Octopus Energy Scottish Power (August 2026)
Overview
Octopus Energy wins by offering cheaper tariffs and stronger customer service scores across the board.
Octopus Energy leads this comparison by providing cheaper tariffs and higher customer service scores. Although Scottish Power holds a stronger rating for its Android app, Octopus Energy performs better across Which?, Citizens Advice, and Trustpilot metrics.
About Octopus Energy and Scottish Power
Who are Octopus Energy?
Set up in 2015, Octopus Energy has grown to become the UK's largest domestic energy supplier. It is backed by investors including Octopus Group, Generation Investment Management, Origin Energy, Tokyo Gas, and CPP Investments. The company runs its own technology platform, Kraken, to manage customer accounts and billing. A key difference is its wide range of smart tariffs and its focus on green technology.
Who is Scottish Power?
Scottish Power is one of the UK's oldest and most recognised energy brands. Owned by the Spanish utility group Iberdrola, it operates as one of the biggest domestic suppliers in the UK. The company offers standard and fixed-term deals, alongside home technology installations like solar panels and electric vehicle chargers. A key feature of its product range is its long-running partnership with Cancer Research UK, raising millions for the charity.
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Tariffs and pricing
Octopus Energy provides the cheapest overall tariff in this comparison, with its Flexible Octopus variable deal costing £1,792 a year. This option has no fixed term and zero exit fees. Scottish Power's cheapest equivalent is its Standard variable tariff at £1,805 a year, which similarly features no fixed term and a £0 exit fee.
For households looking to lock in rates, Octopus Energy offers the cheaper fixed deal. Its 12-month fixed tariff costs £1,841 a year and carries a £100 total exit fee. Scottish Power's cheapest fixed option costs £1,990 a year for a 12-month term, though it allows customers to avoid exit fees entirely if they decide to switch early.
Octopus Energy and Scottish Power: Tariff Options
Octopus Energy
Octopus Energy offers a standard variable tariff and fixed-term deals for households wanting a traditional setup. Alongside these, it provides a wide range of specialist and smart tariffs designed for electric vehicle drivers, heat pump owners, and homes with solar panels or battery storage.
Scottish Power
Scottish Power provides a standard variable tariff and fixed-term deals, including options that support charity. It also offers specialist tariffs and add-ons for electric vehicle drivers, as well as deals that bundle in extras like boiler cover.
Customer reviews
Octopus Energy leads on customer sentiment, holding a 4.8 out of 5 Trustpilot rating based on a high volume of reviews. Reviewers frequently mention helpful staff, quick responses, and a smooth user experience. Scottish Power holds a lower 4.4 out of 5 rating. While some Scottish Power customers highlight straightforward online tools, others note concerns regarding pricing, long hold times, and difficulties reaching support.
Breaking down these scores, 90% of Octopus Energy reviews are five-star, compared to 60% for Scottish Power. Conversely, Scottish Power has a higher share of one-star reviews at 19%, while Octopus Energy sits at 3%. Both suppliers actively engage on the platform, replying to over 90% of their negative reviews.
Octopus Energy also performs better in the annual Which? survey, achieving a score of 74 compared to Scottish Power's 56. For overall customer service, Octopus Energy scores 4 out of 5, while Scottish Power scores 2 out of 5. Additionally, Octopus Energy receives 10 out of 10 for helping those who need it, whereas Scottish Power scores 7 out of 10.
This gap is reflected across other Which? sub-scores. Octopus Energy scores 8 out of 15 for complaints handling and 8 out of 12 for contacting your supplier. In comparison, Scottish Power scores 4 out of 15 and 7 out of 12 respectively.
App ratings and features
Both suppliers offer well-rated apps on the App Store, with each scoring 4.8 out of 5. Octopus Energy has a larger number of iOS ratings, and its app has been updated recently to fix bugs and introduce new features. A small recent sample of iOS reviews for both suppliers shows mixed feedback that leans negative, though these sample sizes are too small to reflect overall sentiment.
On Google Play, both apps have over 100,000 installs, but Scottish Power holds the lead. It scores 4.7 out of 5, compared to 4.4 out of 5 for Octopus Energy. Scottish Power also maintains a higher net-positive rating on Android, at 89.7% against 74.5% for Octopus Energy.
Both suppliers have updated their Android apps very recently. Scottish Power's latest release notes mention improvements to its loyalty features and energy tracker, while Octopus Energy's notes focus on general performance updates.
Service and support
Octopus Energy ranks 4th overall in the Citizens Advice table with a score of 3.67 out of 5, placing it ahead of Scottish Power, which ranks 10th with a score of 2.94 out of 5. Both suppliers maintain formal vulnerability commitments registered with Citizens Advice.
Call centre wait times are almost identical between the two providers. Scottish Power averages 1 minute 16 seconds, while Octopus Energy averages 1 minute 17 seconds. Scottish Power is faster at answering emails, responding to 94.3% within two days, compared to 86.1% for Octopus Energy. Additionally, Scottish Power publishes a social media response time averaging 2 minutes 25 seconds, whereas Octopus Energy does not provide data for this metric.
Octopus Energy accepts Direct Debit, cash, cheques, and prepayment. Its phone lines are open Monday to Thursday from 9am to 5pm, and Friday from 9am to 4pm. Scottish Power accepts the same payment methods and operates its phone lines on weekdays from 9am to 5pm. Both suppliers are closed on weekends.
Complaints and performance
Both suppliers have published complaints data for the fourth quarter of 2025. Octopus Energy received 495 complaints for every 100,000 customers. Scottish Power received 1,458 complaints per 100,000 customers.
Green Energy Comparison
Octopus Energy
Octopus Energy describes the electricity it supplies to customers as 100% zero-carbon. Based on Citizens Advice data for early 2026, its electricity fuel mix is mostly renewable, with some nuclear. The company invests heavily in green energy by building its own renewable generation sites, such as wind and solar projects. It also encourages customers to shift their energy use to greener times of the day through its range of smart tariffs.
Scottish Power
Scottish Power generates 100% renewable electricity from its own UK wind farms, having sold its fossil fuel power stations. However, based on Citizens Advice data for early 2026, the electricity mix it supplies to its domestic customers is largely fossil fuels, with some renewable, nuclear, and other sources. The supplier offers specific green tariffs that use 100% green electricity. It also encourages greener living by offering energy credits to customers who buy solar panels and battery systems, and runs campaigns to help households use energy more cleanly.
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 wins by offering cheaper tariffs and stronger customer service scores across the board.
Octopus Energy leads this comparison based on the available data. It offers cheaper fixed and variable tariffs, and ranks higher for customer service across Trustpilot, Citizens Advice, and Which?.
Scottish Power holds an edge on email response times and maintains a better rating for its Android app. However, Octopus Energy's lower prices and stronger overall service scores may make it a more suitable option for households prioritising cost and customer support.
- Cheaper variable and fixed tariffs
- Higher Citizens Advice and Which? scores
- Higher Trustpilot rating
- Phone lines closed on weekends
- Lower Android app rating than Scottish Power
- Higher Android app rating
- Faster email response time
- No exit fees on its cheapest fixed deal
- More expensive fixed and variable tariffs
- Lower Citizens Advice and Which? scores
- Higher share of one-star Trustpilot reviews
Frequently asked questions
Which supplier is better overall?
Octopus Energy wins our overall comparison. It offers cheaper tariffs and scores higher for customer service across Trustpilot, Citizens Advice, and Which?.
Which supplier has the cheapest variable tariff?
Octopus Energy offers the cheaper variable tariff. Its Flexible Octopus deal costs £1,792 a year, compared to £1,805 a year for Scottish Power's Standard tariff.
Who has the better Trustpilot score?
Octopus Energy has a higher Trustpilot rating, scoring 4.8 out of 5 based on a very high volume of reviews. Scottish Power scores 4.4 out of 5.
Which supplier has the better app?
Both suppliers score 4.8 out of 5 on the App Store for iOS devices. However, Scottish Power takes the lead on Android, scoring 4.7 out of 5 on Google Play compared to Octopus Energy's 4.4.
Who answers the phone faster?
Call centre wait times are almost identical. Scottish Power averages 1 minute 16 seconds, while Octopus Energy averages 1 minute 17 seconds.
Should I choose Octopus Energy or Scottish Power?
If price and overall customer service are your main priorities, Octopus Energy is the better choice. Scottish Power may suit you if you care most about Android app ratings or want to avoid exit fees on a fixed deal.
Do these suppliers offer fixed tariffs?
Yes, both suppliers offer 12-month fixed tariffs. Octopus Energy's cheapest fixed deal costs £1,841 a year with a £100 exit fee, while Scottish Power's costs £1,990 a year with no exit fees.
What do Which? members think of these suppliers?
Octopus Energy scores 74 in the annual Which? survey, beating Scottish Power, which scores 56. Octopus Energy also scores higher on sub-metrics like overall customer service and complaints handling.
Do both suppliers have vulnerability commitments?
Yes, both Octopus Energy and Scottish Power have formal vulnerability commitments registered with Citizens Advice to help support households that need extra care.
Are the apps updated regularly?
Yes, both suppliers have updated their apps recently to fix bugs and improve performance. Octopus Energy's iOS app and Scottish Power's Android app both see regular maintenance.
What changed this month
This month, Scottish Power's iOS app updates in last 90 days rose from 1 to 3, Octopus Energy's iOS sampled positive reviews rose from 0 to 1, and Octopus Energy's iOS sampled negative reviews rose from 0 to 2. There were 31 other data changes this month — see the full changelog below for details.
Data changes this month (40)
Octopus Energy
- Trustpilot reviews821,111 → 837,814
- iOS app ratings count245,000 → 249,000
- iOS app days since last update9 → 6
- iOS sampled reviews avg starsnow available (2)
- iOS sampled positive reviews0 → 1
- iOS sampled negative reviews0 → 2
- Play Store rating4.4341745 → 4.3956046
- Play Store ratings count46,873 → 47,091
- Play Store days since last update11 → 2
- Play Store positive ratings %86.7 → 85.5
- Play Store negative ratings %10 → 11
- Play Store neutral ratings %3.3 → 3.5
- Play Store net-positive %76.7 → 74.5
- Cheapest fixed tariff£1,697.05 → £1,841.19
- Cheapest tariff£1,697.05 → £1,792.32
- Cheapest tariff exit fee£100 → £0
- Cheapest tariff term12 months → 0 months
- Tariff count2 → 3
- Fixed tariffs available1 → 2
Scottish Power
- Trustpilot reviews192,283 → 198,589
- Trustpilot 4-star %13 → 14
- Trustpilot 1-star %20 → 19
- Trustpilot negative reviews replied %90 → 91
- Trustpilot positive reviews %73 → 74
- Trustpilot negative reviews %23 → 22
- Trustpilot net-positive %50 → 52
- iOS app ratings count85,000 → 86,000
- iOS app days since last update34 → 26
- iOS app updates in last 90 days1 → 3
- iOS sampled reviews avg stars6 → 2.33
- iOS sampled negative reviews0 → 2
- Play Store rating4.7245803 → 4.7281113
- Play Store ratings count94,149 → 95,532
- Play Store days since last update30 → 27
- Play Store positive ratings %94.1 → 94.2
- Play Store negative ratings %4.6 → 4.5
- Play Store net-positive %89.5 → 89.7
- Cheapest fixed tariff£1,775.84 → £1,990.1
- Cheapest tariff£1,775.84 → £1,804.74
- Cheapest tariff term12 months → 0 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.