Outfox Energy OVO Energy (September 2026)
Overview
Outfox Energy leads with cheaper tariffs and stronger service scores, though OVO Energy offers a much better app experience.
Outfox Energy leads this comparison, offering lower estimated annual costs and higher customer service scores. OVO Energy provides a more established app experience, though its fixed and variable tariffs currently cost more.
About Outfox Energy and OVO Energy
Who is Outfox Energy?
Outfox Energy is an independent domestic energy supplier based in Leicester. It launched in late 2017 as Outfox the Market and changed its name in June 2025. Run as a family business, it is one of the UK's smaller energy suppliers. The company focuses on keeping running costs low to offer competitive prices and encourages customers to manage their accounts online or through its app. What sets it apart is its focus on straightforward variable and fixed-term tariffs without complex extras.
Products & services
Awards & recognition
Who is OVO Energy?
OVO Energy was founded in 2009 and is based in Bristol. It is privately owned by the OVO Group and grew its customer base after buying the retail business of SSE in 2020. Today, it is one of the UK's biggest domestic energy suppliers. What sets it apart is its focus on smart charging for electric vehicles, green energy upgrades, and a customer reward scheme called OVO Beyond that gives perks and free energy credits.
Products & services
Awards & recognition
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Tariffs and pricing
Annual estimates use the stored consumption assumptions. Check current regional rates, terms and eligibility before switching.
| Metric | Outfox Energy | OVO Energy |
|---|---|---|
| Cheapest fixed tariff | £1,515 / year | £1,742 / year |
Tariff Options
Outfox Energy
Outfox Energy offers a range of straightforward tariffs for households. The range includes standard variable options, fixed-term deals to lock in rates, and a specialist tariff for electric vehicle owners.
OVO Energy
OVO Energy provides a selection of tariffs for domestic customers. The options include a standard variable tariff, fixed-term deals with optional add-ons, and specialist smart charging rates for electric vehicle drivers.
Customer reviews
Both suppliers hold strong Trustpilot scores. Outfox Energy achieves 4.8 out of 5 from over 55,000 reviews, while OVO Energy scores 4.7 out of 5 from a larger sample of nearly 300,000 reviews. Approximately 78% of OVO Energy's ratings and 76% of Outfox Energy's ratings are five stars, and both suppliers receive 9% one-star reviews.
Reviewers frequently highlight Outfox Energy's support team as polite and knowledgeable, often noting fast response times and efficient refund processing. Conversely, some users report long telephone wait times. OVO Energy customers regularly mention patient staff handling complex issues and prompt engineer visits, though communication delays are a recurring theme in critical feedback.
In the annual Which? survey, Outfox Energy achieves an overall score of 71, ahead of OVO Energy's 61. Outfox Energy leads across several sub-metrics, scoring 11 out of 15 for complaints handling and 8 out of 10 for smart meters. OVO Energy scores 6 out of 15 and 5 out of 10 in these respective categories. However, OVO Energy performs better in the 'help for those who need it' category, scoring 9 out of 10. Both suppliers receive 2 out of 5 for overall customer service.
App experience
OVO Energy holds higher app ratings, especially among Apple users. Its iOS application scores 4.6 out of 5 across 18,000 ratings. Outfox Energy scores 2.1 out of 5 on iOS, although this reflects a much smaller sample of 106 ratings. Both suppliers have recently updated their iOS apps.
On the Google Play store, OVO Energy scores 2.8 out of 5 from over 10,000 ratings, with more than 1,000,000 installs. Outfox Energy scores 2.0 out of 5 from 231 ratings. Recent iOS feedback for OVO Energy highlights the app's detailed usage and payment tracking, though one user reported issues accessing full tariff information on the website after installing the mobile version.
Service and support
Average wait: 1.3 min
Hours: Weekdays 8:30am–5pm, open Saturday 9am–2pm, closed Sunday
Average wait: 1.6 min
Hours: Weekdays 9am–5pm, closed Saturday, closed Sunday
Replies: 100% within 2 days
Hours: 24/7
Replies: 99% within 2 days
Hours: 24/7
Average response: ~7 min
Hours: Business hrs
Outfox Energy places 2nd overall in the Citizens Advice table, scoring 4.25 out of 5. OVO Energy ranks 8th with a score of 3.3. Both suppliers report relatively fast telephone response times: Outfox Energy averages a call centre wait of 1 minute 17 seconds, while OVO Energy averages 1 minute 33 seconds.
When handling digital queries, Outfox Energy replies to 100% of emails within two days, closely followed by OVO Energy at 98.5%. OVO Energy also records an average social media response time of 6 minutes 53 seconds; Outfox Energy does not publish equivalent data. Both suppliers maintain formal vulnerability commitments registered with Citizens Advice.
Outfox Energy operates its phone lines on weekdays from 8:30am to 5pm, and on Saturdays from 9am to 2pm. OVO Energy's lines are open from 9am to 5pm on weekdays, but remain closed throughout the weekend.
| Metric | Outfox Energy | OVO Energy |
|---|---|---|
| Average social media response time | N/A | 6 minutes 53 seconds |
Complaints and performance
We do not have supplier-published quarterly complaints-performance data for Outfox Energy. OVO Energy has shared its figures for the second quarter of 2026 (Q2 2026). Because these figures are unavailable for Outfox Energy, we cannot compare the suppliers directly on this measure.
Green Energy Comparison
Outfox Energy
Outfox Energy supplies a fuel mix that is largely fossil fuels and renewables, with some nuclear power. The supplier does not offer 100% renewable electricity as standard across its tariffs. You can find more details about its approach to energy supply.[1]
OVO Energy
OVO Energy supplies a fuel mix that is largely fossil fuels, with some renewable and nuclear power. The company stopped using REGO certificates as standard in 2023, stating that they do not make the grid greener. Instead, it offers a specific green upgrade where it buys 100% renewable electricity directly from UK generators. It also runs a tree-planting scheme and has planted over 5 million trees in the UK since 2015.
Our verdict
| If you care most about | Choose |
|---|---|
| The lowest annual cost on our assumptions | Outfox Energy |
| Overall customer service | Outfox Energy |
| A well-rated mobile app | OVO Energy |
| A greener fuel mix | Outfox Energy |
Outfox Energy leads with cheaper tariffs and stronger service scores, though OVO Energy offers a much better app experience.
Outfox Energy leads across the majority of metrics in this comparison. It provides lower estimated annual costs for both fixed and variable tariffs, alongside stronger customer service scores—including a 2nd place position in the Citizens Advice rankings.
Households prioritising digital account management may prefer OVO Energy, given its higher iOS app score and established user base. However, for those focused primarily on estimated annual costs and overall customer service metrics, Outfox Energy currently presents the stronger profile.
- Lower estimated costs for variable and fixed tariffs
- Ranks 2nd in the Citizens Advice table
- High Trustpilot rating
- Low app ratings (based on a small sample size)
- Phone lines close at 2pm on Saturdays and remain closed on Sundays
- Higher iOS app rating
- No exit fees on the standard variable tariff
- Large volume of positive Trustpilot reviews
- Higher estimated costs for fixed and variable tariffs
- Phone support is unavailable at weekends
Frequently asked questions
Which is better, Outfox Energy or OVO Energy?
Outfox Energy wins overall in this comparison due to its cheaper tariffs and stronger customer service scores. However, OVO Energy may be a better choice if you want a highly rated smartphone app.
Which supplier has the cheaper fixed tariff?
Outfox Energy currently has the cheaper fixed deal. Its cheapest fixed tariff costs £1,516 a year, which is £226 less than OVO Energy's cheapest fixed option.
Do customers prefer Outfox Energy or OVO Energy?
Both suppliers have strong Trustpilot scores, but Outfox Energy performs better in the annual Which? survey. It also scores highly for its complaints handling and smart meters.
Does Outfox Energy or OVO Energy have a better app?
OVO Energy has a much stronger app rating, particularly on iOS where it scores 4.6 out of 5. Outfox Energy's app has low ratings, although these are based on a very small sample of reviews.
Which supplier is faster at answering the phone?
Outfox Energy is slightly faster, with an average call centre wait time of 1 minute 17 seconds. OVO Energy follows closely with an average wait time of 1 minute 33 seconds.
Should I switch to Outfox Energy or OVO Energy?
If price and customer service are your main priorities, Outfox Energy is the better option based on the data we compared. OVO Energy is worth considering if you want a proven app experience.
Do Outfox Energy and OVO Energy charge exit fees?
Yes, both suppliers charge exit fees on their fixed tariffs. However, OVO Energy's standard variable tariff has no exit fee, meaning you can leave at any time without penalty.
Are Outfox Energy and OVO Energy open at weekends?
Outfox Energy's phone lines are open on Saturdays from 9am to 2pm, but closed on Sundays. OVO Energy's phone lines are closed all weekend.
What changed this month
This month, OVO Energy's play store net-positive % fell from 1.3 to -9.2, Outfox Energy's iOS app updates in last 90 days rose from 0 to 2, and Outfox Energy's iOS sampled negative reviews fell from 2 to 0. There were 30 other data changes this month — see the full changelog below for details.
Data changes this month (39)
Outfox Energy
- Trustpilot reviews54,758 → 55,424
- Trustpilot negative reviews replied %100 → 99
- iOS app rating2 → 2.1
- iOS app ratings count102 → 106
- iOS app days since last update160 → 8
- iOS app updates in last 90 days0 → 2
- iOS sampled reviews avg stars2.33 → no longer available
- iOS sampled negative reviews2 → 0
- iOS sampled neutral reviews1 → 0
- Play Store rating2.31 → 2.04999995231628
- Play Store ratings count189 → 231
- Play Store days since last update163 → no longer available
- Play Store positive ratings %28.8 → 0
- Play Store negative ratings %63.6 → 0
- Play Store neutral ratings %7.6 → 0
- Play Store net-positive %-34.8 → 0
- Avg social media response time49 → no longer available
- Cheapest variable tariff£1,804.79 → £1,481.49
- Cheapest fixed tariff£1,699.69 → £1,515.57
- Cheapest tariff£1,699.69 → £1,481.49
- Cheapest tariff exit fee£200 → £150
- Cheapest tariff term24 months → 12 months
- Tariff count5 → 8
- Fixed tariffs available4 → 6
- Variable tariffs available1 → 2
OVO Energy
- Trustpilot reviews293,863 → 299,269
- Trustpilot 5-star %77 → 78
- Trustpilot 4-star %10 → 9
- iOS app days since last update37 → 25
- Play Store rating3.0206423 → 2.8167422
- Play Store ratings count10,621 → 10,825
- Play Store days since last update37 → 26
- Play Store positive ratings %48.2 → 43.2
- Play Store negative ratings %46.9 → 52.4
- Play Store neutral ratings %4.9 → 4.4
- Play Store net-positive %1.3 → -9.2
- Cheapest variable tariff£1,804.82 → £1,610.88
- Cheapest fixed tariff£1,923.42 → £1,742.03
- Cheapest tariff£1,804.82 → £1,610.88
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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.