg social media response time210 → 145
- Emails responded within 2 days %98.7 → 94.3
- Cheapest variable tariff£1,584.11 → £1,804.74
- Cheapest fixed tariff£1,727.8 → £1,775.84
- Cheapest tariff£1,569.09 → £1,775.84
- Cheapest tariff exit fee£100 → £0
- Cheapest fixed tariff exit fee£100 → £0
- Cheapest fixed tariff term13 months → 12 months
- Tariff count4 → 3
- Longest fixed term13 months → 12 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.