OVO Energy Utilita Energy (August 2026)
Overview
OVO Energy edges ahead with stronger customer review scores, though Utilita Energy performs better on its Android app and Which? ratings.
OVO Energy ranks higher in this comparison due to stronger Trustpilot ratings, a higher Citizens Advice score, and the availability of fixed-term deals. Utilita Energy scores better in the Which? survey and on its Android app, while both suppliers offer effectively identical standard variable pricing.
About OVO Energy and Utilita Energy
Who are OVO Energy?
Founded in 2009, OVO Energy is privately owned and is one of the UK's largest domestic energy suppliers. In 2026, it announced a planned deal to become part of E.ON, which would increase its scale in the market. The supplier focuses on smart technology and electric vehicle charging, offering a rewards scheme called Beyond and an app to help drivers find public chargers.
Who are Utilita Energy?
Founded in 2003, Utilita Energy is privately owned by Luxion Group and is one of the UK's largest energy suppliers. It specialises in pay-as-you-go energy and smart meters. A key difference is that it does not charge a daily standing charge for prepayment customers, and it runs physical high street hubs where people can get face-to-face help.
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Tariffs and pricing
The cheapest overall tariffs from both suppliers are standard variable deals, which are effectively identical under our assumptions. OVO Energy's Simpler Energy tariff costs £1,805 a year, matching Utilita Energy's Smart Energy tariff at £1,805 a year. Neither option requires a fixed term or charges exit fees.
Households looking to lock in rates can consider OVO Energy's fixed-term deals. Its cheapest fixed option costs £1,923 a year for a 12-month contract, which includes a £100 exit fee. Utilita Energy does not currently list any fixed tariffs in our comparison data.
Tariff Options
OVO Energy
OVO Energy offers a standard variable tariff alongside a range of fixed-term options. It also provides specialist add-ons for electric vehicle drivers and tariffs that bundle energy with home emergency cover or greener electricity.
Utilita Energy
Utilita Energy focuses on pay-as-you-go energy and offers a standard variable tariff designed for prepayment meters. It does not currently offer any fixed-term tariffs for domestic customers.
Customer reviews
OVO Energy achieves a higher Trustpilot rating, scoring 4.7 out of 5 across a large volume of reviews. Approximately 77% of these ratings are five-star. While many customers note helpful staff and prompt responses, some report difficulties getting through to customer service.
Utilita Energy holds a 4.3 out of 5 Trustpilot score based on over 112,000 reviews, 72% of which are five-star. Reviewers frequently mention knowledgeable staff and efficient problem resolution. However, 16% of Utilita Energy's reviews are one-star, compared to 9% for OVO Energy. Both suppliers typically reply to negative feedback within 24 hours.
In the annual Which? survey, Utilita Energy scores 68, placing it ahead of OVO Energy at 61. Both suppliers receive 2 out of 5 for overall customer service and value for money. Utilita Energy achieves 10 out of 10 for smart meters and help for those who need it, while OVO Energy scores 5 out of 10 and 9 out of 10 in those respective categories.
App quality and features
OVO Energy holds the higher Apple App Store rating, scoring 4.6 out of 5 from 18,000 ratings, compared to Utilita Energy's 4.4 out of 5. Although a small recent sample of OVO Energy iOS reviews indicates a lower average of 3.7 stars, both suppliers have recently updated their apps.
For Android users, Utilita Energy takes the lead on Google Play with a 4.1 out of 5 score across more than 61,000 ratings. OVO Energy scores lower on this platform at 3.0 out of 5. Both applications record over 100,000 installs.
Recent release notes for the Utilita Energy app highlight a clearer account status and the ability to book smart meter appointments. Meanwhile, OVO Energy's latest updates focus on bug fixes and performance improvements.
Customer service and support
OVO Energy performs better in the Citizens Advice rankings, scoring 3.3 out of 5 to place 8th. Utilita Energy scores 2.35 out of 5, placing it 15th. OVO Energy also records a lower complaint rate, registering 39.5 complaints per 10,000 customers compared to 164 for Utilita Energy.
Utilita Energy is faster to answer the phone, with an average call centre wait time of 1 minute, whereas OVO Energy averages 1 minute 33 seconds. Utilita Energy also responds more quickly on social media, taking 1 minute 28 seconds on average compared to 6 minutes 53 seconds for OVO Energy. Both suppliers answer over 98% of emails within two days.
Both suppliers have registered vulnerability commitments with Citizens Advice. OVO Energy operates its phone lines on weekdays from 9am to 5pm. Utilita Energy offers longer contact hours, opening from 8am to 8pm on weekdays and 8am to 5pm on weekends.
Complaints and performance
In the first quarter of 2026, Utilita Energy received fewer complaints than OVO Energy. Utilita had 1,502 complaints for every 100,000 customers, while OVO had 1,725.
Green Energy Comparison
OVO Energy
OVO Energy has a sustainability plan called "Plan Zero", which sets a target to reach net zero by 2030. In 2023, the supplier stopped using Renewable Energy Guarantees of Origin (REGO) certificates and now focuses on direct power purchase agreements with renewable generators. It also runs a scheme called Power Move, which rewards customers for using electricity at greener times of the day, and has planted 5 million trees in schools and communities. Based on Citizens Advice data from January to March 2026, OVO Energy's electricity fuel mix is largely fossil fuels, with some renewable and nuclear energy.[1]
Utilita Energy
Utilita Energy aims to reach net zero by 2030. It helps customers track their environmental impact through a live carbon dashboard that shows the real-time fuel mix and carbon emissions of their energy. The supplier also offers solar panel and battery storage packages to help households generate their own power, and gives energy-saving tips through its app. Based on Citizens Advice data from January to March 2026, Utilita Energy's electricity fuel mix is largely fossil fuels, with some nuclear energy.[2]
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 | OVO Energy |
| A greener fuel mix | OVO Energy |
OVO Energy edges ahead with stronger customer review scores, though Utilita Energy performs better on its Android app and Which? ratings.
OVO Energy scores higher across the majority of metrics we reviewed. It achieves stronger Trustpilot ratings, a higher Citizens Advice score, and provides fixed-term tariffs for households looking to lock in their unit rates.
Utilita Energy may suit households who prioritise Android app functionality, as it scores notably higher on Google Play. It also answers phone calls faster and performs better in the Which? survey. However, because it lacks fixed tariffs in our current comparison data and holds a lower Citizens Advice score, OVO Energy may be a more suitable option for those seeking price certainty and stronger overall review metrics.
- Higher Trustpilot and Citizens Advice scores
- Stronger Apple App Store rating
- Offers fixed-term tariffs
- Lower Google Play Store rating
- Slower to answer the phone and social media messages
- Faster call centre and social media response times
- Higher Google Play app rating
- Higher overall Which? score
- Lower Citizens Advice score
- Higher Citizens Advice complaints rate
- No fixed-term tariffs currently listed in our comparison data
Frequently asked questions
Which supplier is better overall?
OVO Energy ranks higher on the data we compared. It has a better Citizens Advice score and higher Trustpilot ratings, though Utilita Energy performs better on Google Play and answers the phone faster.
Are OVO Energy and Utilita Energy prices similar?
Yes, their cheapest standard variable tariffs are effectively identical under our assumptions, both costing around £1,805 a year. However, OVO Energy also offers fixed-term deals, while Utilita Energy currently only lists a variable option.
Who has better customer reviews, OVO Energy or Utilita Energy?
OVO Energy has a higher Trustpilot score of 4.7 out of 5, compared to Utilita Energy's 4.3. However, Utilita Energy scores slightly higher in the annual Which? survey.
Which supplier has the better mobile app?
OVO Energy has a higher rating on the Apple App Store, scoring 4.6 out of 5. Utilita Energy takes the lead on Google Play, scoring 4.1 out of 5 compared to OVO Energy's 3.0.
Does OVO Energy or Utilita Energy answer the phone faster?
Utilita Energy answers calls faster, with an average wait time of 1 minute. OVO Energy takes slightly longer, with an average wait time of 1 minute 33 seconds.
Should I choose OVO Energy or Utilita Energy?
OVO Energy is the stronger pick if you want a fixed-term tariff and value high Trustpilot and Citizens Advice scores. Utilita Energy may suit you better if you want a highly rated Android app and faster phone support.
Do both suppliers charge exit fees?
Neither supplier charges an exit fee on their cheapest standard variable tariffs. However, OVO Energy's fixed-term deals do carry exit fees of £100.
What are the opening hours for both suppliers?
OVO Energy is open on weekdays from 9am to 5pm. Utilita Energy has longer hours, opening from 8am to 8pm on weekdays and 8am to 5pm on weekends.
Do both suppliers update their apps regularly?
Yes, both OVO Energy and Utilita Energy have released updates for their iOS and Android apps recently.
What changed this month
This month, OVO Energy's iOS app days since last update rose from 13 to 37, OVO Energy's play store days since last update rose from 14 to 37, and OVO Energy's cheapest tariff exit fee fell from £100 to £0. There were 21 other data changes this month — see the full changelog below for details.
Data changes this month (31)
OVO Energy
- Trustpilot reviews287,327 → 293,863
- iOS app days since last update13 → 37
- iOS app updates in last 90 days3 → 2
- iOS sampled reviews avg stars4.2 → 3.67
- iOS sampled positive reviews4 → 2
- Play Store rating3.2850413 → 3.0206423
- Play Store ratings count10,351 → 10,621
- Play Store days since last update14 → 37
- Play Store positive ratings %55.4 → 48.2
- Play Store negative ratings %40.2 → 46.9
- Play Store neutral ratings %4.5 → 4.9
- Play Store net-positive %15.2 → 1.3
- Cheapest fixed tariff£1,797.13 → £1,923.42
- Cheapest tariff£1,797.13 → £1,804.82
- Cheapest tariff exit fee£100 → £0
- Cheapest tariff term12 months → 0 months
- Tariff count5 → 4
- Fixed tariffs available4 → 3
- Longest fixed term24 months → 12 months
Utilita Energy
- Trustpilot reviews111,959 → 112,253
- Trustpilot negative reviews replied %99 → 100
- iOS app days since last update39 → 47
- iOS sampled reviews avg stars2.6 → 2.67
- iOS sampled positive reviews2 → 1
- iOS sampled negative reviews3 → 2
- Play Store rating4.136039 → 4.129011
- Play Store ratings count61,525 → 61,547
- Play Store days since last update38 → 61
- Play Store positive ratings %77.9 → 77.7
- Play Store negative ratings %18.6 → 18.7
- Play Store net-positive %59.3 → 59
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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.