Octopus Energy British Gas (September 2026)
Overview
Octopus Energy wins comfortably on customer service and app ratings, though British Gas currently offers a cheaper variable tariff.
Octopus Energy scores higher across most of the data reviewed, including independent service ratings and customer feedback. While British Gas currently provides a cheaper variable tariff, Octopus offers a lower-priced fixed option and charges lower exit fees on the deals compared.
About Octopus Energy and British Gas
Who are Octopus Energy?
Set up in 2015, Octopus Energy is backed by large investment groups such as Origin Energy and Tokyo Gas, and has grown to become the UK's largest domestic energy supplier. It runs on its own technology platform, Kraken, which helps it manage customer accounts and develop smart energy products. A key difference is its focus on customer service and a rewards scheme called Octoplus, which gives customers free items like cinema tickets.
Products & services
Awards & recognition
Who is British Gas?
Owned by Centrica, British Gas is one of the UK's oldest and most recognised energy brands, and remains one of the UK's largest domestic energy suppliers. A key difference is its broad range of bundled home services, which let customers manage their energy alongside boiler cover and smart home heating controls in one account.
Products & services
Awards & recognition
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Tariffs and pricing
The lowest-priced tariff across both suppliers is the Cap Tracker Plus Sep27 v1 from British Gas. This variable deal costs £1,551 a year, making it £48 cheaper annually than the most affordable option from Octopus Energy, the Flexible Octopus variable tariff at £1,598 a year. Neither of these variable tariffs requires a fixed term; however, the British Gas deal includes a £50 exit fee, whereas the Octopus option has none.
For households looking to lock in their unit rates, Octopus Energy provides the cheaper fixed deal. The Octopus 12M Fixed August 2026 v6 tariff costs £1,642 a year for a 12-month term and carries a £100 exit fee. In contrast, the lowest-priced fixed option from British Gas is the Fix and Boiler Bonus v14 at £1,649 a year, which spans 21 months and includes a £200 exit fee.
According to the comparison data, neither Octopus Energy nor British Gas is currently a signatory to the Energy Switch Guarantee.
Tariff options
Octopus Energy tariffs
Octopus Energy offers a standard variable tariff and fixed-term deals, alongside a wide range of smart and specialist tariffs. These include dynamic time-of-use options, electric vehicle tariffs, and export deals for homes that generate their own power.
British Gas tariffs
British Gas offers standard variable and fixed-term tariffs, as well as specialist options for specific home setups. Its range includes smart tariffs for electric vehicle owners, homes with heat pumps, and households with battery storage or solar panels.
Customer reviews
Octopus Energy holds a higher Trustpilot score than British Gas, rating 4.8 out of 5 across 857,633 reviews. Customers frequently mention polite staff and fast response times, with 90% of reviews awarding five stars. Conversely, some users report communication issues, noting that emails can occasionally go unanswered or face heavy delays.
British Gas scores 4.5 out of 5 from 353,681 Trustpilot reviews, with 66% of customers leaving a five-star rating. Feedback often highlights professional engineers who arrive on time and communicate clearly. On the other hand, 20% of British Gas reviews sit at one star, with users citing long wait times and unhelpful communication loops when attempting to resolve account updates.
In the annual Which? energy survey, Octopus Energy achieves an overall score of 74, while British Gas scores 59. Octopus receives 4 out of 5 for overall customer service, compared to 2 out of 5 for British Gas. Furthermore, Octopus achieves 10 out of 10 for help for those who need it, alongside 4 out of 5 for ease of contacting. British Gas scores 8 out of 10 for help but shows a notable weakness in its switching process, scoring 0 out of 5.
App ratings and features
Both Octopus Energy and British Gas provide mobile apps with over 1,000,000 installs on Google Play. Octopus Energy holds the higher rating on the App Store, scoring 4.8 out of 5 from 254,000 ratings, compared to 4.5 out of 5 from 14,000 ratings for British Gas. Octopus also leads on Google Play, scoring 4.4 from 47,238 ratings, whereas British Gas scores 4.2 from 13,701 ratings.
Both apps have received recent updates. A recent release for British Gas introduced a feature allowing prepayment users to check the status of their emergency credit directly within the app. A small sample of recent iOS reviews for British Gas indicates ongoing technical problems, with users feeling the software has not improved over time. The recent iOS sample for Octopus Energy also averages 1.7 stars; users mention frustration regarding direct debit changes and smart meter connection errors, though some note these issues were eventually resolved.
Service and support
Average wait: 1.3 min
Hours: Mon–Thu 9am–5pm, Fri 9am–4pm, closed Saturday, closed Sunday
Average wait: 51 sec
Hours: Weekdays 8am–6pm, open Saturday 9am–2pm, closed Sunday
Replies: 86% within 2 days
Hours: 24/7
Replies: 98% within 2 days
Hours: 24/7
Average response: ~1 min
Hours: Business hrs
Octopus Energy ranks 4th in the Citizens Advice energy ratings with an overall score of 3.67 out of 5. British Gas sits lower in the table at 13th place, scoring 2.61 out of 5. Both suppliers maintain formal vulnerability commitments registered with Citizens Advice to support households requiring extra assistance.
British Gas answers phone calls faster, recording an average call centre wait time of 51 seconds. In comparison, Octopus Energy customers wait an average of 1 minute 17 seconds. British Gas also responds to a higher proportion of emails within two days (97.9%) than Octopus (86.1%). For social media support, British Gas averages a response time of 55 seconds, whereas Octopus does not publish this specific figure.
Both suppliers accept Direct Debit, Cash/Cheque, and Prepayment at a brand level. Octopus Energy phone lines are open Monday to Thursday from 9am to 5pm, and Friday from 9am to 4pm, but remain closed on Saturday and Sunday. British Gas operates longer hours, opening weekdays from 8am to 6pm and Saturday from 9am to 2pm, closing only on Sundays.
| Metric | Octopus Energy | British Gas |
|---|---|---|
| Average social media response time | N/A | 55 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
Octopus Energy
Based on Citizens Advice data for January to March 2026, Octopus Energy's electricity supply is a mostly renewable mix, with some nuclear power. The supplier states it gives customers 100% zero-carbon electricity. It builds its own renewable generation projects and is one of Europe's leading investors in green energy. It also sells and installs heat pumps and solar panels to help homes cut their carbon footprint, and runs a local energy scheme that gives customers cheaper electricity when nearby wind turbines are spinning.[1]
British Gas
According to Citizens Advice data for January to March 2026, the British Gas electricity mix is largely nuclear, with some fossil fuels and renewables. We did not identify a dedicated green tariff in British Gas's current published domestic range when checked. The company aims to help the UK [reach zero carbon emissions by 2050. To support this, it focuses on selling and installing energy efficiency products such as solar panels, heat pumps, and home insulation to help customers lower their carbon footprint.[2]
Our verdict
| If you care most about | Choose |
|---|---|
| The lowest annual cost on our assumptions | British Gas |
| Overall customer service | Octopus Energy |
| A well-rated mobile app | Octopus Energy |
| A greener fuel mix | Octopus Energy |
Octopus Energy wins comfortably on customer service and app ratings, though British Gas currently offers a cheaper variable tariff.
Octopus Energy leads across most of the service and app metrics reviewed, scoring highly with both Citizens Advice and Which?. It also offers the cheaper fixed tariff in this comparison. British Gas answers phone calls faster and currently provides a cheaper variable tariff, but it scores lower on overall customer satisfaction.
Households prioritising the cheapest variable tariff or faster phone support may find British Gas a suitable option. However, for those who value overall customer service, highly rated mobile apps, or locking in a cheaper fixed price, Octopus Energy aligns better with the available evidence.
- Higher overall scores from Citizens Advice and Which?
- Stronger customer ratings on Trustpilot and major app stores
- Cheaper fixed tariff based on the deals compared
- No exit fee on its cheapest variable deal
- More expensive standard variable tariff
- Longer average call centre wait times
- Customer phone lines are closed on weekends
- Cheaper standard variable tariff
- Faster average call centre answering times
- Higher percentage of emails answered within two days
- Phone lines are open on Saturday mornings
- Lower overall customer service scores from independent bodies
- 20% of Trustpilot reviews are one-star
- High £200 exit fee on its cheapest fixed tariff
Frequently asked questions
Which supplier is larger, Octopus Energy or British Gas?
Octopus Energy is the UK's largest domestic energy supplier. British Gas remains one of the UK's largest and most recognised energy brands.
Who has the cheaper fixed tariff, Octopus Energy or British Gas?
Based on the deals we compared, Octopus Energy offers the cheaper fixed tariff at £1,642 a year, compared to £1,649 a year for the cheapest fixed deal from British Gas.
Which supplier gets better customer reviews on Trustpilot?
Octopus Energy holds a higher Trustpilot rating of 4.8 out of 5, with 90% of reviews awarding five stars. British Gas scores 4.5 out of 5, with 66% of its reviews rating it five stars.
Do Octopus and British Gas have mobile apps to manage my energy?
Yes, both suppliers offer mobile apps for iOS and Android. Octopus Energy achieves higher ratings on both the App Store and Google Play.
Which supplier answers the phone faster?
British Gas has a shorter average call centre wait time of 51 seconds. Octopus Energy customers wait an average of 1 minute 17 seconds to speak to a representative.
Should I choose Octopus Energy or British Gas?
Octopus Energy ranks higher across most service, app, and independent review metrics, and offers a cheaper fixed deal. British Gas may be a better fit if you want a cheaper variable tariff or faster call answering times.
Do Octopus Energy and British Gas charge exit fees?
It depends on the tariff you choose. The cheapest variable tariff from Octopus Energy has no exit fee, while the cheapest British Gas variable deal carries a £50 exit fee. Both suppliers charge exit fees on their cheapest fixed tariffs (£100 for Octopus and £200 for British Gas).
Are Octopus Energy and British Gas open on weekends?
British Gas phone lines are open on Saturday mornings from 9am to 2pm, but closed on Sundays. Octopus Energy phone lines are closed all weekend.
Do these suppliers offer smart tariffs for electric vehicles?
Yes, both Octopus Energy and British Gas provide specialist smart tariffs designed for electric vehicle owners who charge their cars at home overnight.
How do Octopus and British Gas perform in Which? tests?
Octopus Energy achieves a Which? score of 74 and rates 4 out of 5 for overall customer service. British Gas scores 59 overall and rates 2 out of 5 for customer service.
What changed this month
This month, British Gas's fixed tariffs available rose from 1 to 3, British Gas's iOS sampled negative reviews rose from 0 to 3, and Octopus Energy's iOS app days since last update fell from 6 to 1. There were 32 other data changes this month — see the full changelog below for details.
Data changes this month (42)
Octopus Energy
- Trustpilot reviews837,814 → 857,633
- iOS app ratings count249,000 → 254,000
- iOS app days since last update6 → 1
- iOS sampled reviews avg stars2 → 1.67
- Play Store rating4.3956046 → 4.3669577
- Play Store ratings count47,091 → 47,238
- Play Store days since last update2 → 1
- Play Store positive ratings %85.5 → 84.5
- Play Store negative ratings %11 → 11.7
- Play Store neutral ratings %3.5 → 3.7
- Play Store net-positive %74.5 → 72.8
- Cheapest variable tariff£1,792.32 → £1,598.38
- Cheapest fixed tariff£1,841.19 → £1,641.76
- Cheapest tariff£1,792.32 → £1,598.38
- Tariff count3 → 2
- Fixed tariffs available2 → 1
British Gas
- Trustpilot rating4.4 → 4.5
- Trustpilot reviews350,018 → 353,681
- Trustpilot 5-star %65 → 66
- Trustpilot 3-star %4 → 3
- Trustpilot positive reviews %73 → 74
- Trustpilot neutral reviews %4 → 3
- Trustpilot net-positive %50 → 51
- iOS app ratings count13,000 → 14,000
- iOS app days since last update9 → 15
- iOS sampled reviews avg starsnow available (1.67)
- iOS sampled negative reviews0 → 3
- Play Store rating4.0881915 → 4.1812863
- Play Store ratings count13,409 → 13,701
- Play Store days since last update10 → 18
- Play Store positive ratings %77.4 → 80.1
- Play Store negative ratings %19.1 → 16.4
- Play Store net-positive %58.3 → 63.7
- Avg social media response timenow available (55)
- Cheapest variable tariff£1,744.71 → £1,550.78
- Cheapest fixed tariff£1,833.95 → £1,649.29
- Cheapest tariff£1,744.71 → £1,550.78
- Cheapest fixed tariff exit fee£150 → £200
- Cheapest fixed tariff term24 months → 21 months
- Tariff count3 → 5
- Fixed tariffs available1 → 3
- Shortest fixed term24 months → 21 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.