Octopus Energy Utility Warehouse (August 2026)
Overview
Octopus Energy leads on customer service and apps, though Utility Warehouse currently offers cheaper fixed and variable tariffs.
Octopus Energy scores higher across customer service and app metrics in this comparison. Utility Warehouse, however, currently provides cheaper fixed and variable tariffs, which may suit households prioritising lower annual costs.
About Octopus Energy and Utility Warehouse
Who are Octopus Energy?
Founded in 2015 and backed by the Octopus Group, Octopus Energy has grown to become the UK's largest domestic energy supplier. It runs on its own software platform called Kraken, which it also licenses to other energy companies. The supplier installs home technology like heat pumps and solar panels, and offers a rewards programme called Octoplus.
Who are Utility Warehouse?
Utility Warehouse, part of Telecom Plus PLC, has operated since the late 1990s and is one of the UK's largest domestic energy suppliers. Instead of traditional advertising, it uses a network of independent partners to find new customers. The company focuses on bundling household bills, offering cheaper energy rates when customers add other services like broadband or mobile plans.
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Tariffs and pricing
Utility Warehouse currently offers the cheaper overall deal. Its UW Tracker Saver 4 variable tariff is priced at £1,698 a year, coming in below Octopus Energy's Flexible Octopus variable tariff at £1,792 a year. While both deals are variable with no fixed term, Octopus Energy does not charge exit fees on this tariff. In contrast, Utility Warehouse applies a £150 exit fee.
For households seeking a fixed price, Utility Warehouse again provides the lower rate. Its cheapest fixed deal costs £1,806 a year over an 11-month term, carrying a £150 exit fee. Octopus Energy's lowest-priced fixed option is £1,841 a year for a 12-month term, with a £100 exit fee.
Tariff options
Octopus Energy
Octopus Energy offers mainstream standard variable and fixed tariffs, alongside a wide range of specialist options for homes with smart technology.
Utility Warehouse
Utility Warehouse offers a range of standard variable and fixed tariffs, as well as options for electric vehicle owners. Many of these deals offer lower rates when bundled with other household services.
Customer reviews
Octopus Energy holds a 4.8 out of 5 Trustpilot rating across 837,814 reviews. Utility Warehouse scores 4.2 out of 5 from a smaller sample of 81,260 reviews. Looking at the breakdown, Octopus Energy maintains a 90% five-star share and a net-positive score of 91%. Utility Warehouse records a 70% five-star share alongside 14% one-star reviews.
Feedback for Octopus Energy frequently highlights helpful staff and clear support, although a portion of users note slow email replies. Utility Warehouse customers often mention the convenience of bundling services and friendly interactions, while critical reviews point to long departmental wait times and unexpected charges.
In the annual Which? survey, Octopus Energy achieves 74 out of 100, compared to 69 for Utility Warehouse. Both suppliers receive 10 out of 10 for helping those who need it. Octopus Energy scores 4 out of 5 for overall customer service, whereas Utility Warehouse scores 3 out of 5. Conversely, Utility Warehouse leads on smart meters with a score of 7 out of 10, ahead of Octopus Energy's 5 out of 10.
App ratings and features
Octopus Energy records higher mobile app ratings on both major platforms. Its iOS app holds 4.8 out of 5 from 249,000 ratings, while the Utility Warehouse app scores 4.5 from 11,000 ratings. On Google Play, Octopus Energy achieves 4.4 out of 5 across 47,091 ratings, compared to 4.2 from 11,150 ratings for Utility Warehouse. Both applications exceed 500,000 installs, with Octopus Energy surpassing 1,000,000.
Both suppliers have updated their apps recently. A small sample of recent iOS reviews for Octopus Energy averages 2 stars out of 5, with users citing issues regarding billing amounts and smart meter data. A similarly small recent sample for Utility Warehouse averages 2.7 stars, where users note difficulties with broadband speeds and top-up logins.
Service and support
Octopus Energy places 4th in the Citizens Advice table, achieving an overall score of 3.67 out of 5. Utility Warehouse ranks 14th, scoring 2.45 out of 5.
Callers to Octopus Energy wait an average of 1 minute 17 seconds, whereas Utility Warehouse customers wait 7 minutes 16 seconds. For digital correspondence, Octopus Energy responds to 86.1% of emails within two days, compared to 40.5% for Utility Warehouse.
Both suppliers maintain formal vulnerability commitments registered with Citizens Advice and accept Direct Debit, Cash/Cheque, and Prepayment. Octopus Energy's support lines operate Monday to Thursday from 9am to 5pm, and Friday from 9am to 4pm. Utility Warehouse is open weekdays from 8:30am to 5pm, and Saturdays from 9am to 4:30pm.
Complaints and performance
In the fourth quarter of 2025, Octopus Energy received 495 complaints for every 100,000 customers. Utility Warehouse received 1,815 complaints per 100,000 customers during the same period.
Green energy comparison
Octopus Energy
Based on Citizens Advice data for January to March 2026, Octopus Energy's electricity fuel mix is mostly renewable, with some nuclear power. Because of this mix, the supplier provides 100% zero-carbon electricity to its customers. It generates its own green power through Octopus Energy Generation, which manages renewable projects like wind and solar farms. In 2026, the company announced a planned investment of around £390 million in tree-planting and carbon removal projects in the US.[1]
Utility Warehouse
Based on Citizens Advice data for January to March 2026, Utility Warehouse's electricity fuel mix is largely fossil fuels, with some nuclear and other sources. The supplier offers green energy deals backed by Renewable Energy Guarantee of Origin certificates. It also supports tree-planting projects that help restore biodiversity and absorb carbon dioxide and supports the Smart Export Guarantee, which pays customers who generate their own renewable electricity and send it back to the grid.[2][3]
Our verdict
| If you care most about | Choose |
|---|---|
| The lowest annual cost on our assumptions | Utility Warehouse |
| Overall customer service | Octopus Energy |
| A well-rated mobile app | Octopus Energy |
| A greener fuel mix | Octopus Energy |
Octopus Energy leads on customer service and apps, though Utility Warehouse currently offers cheaper fixed and variable tariffs.
Octopus Energy performs better across customer reviews, app ratings, and Citizens Advice scores in this comparison. It records faster call answer times and a higher proportion of positive feedback. Utility Warehouse, however, currently provides cheaper fixed and variable tariffs.
Octopus Energy may suit households prioritising higher-rated customer service and digital tools. Conversely, Utility Warehouse may appeal to those focused primarily on securing the lowest priced tariff currently available.
- Higher Citizens Advice score
- Shorter average call wait times
- Higher Trustpilot and app ratings
- Higher annual cost for variable tariff
- Higher annual cost for fixed tariff
- Lower annual cost for variable tariff
- Lower annual cost for fixed tariff
- Lower Citizens Advice score
- Longer average call wait times
- Applies a £150 exit fee on its variable tariff
Frequently asked questions
Which supplier is better, Octopus Energy or Utility Warehouse?
Octopus Energy performs better across most independent service metrics, including Citizens Advice and Trustpilot. However, Utility Warehouse currently has cheaper tariff options.
Does Utility Warehouse have cheaper tariffs than Octopus Energy?
Yes, based on the deals we compared, Utility Warehouse offers a cheaper variable tariff and a cheaper fixed deal than Octopus Energy.
Who has better customer reviews out of Octopus and Utility Warehouse?
Octopus Energy has higher customer review scores, holding a 4.8 out of 5 on Trustpilot compared to 4.2 for Utility Warehouse.
Are the Octopus Energy and Utility Warehouse apps any good?
Both suppliers offer well-rated apps, but Octopus Energy scores higher on both the App Store and Google Play.
Which supplier answers the phone faster?
Octopus Energy has a much shorter average call wait time of 1 minute 17 seconds, compared to 7 minutes 16 seconds for Utility Warehouse, according to Citizens Advice.
Should I switch to Octopus Energy or Utility Warehouse?
If you want the best customer service and digital tools, Octopus Energy is the stronger choice. If you care most about finding the lowest priced tariff, Utility Warehouse is currently cheaper.
Do Octopus Energy and Utility Warehouse charge exit fees?
Octopus Energy's cheapest variable tariff has no exit fees, but its fixed deal charges £100. Utility Warehouse charges a £150 exit fee on both its cheapest variable and fixed tariffs.
How do Octopus Energy and Utility Warehouse score with Which?
In the latest Which? survey, Octopus Energy scored 74 out of 100, while Utility Warehouse scored 69. Both achieved top marks for helping customers who need it.
What changed this month
This month, Octopus Energy's iOS sampled positive reviews rose from 0 to 1, Octopus Energy's iOS sampled negative reviews rose from 0 to 2, and Octopus Energy's cheapest tariff exit fee fell from £100 to £0. There were 25 other data changes this month — see the full changelog below for details.
Data changes this month (38)
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
Utility Warehouse
- Trustpilot reviews79,523 → 81,260
- iOS app days since last update13 → 4
- iOS sampled reviews avg stars2.4 → 2.67
- iOS sampled positive reviews2 → 1
- iOS sampled negative reviews3 → 2
- Play Store rating4.202414 → 4.186519
- Play Store ratings count11,089 → 11,150
- Play Store days since last update14 → 4
- Play Store positive ratings %79.5 → 79.1
- Play Store negative ratings %15.6 → 15.9
- Play Store neutral ratings %4.9 → 5.1
- Play Store net-positive %63.9 → 63.2
- Cheapest variable tariff£1,682.7 → £1,697.5
- Cheapest fixed tariff£1,670.87 → £1,806.26
- Cheapest tariff£1,670.87 → £1,697.5
- Cheapest tariff term12 months → 0 months
- Cheapest fixed tariff term12 months → 11 months
- Shortest fixed term12 months → 11 months
- Longest fixed term12 months → 11 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.