Scottish Power So Energy (September 2026)
Scottish Power vs So Energy
There is no single best choice: compare price, service, app and green-energy evidence separately.
About Scottish Power and So Energy
Who is Scottish Power?
Scottish Power was formed in 1990 and is now owned by the Spanish utility group Iberdrola. It is one of the UK's largest domestic energy suppliers, providing gas and electricity to homes across the country. As well as energy supply, it runs the local electricity network in parts of Scotland, Wales and England. What sets it apart is its long-running partnership with Cancer Research UK, raising about £40 million for the charity since 2012, and its Plain Numbers approval for easy-to-read bills.
Products & services
Awards & recognition
Who is So Energy?
So Energy launched in 2015 and is backed by the Irish state-owned energy company ESB following a merger in 2021. It is an established domestic supplier that focuses on simple, green energy. A key difference is its customer voting system, which lets households choose the type of UK-based renewable energy generation the company invests in. It also runs a loyalty scheme with prize draws and a referral programme.
Products & services
Awards & recognition
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Tariffs and pricing
The lowest-priced option across both suppliers is So Energy's So Green Tracker 24m at £1,508 a year. This variable tracker tariff requires a 24-month contract and includes a £190 total exit fee. Scottish Power's cheapest equivalent is its Standard variable tariff, costing £1,611 a year with no fixed term or exit fees. Consequently, So Energy is £103 a year (around £9 a month) cheaper, though it demands a longer commitment and imposes early exit penalties.
For households preferring to lock in their unit rates, So Energy provides the more competitively priced fixed deal. The So Kestrel 18m tariff costs £1,735 a year, undercutting Scottish Power's cheapest fixed option—the Exclusive Help Beat Cancer Fixed Sep 2027 SM2 at £1,830 a year—by £95. It is worth noting that So Energy's fixed contract lasts 18 months and includes a £190 exit fee, whereas Scottish Power offers a shorter 12-month term with no exit fees.
| Metric | Scottish Power | So Energy |
|---|---|---|
| Cheapest tariff exit fee | £0 | £190 |
| Cheapest fixed tariff exit fee | £0 | £190 |
Scottish Power and So Energy: Tariff Options
Scottish Power tariffs
Scottish Power offers a range of standard and specialist tariffs for households, with fixed deals lasting 12 months.
So Energy tariffs
So Energy provides standard and specialist tariffs, with fixed deals available on 12, 18 and 24-month terms.
Customer reviews
So Energy achieves higher scores across the independent customer satisfaction sources in our data. On Trustpilot, the supplier holds a 4.5 out of 5 rating from over 30,000 reviews, with 73% of users awarding it five stars. Scottish Power maintains a slightly lower 4.4 out of 5 rating, though this is drawn from a much larger volume of over 203,000 reviews, 60% of which are five stars. Additionally, 19% of Scottish Power's reviews are one-star, compared to 12% for So Energy.
Feedback on Trustpilot often highlights So Energy's polite and patient staff when explaining tariffs, alongside straightforward account management. Conversely, critical reviews point to long telephone wait times and expensive pricing structures. Scottish Power customers frequently mention helpful representatives and a functional online portal, but negative comments tend to focus on unexpected costs, confusing billing, and difficulties contacting support agents.
The annual Which? survey places So Energy ahead with a score of 60 out of 100, compared to Scottish Power's 56 out of 100. The sub-metrics use different scales. So Energy scores 3 out of 5 for customer service and value for money, while Scottish Power scores 2 out of 5 on both measures. Scottish Power performs better on smart meters, scoring 4 out of 10 compared with So Energy's 2 out of 10.
App quality and features
Scottish Power holds a distinct advantage regarding app volume and ratings. Its iOS application scores 4.8 out of 5 from 87,000 ratings, while the Android version achieves 4.7 out of 5 from over 96,000 ratings on the Google Play Store. Recording over 1,000,000 Android installs, it represents a highly established platform, with both versions receiving recent updates.
So Energy's apps achieve 4.7 out of 5 on iOS and 4.6 out of 5 on Google Play. However, these figures are drawn from very small samples of 225 and 138 ratings, respectively. This limited data makes it difficult to draw a direct comparison against Scottish Power's tens of thousands of user reviews.
A recent sample of iOS feedback for Scottish Power indicates that while many users find the app effective, others report smart meter connectivity issues and confusing account balances. Meanwhile, So Energy users generally describe their app as easy to navigate and informative, although one recent review highlighted a glitch when attempting to submit a meter reading.
Service and support
Average wait: 1.3 min
Hours: Weekdays 9am–5pm, closed Saturday, closed Sunday
Average wait: 1.1 min
Hours: Weekdays 9am–5pm, closed Saturday, closed Sunday
Replies: 94% within 2 days
Hours: 24/7
Replies: 91% within 2 days
Hours: 24/7
Average response: ~2 min
Hours: Business hrs
Scottish Power ranks slightly higher in the latest Citizens Advice data, scoring 2.94 out of 5 to secure 10th place overall. So Energy follows closely with a score of 2.86 out of 5, placing 12th. Both suppliers maintain formal vulnerability commitments registered with Citizens Advice.
In terms of contact times, So Energy answers phone calls slightly faster, averaging a call centre wait time of 1 minute 6 seconds against Scottish Power's 1 minute 16 seconds. Conversely, Scottish Power responds to emails more efficiently, replying to 94.3% within two days compared to 91.3% for So Energy. Furthermore, Scottish Power lists an average social media response time of 2 minutes 25 seconds, a metric So Energy does not currently publish.
Both suppliers operate their customer support lines on weekdays from 9am to 5pm and remain closed over the weekend. For bill settlement, Scottish Power accepts Direct Debit, cash, cheques, and prepayment. In contrast, So Energy only lists Direct Debit as an accepted payment method at the brand level.
| Metric | Scottish Power | So Energy |
|---|---|---|
| Average social media response time | 2 minutes 25 seconds | N/A |
Complaints and performance
Scottish Power's figures are from Q4 2025, when it received 1,458 complaints per 100,000 customers. So Energy's data is from Q2 2026, showing it received 1,474 complaints per 100,000 customers.
Looking at how quickly they fix issues, Scottish Power resolved 60% of complaints by the end of the next working day in Q4 2025, and 86% within eight weeks. In Q2 2026, So Energy resolved 49% of complaints by the next working day, and 93% within eight weeks.
Main reasons for complaints
For Scottish Power, the most common reason for complaints was Billing, which made up 32% of the total. This was followed by Payment Issues at 27%, and Metering at 15%. Customer Services and Marketing made up 11% and 5% of complaints.
So Energy's main cause for complaints was Customer Service, which made up 31% of its total. Payment Issues made up 16%. The rest of its top five reasons were related to billing and meters: Billing & Meter reading issues - unrelated with meter type (13%), Billing & Meter reading issues - smart/advanced meter related (12%), and Meter installation/exchange or meter not working - smart or advanced credit meter (8%).
Green Energy Comparison
Scottish Power's green energy approach
Based on Citizens Advice data for January to March 2026, Scottish Power's electricity fuel mix is largely fossil fuels, with some renewable, other and nuclear energy. While its overall mix relies heavily on fossil fuels, the supplier offers 100% green electricity on specific fixed tariffs. It also helps customers generate their own renewable energy by selling solar panels and battery systems.
So Energy's green energy approach
Based on Citizens Advice data for January to March 2026, So Energy's electricity fuel mix is a mostly renewable mix, with some fossil fuels, nuclear and other energy. The supplier guarantees 100% renewable electricity on all of its fixed-rate tariffs. It also supports home sustainability by installing solar panels, batteries and EV chargers.[1]
Our verdict
| If you care most about | Choose |
|---|---|
| The lowest annual cost on our assumptions | So Energy |
| Overall customer service | Scottish Power |
| A well-rated mobile app | Scottish Power |
| A greener fuel mix | So 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
- 4.4 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
- Cheapest variable tariff at £1,508 / year
- 4.5 Trustpilot from 30,767 reviews
- iOS app rated 4.7 out of 5
- 91% of emails answered within 2 days
- Cheapest overall tariff carries a £190 exit fee
Frequently asked questions
Which is cheaper, Scottish Power or So Energy?
On the stored annual-cost assumptions, Scottish Power is £1,611 and So Energy is £1,508. So Energy is lower by about £103 a year.
Can Scottish Power and So Energy complaint rates be compared directly?
No direct complaint-rate winner is declared because Scottish Power and So Energy 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, Scottish Power 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, So Energy leads. This row is based on published fuel-mix percentages.
Which is better overall, Scottish Power or So Energy?
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, Scottish Power's iOS sampled positive reviews rose from 1 to 3, Scottish Power's iOS sampled reviews avg stars rose from 2.33 to 6, and Scottish Power's iOS sampled negative reviews fell from 2 to 0. There were 22 other data changes this month — see the full changelog below for details.
Data changes this month (33)
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
So Energy
- Trustpilot reviews30,220 → 30,767
- Trustpilot negative reviews replied %100 → 99
- iOS app ratings count197 → 225
- iOS app days since last update45 → 75
- iOS sampled reviews avg stars3.67 → 3.75
- iOS sampled neutral reviews0 → 1
- Play Store rating4.62 → 4.64
- Play Store ratings count127 → 138
- Play Store days since last update46 → 76
- Play Store positive ratings %92 → 91.9
- Play Store negative ratings %3.2 → 2.2
- Play Store neutral ratings %4.8 → 5.9
- Play Store net-positive %88.8 → 89.7
- Avg social media response time351 → no longer available
- Cheapest variable tariff£1,687.08 → £1,508.13
- Cheapest fixed tariff£1,828.88 → £1,734.74
- Cheapest tariff£1,687.08 → £1,508.13
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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.