OVO Energy Scottish Power (July 2026)
Overview
OVO Energy wins on customer service and reviews, but Scottish Power offers a cheaper fixed tariff and better apps.
OVO Energy places first in this comparison due to higher customer review scores and stronger overall service metrics. Conversely, Scottish Power provides a lower-priced fixed tariff and achieves higher app ratings, particularly on Android.
About OVO Energy and Scottish Power
Who are OVO Energy?
OVO Energy started in 2009 to offer a simpler choice for energy customers. It bought the home energy part of SSE in 2020 and recently announced a planned agreement to become part of E.ON, which would increase its scale. Today, it is one of the UK's largest domestic energy suppliers. OVO focuses on smart technology, digital services, and helping customers cut their carbon footprint. It runs a free rewards programme called Beyond for smart meter customers and a scheme called Power Move that rewards people for using electricity at off-peak times.
Who are Scottish Power?
Scottish Power started in 1990 and is based in Glasgow. The Spanish utility company Iberdrola bought the supplier in 2006, and it remains one of the UK's largest domestic energy suppliers. It generates its own electricity as well as selling it to homes. A key feature of Scottish Power is its long-standing partnership with Cancer Research UK, raising around £40 million for the charity since 2012. It also runs a rewards club and a service that lets eligible smart meter customers choose eight one-hour slots of discounted electricity each week.
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Tariffs and pricing
Scottish Power provides the lowest-priced overall deal in this comparison. Its most affordable option is a 12-month fixed tariff priced at £1,776 a year, which carries no exit fees. OVO Energy’s lowest-priced equivalent is also a 12-month fixed contract, costing £1,797 a year, though it applies a £100 total exit fee.
For standard variable tariffs, both suppliers present identical pricing under current assumptions. OVO Energy’s Simpler Energy tariff is estimated at £1,805 a year, matching Scottish Power’s Standard tariff, which also costs £1,805 a year.
OVO Energy and Scottish Power: Tariff Options
OVO Energy tariffs
OVO Energy offers a range of mainstream domestic options, including a standard variable tariff and several fixed-term deals. It also provides specialist add-ons for electric vehicle drivers and tariffs bundled with boiler cover or green electricity upgrades.
Scottish Power tariffs
Scottish Power provides a mix of standard variable and fixed-term tariffs, alongside tracker options. It also offers specialist tariffs for electric vehicle owners, homes with heat pumps, and deals that include a charity donation or green electricity.
Customer reviews
OVO Energy holds a Trustpilot score of 4.7 out of 5 from a large volume of feedback. It maintains a 77% net-positive score, with 77% of reviewers awarding it five stars. Scottish Power records a score of 4.4 out of 5 and a 50% net-positive rating. While 60% of Scottish Power's reviews are five stars, 20% are one-star ratings, compared to 9% for OVO Energy.
Feedback for OVO Energy frequently highlights staff helpfulness and problem resolution, although some users note initial communication delays and difficulties reaching specific departments. Scottish Power customers also report positive interactions with support staff, whereas critical reviews tend to focus on billing issues, payment processing, and missed appointments.
The annual Which? survey awards OVO Energy a score of 61 and Scottish Power a score of 56. Both providers receive 2 out of 5 for overall customer service and value for money. OVO Energy achieves higher marks in specific categories, scoring 6 out of 15 for complaints handling and 5 out of 10 for smart meters, against Scottish Power’s respective scores of 4 out of 15 and 4 out of 10. Additionally, OVO Energy scores 9 out of 10 for supporting vulnerable customers, compared to 7 out of 10 for Scottish Power.
App quality and features
Scottish Power achieves higher ratings across the main mobile platforms, holding a 4.8 on the App Store and a 4.7 on Google Play. OVO Energy receives a 4.6 on iOS, but its Android application scores lower at 3.28. Both providers record over 1,000,000 installs on the Google Play store.
Recent iOS feedback for OVO Energy averages 4.2 stars within a small sample, where users note the detailed presentation of usage and billing data. A similarly small sample of recent Scottish Power reviews shows entirely positive responses. Both companies have released recent updates aimed at bug fixes and performance improvements.
Customer service and support
Citizens Advice data places OVO Energy 8th overall with a score of 3.3 out of 5, while Scottish Power ranks 10th with a score of 2.94. OVO Energy responds to 98.5% of emails within two days, whereas Scottish Power achieves a 94.3% response rate in the same timeframe.
Conversely, Scottish Power reports faster response times for phone calls and social media inquiries. Its average call centre wait time is 1 minute 16 seconds, compared to 1 minute 33 seconds for OVO Energy. On social media, Scottish Power averages a response time of 2 minutes 25 seconds, while OVO Energy averages 6 minutes 53 seconds.
Both providers maintain formal vulnerability commitments registered with Citizens Advice. They each accept Direct Debit, cash, cheques, and prepayment methods, and operate their customer service phone lines between 9am and 5pm on weekdays.
Complaints and performance
In the last three months of 2025, Scottish Power received fewer complaints than OVO Energy. Scottish Power had 1,458 complaints for every 100,000 customers, while OVO Energy had 1,651.
Green Energy Comparison
OVO Energy
According to Citizens Advice data for January to March 2026, OVO Energy's supplied electricity mix is largely fossil fuels, with some renewable and nuclear energy. The supplier runs a sustainability scheme called Plan Zero, which aims to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2035. OVO stopped using Renewable Energy Guarantee of Origin certificates for its standard tariffs, arguing they do not do enough to support real renewable generation. Instead, it offers a specific green upgrade on certain fixed tariffs. It also highlights broader green efforts, noting it has planted 5 million trees in schools and communities on behalf of its customers, and offers a Smart Export Guarantee rate for customers who buy solar panels and batteries.[1]
Scottish Power
Based on Citizens Advice data for January to March 2026, Scottish Power's supplied electricity mix is largely fossil fuels, with a small amount of renewable and nuclear energy. The company focuses heavily on wind power, owning and running 38 onshore wind farms across the UK. While its overall supplied mix is mostly fossil fuels, it offers 100% green electricity on specific fixed tariffs. It also sells solar panels and home EV chargers to help customers generate and manage their own renewable energy.
Our verdict
| If you care most about | Choose |
|---|---|
| The lowest annual cost on our assumptions | Scottish Power |
| Overall customer service | OVO Energy |
| A well-rated mobile app | Scottish Power |
| A greener fuel mix | OVO Energy |
OVO Energy wins on customer service and reviews, but Scottish Power offers a cheaper fixed tariff and better apps.
Based on current data, OVO Energy may suit households prioritising customer service metrics and Trustpilot ratings. It achieves a higher ranking from Citizens Advice and secures a larger proportion of five-star reviews.
Alternatively, Scottish Power may appeal to those seeking lower upfront pricing. It provides a lower-priced fixed tariff that avoids exit fees, alongside higher-rated mobile applications, particularly for Android users.
- Higher overall score from Citizens Advice
- Higher Trustpilot rating with a larger share of five-star reviews
- Faster email response times
- Lowest-priced fixed tariff costs more than Scottish Power's equivalent
- Lower Android app rating
- Longer average wait times on social media
- Lower-priced fixed tariff with no exit fees
- Higher app ratings on both iOS and Android
- Faster average call centre and social media response times
- Lower overall score from Citizens Advice
- Higher proportion of one-star reviews on Trustpilot
- Slower email response times
Frequently asked questions
Which is better, OVO Energy or Scottish Power?
OVO Energy wins overall due to higher scores from Citizens Advice and better Trustpilot reviews. However, Scottish Power offers a cheaper fixed tariff and has better mobile apps.
Who has the cheaper fixed tariff?
Scottish Power currently offers the cheaper fixed tariff. Its cheapest fixed deal costs £1,776 a year with no exit fees, while OVO Energy's cheapest fixed option costs £1,797 a year and has a £100 exit fee.
What do customers say about OVO Energy?
OVO Energy has a strong 4.7 rating on Trustpilot, with 77% of users leaving a five-star review. Customers often praise the staff for being polite and helpful, though some mention early communication problems.
Does Scottish Power have a good mobile app?
Yes, Scottish Power has very strong app ratings. It scores 4.8 on the App Store and 4.7 on Google Play, beating OVO Energy on both platforms.
How long does it take to get through to Scottish Power on the phone?
Scottish Power answers calls in an average of 1 minute 16 seconds, which is faster than OVO Energy's average wait time of 1 minute 33 seconds.
Should I choose OVO Energy or Scottish Power?
Choose OVO Energy if you care most about customer service and high Trustpilot ratings. Choose Scottish Power if you want the cheaper fixed deal or a better mobile app experience.
Do OVO Energy and Scottish Power charge exit fees?
OVO Energy charges a £100 exit fee on its cheapest fixed deal. Scottish Power does not charge an exit fee on its cheapest fixed option. Neither supplier charges exit fees on their standard variable tariffs.
How quickly do OVO Energy and Scottish Power reply to emails?
OVO Energy is slightly faster, replying to 98.5% of emails within two days. Scottish Power replies to 94.3% of emails in the same timeframe.
How do OVO Energy and Scottish Power perform in the Which? survey?
OVO Energy scores 61 in the Which? annual survey, while Scottish Power scores 56. Both score 2 out of 5 for customer service, but OVO Energy scores higher for smart meters and helping those who need it.
Which supplier has the better Android app?
Scottish Power has the better Android app, scoring 4.7 on Google Play. OVO Energy's Android app has a much lower rating of 3.28.
What changed this month
This month, OVO Energy's cheapest tariff term changed from a variable tariff to a 12-month fixed deal, OVO Energy's tariff count rose from 1 to 5, and OVO Energy's iOS app days since last update rose from 0 to 13. There were 41 other data changes this month — see the full changelog below for details.
Data changes this month (57)
OVO Energy
- Trustpilot reviews282,070 → 287,327
- iOS app days since last update0 → 13
- iOS sampled reviews avg stars4 → 4.2
- iOS sampled positive reviews2 → 4
- iOS sampled negative reviews0 → 1
- iOS sampled neutral reviews1 → 0
- Play Store rating3.4702382 → 3.2850413
- Play Store ratings count10,218 → 10,351
- Play Store days since last update29 → 14
- Play Store positive ratings %60.4 → 55.4
- Play Store negative ratings %35.3 → 40.2
- Play Store neutral ratings %4.3 → 4.5
- Play Store net-positive %25.1 → 15.2
- Citizens Advice rank10 → 8
- Citizens Advice score2.76 → 3.3
- Complaints per 10,000 customers42.6 → 39.5
- Avg call centre wait time254 → 93
- Avg social media response time1267 → 413
- Emails responded within 2 days %83.6 → 98.5
- Cheapest fixed tariffnow available (£1,797.13)
- Cheapest tariff£1,804.82 → £1,797.13
- Cheapest tariff exit fee£0 → £100
- Cheapest tariff termvariable → 12 months
- Cheapest fixed tariff exit feenow available (£100)
- Cheapest fixed tariff termnow available (12 months)
- Tariff count1 → 5
- Fixed tariffs available0 → 4
- Shortest fixed termnow available (12 months)
- Longest fixed termnow available (24 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.