OVO Energy Scottish Power (September 2026)
Overview
There is no single best choice: compare price, service, app and green-energy evidence separately.
About OVO Energy and Scottish Power
Who is OVO Energy?
OVO Energy was set up in 2009. It grew to become one of the UK's largest domestic energy suppliers, a position it strengthened in 2020 when it bought the retail business of SSE. In May 2026, OVO announced a planned sale of its UK energy retail business to E.ON, subject to regulatory approvals. Until this finishes, OVO and E.ON will continue to operate as separate companies.
Products & services
Awards & recognition
Who is Scottish Power?
Scottish Power was formed in 1990 ahead of the privatisation of the electricity industry in Scotland. It was bought by the Spanish utility group Iberdrola in 2007. Today, it is one of the UK's largest domestic energy suppliers. It supplies homes across the country and runs the local electricity network in parts of Scotland, Wales, and England.
Products & services
Awards & recognition
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Tariffs and pricing
Under our assumptions, the cheapest overall tariffs from both suppliers cost £1,611 a year. OVO Energy's Simpler Energy and Scottish Power's Standard are variable tariffs with a 0-month term. Neither deal carries an exit fee, allowing households to switch away at any time without penalty.
For households looking to lock in unit rates, OVO Energy provides the cheaper fixed option. Its 1 Year Fixed + Boiler Cover 27 August 2026 tariff is priced at £1,742 a year, making it £88 cheaper than Scottish Power's lowest-priced equivalent. Both suppliers offer 12-month terms on these fixed contracts.
Exit fees vary between the two suppliers' fixed deals. OVO Energy applies a £100 total exit fee on its cheapest fixed tariff if customers leave before the 12-month term concludes. Conversely, Scottish Power's Exclusive Help Beat Cancer Fixed Sep 2027 SM2 tariff carries a £0 exit fee, which may suit those who want fixed rates but retain the flexibility to switch early.
| Metric | OVO Energy | Scottish Power |
|---|---|---|
| Cheapest tariff exit fee | £0 | £0 |
| Cheapest fixed tariff exit fee | £100 | £0 |
OVO Energy and Scottish Power: tariff options
OVO Energy
These are the household tariffs currently available in our comparison data. Prices and availability can vary by region, meter type and payment method.
Scottish Power
These are the household tariffs currently available in our comparison data. Prices and availability can vary by region, meter type and payment method.
Customer reviews
OVO Energy holds a Trustpilot rating of 4.7 out of 5 across more than 299,000 reviews. Scottish Power scores 4.4 out of 5 from 203,838 reviews. OVO also records a higher proportion of five-star ratings, at 78% compared to Scottish Power's 60%.
Looking at negative feedback, Scottish Power has a 19% share of one-star reviews, whereas OVO's share is 9%. Customer feedback for OVO frequently notes helpful staff when resolving account issues, although some reviewers report long wait times and delayed communication.
Scottish Power reviewers often point to a straightforward online experience for account management. Conversely, complaints typically centre on unexpected costs, price increases, and confusing billing. Both suppliers actively engage with criticism; OVO responds to 99% of its negative reviews, and Scottish Power replies to 92%.
In the annual Which? energy survey, OVO Energy achieves 61 out of 100, while Scottish Power scores 56. Both suppliers receive 2 out of 5 for overall customer service and value for money. However, OVO performs slightly better on complaints handling, scoring 6 out of 15 next to Scottish Power's 4 out of 15.
App quality and features
Scottish Power achieves higher ratings across both major mobile app stores. Its Apple App Store score is 4.8 out of 5 from 87,000 ratings, placing it ahead of OVO Energy's 4.6 out of 5 from 18,000 ratings. Both applications receive regular updates and record over 100,000 installs on Google Play.
The scoring gap widens on Android devices. Scottish Power's Google Play Store app scores 4.7 out of 5 from almost 97,000 ratings. In contrast, OVO Energy's Android app scores 2.8 out of 5 from just over 10,800 ratings, suggesting a divergence in user experience between the two platforms.
Recent iOS reviews for Scottish Power indicate that the app provides straightforward access to balances, though some users report confusion regarding smart meter functionality. OVO Energy users highlight the usefulness of detailed usage tracking, but note frustration when the app redirects them to the website for full tariff information.
Customer service and support
Average wait: 1.6 min
Hours: Weekdays 9am–5pm, closed Saturday, closed Sunday
Average wait: 1.3 min
Hours: Weekdays 9am–5pm, closed Saturday, closed Sunday
Replies: 99% within 2 days
Hours: 24/7
Replies: 94% within 2 days
Hours: 24/7
Average response: ~7 min
Hours: Business hrs
Average response: ~2 min
Hours: Business hrs
OVO Energy places higher in the latest Citizens Advice ratings, ranking 8th with an overall score of 3.3 out of 5. Scottish Power sits in 10th place with a score of 2.94 out of 5. Both suppliers maintain formal vulnerability commitments registered with Citizens Advice to assist households requiring extra support.
Scottish Power connects phone callers faster, averaging a call centre wait time of 1 minute 16 seconds, compared to 1 minute 33 seconds for OVO Energy. It is also quicker to respond on social media, taking an average of 2 minutes 25 seconds, whereas OVO takes 6 minutes 53 seconds.
Both suppliers show high responsiveness over email. OVO Energy responds to 98.5% of emails within two days, and Scottish Power replies to 94.3% in the same timeframe. On the other hand, Scottish Power records a higher volume of complaints, at 61.8 per 10,000 customers compared to OVO's 39.5.
At a brand level, both OVO Energy and Scottish Power accept Direct Debit, Cash/Cheque, and Prepayment methods. Their customer support phone lines operate on weekdays from 9am to 5pm, and remain closed on weekends.
| Metric | OVO Energy | Scottish Power |
|---|---|---|
| Average social media response time | 6 minutes 53 seconds | 2 minutes 25 seconds |
Complaints and performance
Complaint figures are shown with each supplier’s reporting period. No winner is declared when periods differ or one figure is missing.
Green Energy Comparison
OVO Energy
OVO Energy supplies an electricity fuel mix that is largely fossil fuels, with some renewable and nuclear energy. The company aims to become a net zero business by 2035 through its Plan Zero strategy. As part of its sustainability investments, it plants one tree for every member each year and reports that it shrank its emissions by more than 5 million tonnes between 2018 and 2023.[1][2]
Scottish Power
Scottish Power supplies an electricity fuel mix that is largely fossil fuels, with some renewable and nuclear energy. However, the company generates 100% of its own electricity from renewable sources, such as wind farms. Its parent company, Iberdrola, invests heavily in renewable energy generation, and Scottish Power has set targets to reach net zero. It also offers 100% renewable electricity on some of its fixed tariffs.
Our verdict
| If you care most about | Choose |
|---|---|
| The lowest annual cost on our assumptions | Either |
| Overall customer service | OVO Energy |
| A well-rated mobile app | Scottish Power |
| A greener fuel mix | OVO Energy |
There is no single best choice: compare price, service, app and green-energy evidence separately.
Use the decision table to match the available evidence to the factors that matter most to your household.
- Cheapest variable tariff at £1,611 / year
- 4.7 Trustpilot from 299,269 reviews
- iOS app rated 4.6 out of 5
- 99% of emails answered within 2 days
- 52% of Google Play ratings are negative
- Cheapest variable tariff at £1,611 / year
- 4.4 Trustpilot from 203,838 reviews
- iOS app rated 4.8 out of 5
- 94% of emails answered within 2 days
- 19% of Trustpilot reviews are 1-star
Frequently asked questions
Which is cheaper, OVO Energy or Scottish Power?
On the stored annual-cost assumptions, OVO Energy is £1,611 and Scottish Power is £1,611. The difference is within £5 a year, so it is treated as a tie.
Can OVO Energy and Scottish Power complaint rates be compared directly?
No direct complaint-rate winner is declared because OVO Energy and Scottish Power do not both have figures for the same stated reporting period.
Which supplier leads on customer service?
On the comparable customer-service measure used in the decision table, OVO Energy leads.
Which supplier has the better app evidence?
On the comparable app measure used in the decision table, Scottish Power leads.
Do tariff eligibility rules matter?
Yes. Specialist, time-of-use, EV, heat-pump and export tariffs can have equipment, meter or account requirements. Check the current supplier terms before applying.
Which supplier has the greener evidence?
On the comparable green-energy measure used in the decision table, OVO Energy leads. This row is based on published fuel-mix percentages.
Which is better overall, OVO Energy or Scottish Power?
There is no single overall winner in this repaired draft. Price, service, app and green-energy evidence are kept as separate choices in the decision table.
When was this comparison updated?
The structured source payload is for September 2026.
What changed this month
This month, OVO Energy's play store net-positive % fell from 1.3 to -9.2, Scottish Power's iOS sampled positive reviews rose from 1 to 3, and Scottish Power's iOS sampled reviews avg stars rose from 2.33 to 6. There were 22 other data changes this month — see the full changelog below for details.
Data changes this month (30)
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
Scottish Power
- Trustpilot reviews198,589 → 203,838
- Trustpilot negative reviews replied %91 → 92
- iOS app ratings count86,000 → 87,000
- iOS app days since last update26 → 28
- iOS sampled reviews avg stars2.33 → 6
- iOS sampled positive reviews1 → 3
- iOS sampled negative reviews2 → 0
- Play Store rating4.7281113 → 4.731496
- Play Store ratings count95,532 → 96,905
- Play Store days since last update27 → 28
- Play Store positive ratings %94.2 → 94.3
- Play Store neutral ratings %1.3 → 1.2
- Play Store net-positive %89.7 → 89.8
- Cheapest variable tariff£1,804.74 → £1,610.81
- Cheapest fixed tariff£1,990.1 → £1,829.85
- Cheapest tariff£1,804.74 → £1,610.81
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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.