Octopus Energy Tulo Energy (September 2026)
Overview
Octopus Energy has stronger independent service evidence and a marginally cheaper variable tariff, while Tulo Energy's app scores are based on too few ratings for a reliable comparison.
Octopus Energy leads this comparison based on available evidence, providing a cheaper variable tariff and established customer service scores. While Tulo Energy holds positive Trustpilot feedback, it currently lacks the independent industry data and app review volumes required for a full comparison against a larger supplier.
About Octopus Energy and Tulo Energy
Who are Octopus Energy?
Octopus Energy started in 2015 and has grown to become the UK's largest domestic energy supplier. It is backed by large investors such as Origin Energy and Tokyo Gas. The company uses its own Kraken software to run its billing and customer service. Its main features include a wide range of smart tariffs and its Octoplus rewards programme, which gives customers freebies and discounts.
Products & services
Awards & recognition
Who are Tulo Energy?
Tulo Energy is a newer, smaller supplier operated by Square1 Energy Ltd. It aims to be a simple alternative to the biggest domestic suppliers by focusing on clear billing and fast, UK-based customer support. The company promises quick call answer times and an easy-to-use app to help customers manage their accounts.
Products & services
Use our referral link, and we'll both get £50 credit once your switch is complete.
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Tariffs and pricing
Octopus Energy provides the cheapest overall tariff in this comparison. Its Flexible Octopus variable option costs £1,598 a year, which is £12 a year cheaper than Tulo Energy's Tulo Vari-One equivalent at £1,611 a year. This price difference equates to around £1 a month. Both variable tariffs feature a £0 exit fee and a 0-month term.
Households seeking price certainty may consider the Octopus 12M Fixed August 2026 v6, priced at £1,642 a year. This contract includes a 12-month term and a £100 exit fee. Tulo Energy does not currently have a fixed tariff available in our pricing data.
| Metric | Octopus Energy | Tulo Energy |
|---|---|---|
| Cheapest tariff exit fee | £0 | £0 |
Tariff Options
Octopus Energy
Octopus Energy offers mainstream standard variable and fixed tariffs, alongside specialist smart tariffs for electric vehicles, heat pumps, and solar setups.
Tulo Energy
Tulo Energy focuses on a simple approach to energy and offers a standard variable tariff for domestic customers.
Customer reviews
On Trustpilot, Octopus Energy scores 4.8 out of 5 from a substantial volume of 857,633 reviews. Tulo Energy also receives positive feedback with a 4.6 out of 5 rating, although this is drawn from a smaller sample of 822 reviews. Five-star ratings account for 90% of Octopus Energy's total and 78% of Tulo Energy's.
Reviewers for Octopus Energy frequently mention polite staff and fast initial responses, though some note occasional delays with email communication. Tulo Energy customers highlight efficient support, reporting that inquiries are handled quickly without automated loops, alongside reliable billing and straightforward setup processes.
Octopus Energy achieves an overall Which? score of 74. Its sub-category results include 4 out of 5 for customer service, 3 out of 5 for value for money, 8 out of 15 for complaints, and 5 out of 10 for smart meters. The supplier also receives 10 out of 10 for help for those who need it, plus 4 out of 5 for both ease of contacting and clarity of statements. Tulo Energy does not currently feature in the Which? dataset.
App ratings
Octopus Energy's mobile applications receive high ratings across a large user base. The iOS app scores 4.8 out of 5 from 254,000 ratings on the App Store, while the Android version holds 4.3 out of 5 from 47,238 ratings on Google Play (with over 1,000,000 installs). Both suppliers have recently updated their iOS applications.
Tulo Energy's app holds a 5.0 rating on iOS and 3.1 on Google Play, but these figures are based on just 2 and 8 ratings respectively. This limited sample size makes it difficult to draw direct comparisons against an app with tens of thousands of ratings.
| Metric | Octopus Energy | Tulo Energy |
|---|---|---|
| Google Play rating | 4.3 / 5 | 3.1 / 5 |
Service and support
Average wait: 1.3 min
Hours: Mon–Thu 9am–5pm, Fri 9am–4pm, closed Saturday, closed Sunday
Replies: 86% within 2 days
Hours: 24/7
In the Citizens Advice ratings, Octopus Energy scores 3.67 out of 5, ranking 4th overall. The supplier records an average call centre wait time of 1 minute 17 seconds and responds to 86.1% of emails within two days. Additionally, Octopus Energy has formal vulnerability commitments registered with the organisation.
Tulo Energy does not currently have a published Citizens Advice score or available contact metrics.
Payment methods accepted by Octopus Energy include Direct Debit, Cash/Cheque, and Prepayment. Customer service lines operate Monday to Thursday from 9am to 5pm, and Friday from 9am to 4pm, remaining closed on weekends.
Complaints and performance
In the first quarter of 2026, Octopus Energy received 538 complaints for every 100,000 customers. It solved 43% of these by the end of the next working day, and 80% within eight weeks. Tulo Energy does not have any complaints data available, so we cannot compare the two suppliers.
Green Energy Comparison
Octopus Energy
Octopus Energy supplies 100% zero-carbon electricity to its domestic customers. Based on Citizens Advice data from early 2026, its electricity fuel mix is mostly renewable, with some nuclear. The company invests directly in green energy projects and runs the Octopus Fan Club, a scheme that gives customers cheaper electricity when their local wind turbine is spinning. It also installs low-carbon home technology such as heat pumps and solar panels to help customers rely less on fossil fuels.
Tulo Energy
Tulo Energy does not focus on green energy or advertise green tariffs and net zero targets. Its published fuel mix for 2024 to 2025 shows it relies heavily on natural gas and coal, with less than 1% of its electricity coming from renewable sources.
Our verdict
| If you care most about | Choose |
|---|---|
| The lowest annual cost on our assumptions | Octopus Energy |
| A well-rated mobile app | Tulo Energy |
Octopus Energy has stronger independent service evidence and a marginally cheaper variable tariff, while Tulo Energy's app scores are based on too few ratings for a reliable comparison.
Octopus Energy leads this comparison based on the available data. It provides a cheaper standard variable tariff, supported by a substantial volume of positive customer feedback and established mobile apps.
Tulo Energy is currently missing independent metrics from both Citizens Advice and Which?. Although its Trustpilot reviews are positive, the absence of wider industry data and limited app review samples make it difficult to evaluate fully against a larger supplier.
- Cheapest variable tariff at £1,598 / year
- 4.8 Trustpilot from 857,633 reviews
- Top-4 Citizens Advice ranking
- iOS app rated 4.8 out of 5
- 86% of emails answered within 2 days
- 12% of Google Play ratings are negative
- Cheapest variable tariff at £1,611 / year
- 4.6 Trustpilot from 822 reviews
- 38% of Google Play ratings are negative
Frequently asked questions
Which supplier is better, Octopus Energy or Tulo Energy?
Octopus Energy has a slightly cheaper variable tariff and stronger independent service evidence. Tulo Energy's app ratings are too limited for a reliable overall comparison, so the better choice depends on which evidence you prioritise.
Which supplier offers the cheapest energy tariff?
Octopus Energy offers the cheapest overall deal with its Flexible Octopus variable tariff, which costs £12 a year less than Tulo Energy's variable option.
What do customers say about Octopus Energy and Tulo Energy?
Both suppliers receive positive feedback on Trustpilot. Customers praise Octopus Energy for its friendly staff and fast responses, while Tulo Energy is commended for its efficient support and smooth setup process.
Do Octopus Energy and Tulo Energy have good mobile apps?
Octopus Energy has highly rated apps with hundreds of thousands of ratings. Tulo Energy has an app available, but it currently has too few ratings to properly judge its quality.
How do Octopus Energy and Tulo Energy compare for customer service?
Octopus Energy scores 3.67 out of 5 with Citizens Advice and answers calls in an average of 1 minute 17 seconds. Tulo Energy does not currently have a Citizens Advice score.
Should I switch to Octopus Energy or Tulo Energy?
Octopus Energy is the safer choice based on the available data, as it offers lower prices and proven service metrics. Tulo Energy may appeal to those looking for a smaller supplier, but it lacks independent ratings.
Do Octopus Energy and Tulo Energy charge exit fees?
Both suppliers offer variable tariffs with no exit fees. However, Octopus Energy's fixed tariff carries a £100 exit fee.
What are the opening hours for Octopus Energy?
Octopus Energy is open Monday to Thursday 9am to 5pm, and Friday 9am to 4pm. It is closed on Saturday and Sunday.
How quickly do Octopus Energy and Tulo Energy reply to reviews?
Octopus Energy typically replies to Trustpilot reviews within a week, and it responds to 96% of its negative reviews. Tulo Energy does not currently have typical reply time data available.
Does Tulo Energy have a Citizens Advice score?
No, Tulo Energy does not currently have a Citizens Advice score or published metrics for call wait times and email responses.
What changed this month
This month, Octopus Energy's iOS app days since last update fell from 6 to 1, Octopus Energy's play store days since last update fell from 2 to 1, and Octopus Energy's fixed tariffs available fell from 2 to 1. There were 17 other data changes this month — see the full changelog below for details.
Data changes this month (22)
Octopus Energy
- Trustpilot reviews837,814 → 857,633
- iOS app ratings count249,000 → 254,000
- iOS app days since last update6 → 1
- iOS sampled reviews avg stars2 → 1.67
- Play Store rating4.3956046 → 4.3669577
- Play Store ratings count47,091 → 47,238
- Play Store days since last update2 → 1
- Play Store positive ratings %85.5 → 84.5
- Play Store negative ratings %11 → 11.7
- Play Store neutral ratings %3.5 → 3.7
- Play Store net-positive %74.5 → 72.8
- Cheapest variable tariff£1,792.32 → £1,598.38
- Cheapest fixed tariff£1,841.19 → £1,641.76
- Cheapest tariff£1,792.32 → £1,598.38
- Tariff count3 → 2
- Fixed tariffs available2 → 1
Tulo Energy
- Trustpilot reviews814 → 822
- Trustpilot negative reviews replied %0 → no longer available
- iOS app days since last update51 → 30
- Play Store days since last update332 → 362
- Cheapest variable tariff£1,804.78 → £1,610.84
- Cheapest tariff£1,804.78 → £1,610.84
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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.