Last reviewed: 1st August 2025
British Gas, one of the UK’s leading energy providers, has long been the go-to choice for many. However, as budgets tighten, it is worth considering who is cheaper than British Gas and if there is a better supplier for you.
By switching suppliers, you could potentially save a substantial amount of money each year.
In this post, we’ll look at British Gas’s current charges and a few alternative suppliers to see who is cheaper.
We will also look at which suppliers are better than British Gas, in case price is not your only consideration.
Quick answer: As of 1st August 2025, Octopus Energy’s 12‑month fix is £1 a year cheaper than British Gas and carries no exit fee. Octopus also have better customer service based on Citizens Advice ratings.
If you are a higher energy user, it is also worth considering OVO, E.ON Next, along with Octopus.
Which suppliers are cheaper than British Gas right now?
Here is a quick comparison of which suppliers are cheaper than British Gas based on Unit Rate and Standing Charge for gas and electricity.
| Supplier Name | Tariff Name | Gas Unit Rate | Electric Unit Rate | Gas Standing Charge | Electric Standing Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Octopus Energy | Octopus 12M Fixed | 5.75p | 24.76p | 28.69p | 45.82p |
| British Gas | Fixed Tariff 12M | 5.78p | 24.76p | 28.42p | 45.55p |
| E.ON Next | Next Pledge Tracker 12m | 5.98p | 24.12p | 29.64p | 46.77p |
| OVO Energy | 1 Year Fixed 24 | 5.88p | 23.72p | 28.49p | 54.30p |
| ScottishPower | Standard (Price Capped tariff) | 6.20p | 25.06p | 29.64p | 46.77p |
These prices are for a property in the East Midlands, using the average amount of gas and electricity for a 3-bedroom house, paying by direct debit and using a smart meter.
For most people, Octopus Energy will be the cheapest, big-name supplier.Get a free quote in less than one minute and £50 credit when you switch to Octopus.
Now let’s have a look at how this translates into how much you’ll likely pay per month with each supplier:
| Supplier name | Tariff name | Tariff type | Tariff length | Cost per month | Cost per year | Early exit fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Octopus Energy | Octopus 12M Fixed July 2025 v6 | Fixed | 12 months | £140 | £1,680 | £0 |
| British Gas | Fixed Tariff v81 | Fixed | 12 months | £140 | £1,681 | £100 |
| E.ON Next | Next Pledge Tracker 12m v9 | Variable | 12 months | £141 | £1,696 | £0 |
| OVO Energy | 1 Year Fixed 24 July 2025 | Fixed | 12 months | £141 | £1,696 | £100 |
| ScottishPower | Standard (Price Capped tariff) | Variable | monthly rolling | £146 | £1,749 | £0 |
Who is cheaper than British Gas overall?
As you can see from the table above, for the typical energy user, Octopus Energy is currently the only supplier offering a cheaper deal than British Gas.
They just beat British Gas overall in price by £1 per year, but have the added advantage of no exit fees, so you can switch whenever you like. Whereas British Gas currently charge £100 if you’d like to switch tariffs!
The tables above provide a quick guide on which tariffs are currently cheaper than those offered by British Gas, but continue reading for more details on each supplier.
Who is cheaper for low‑usage households?
If you are a low-energy user and are looking for a tariff with the lowest standing charges, then British Gas is actually the cheapest supplier. They have the lowest standing charge rates for both Gas and Electricity, closely followed by Octopus.
Who is cheaper higher‑usage households?
If you are a higher energy user, then unit rates are the most important part to focus on. This is because these are charged for each unit of energy you use, unlike the fixed costs of standing charges, so the cheaper these are, the better.
For higher gas users, Octopus Energy offers the cheapest Gas unit rate and is the only supplier cheaper than British Gas.
For higher electricity users, OVO, E.ON Next and Octopus are all cheaper than British Gas.
British Gas
As a benchmark, these are the current prices for customers on new British Gas tariffs. As the Energy Price cap restricts how much suppliers can charge, if you are an existing customer of British Gas’ Standard Variable Tariff, you are likely paying a similar price to the variable tariff below.
Again, these prices are for a property in the East Midlands, using the average amount of gas and electricity for a 3-bedroom house, paying by direct debit and using a smart meter.
To keep things simple, we have just picked the cheapest variable and cheapest fixed tariff currently available:
| Tariff Name | Tariff Description | Monthly Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Fixed Tariff v81 | A fixed tariff for 1 year. Exit fee of £50 per fuel. | £140 |
| Standard Variable Tariff | A variable tariff. No exit fees. | £146 |
Octopus Energy
First, we’ll look at whether Octopus Energy are cheaper than British Gas. Octopus are the only supplier bigger than British Gas and has consistently been one of the cheaper suppliers in the past.
Here are the results from our quote search using the same details as for British Gas:
| Tariff Name | Tariff Description | Monthly Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Octopus Tracker Tariff | A smart tariff where prices change daily | £120* |
| Octopus Fixed 12m | Fixed tariff. No exit fees. | £140 |
| Flexible Octopus | A variable tariff. No exit fees. | £145 |
Octopus now have a fixed tariff available to new customers. They also offer a ‘smart’ tariff called Tracker where prices change daily. You can find more information in our Octopus Tracker Tariff Review.
*For this comparison, we have manually calculated the cost using the average price for the last 30 days.
As you can see, Octopus Energy would likely be a cheaper option for you than British Gas if you are looking for either a fixed or variable tariff. If you are happy to switch to the Tracker tariff, then you could save even more per month.
OVO
Next, we will take a look and see if OVO are cheaper than British Gas:
| Tariff Name | Tariff Description | Monthly Cost |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Year Fixed | A fixed tariff for 1 year. Exit fee of £50 per fuel. | £141 |
| Simpler Energy | A variable tariff. No exit fees. | £146 |
As you can see from the above, OVO’s fixed tariff is more expensive than the one from British Gas, with their variable tariffs being the same price.
The difference is so close, it is difficult to say here that OVO are cheaper than British Gas; therefore, if you are an existing British Gas customer, there is likely little point switching based on price alone.
E.ON Next
Another contender is E.ON Next. Let’s look and see if they are cheaper than British Gas:
| Tariff Name | Tariff Description | Monthly Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Next Pledge Tracker 12m | A variable tariff. No exit fees. | £141 |
| Next Gust | A fixed tariff for 1 year. Exit fee of £50 per fuel. | £143 |
E.ON Next is cheaper than British Gas for variable tariffs. With their Next Pledge tariff coming in at £5 per month cheaper than the comparative British Gas tariff.
Their fixed tariff is more expensive than the comparable British Gas tariff, and both are more expensive than British Gas’s cheapest offering.
ScottishPower
Finally, we’ll see if ScottishPower are cheaper than British Gas.
| Tariff Name | Tariff Description | Monthly Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Standard Variable | A variable tariff. No exit fees. | £146 |
ScottishPower are more expensive than British Gas by around £6 per month. If you’re with British Gas, then switching to ScottishPower is unlikely to save you money.
Who is cheaper than British Gas?
From the main suppliers we have looked at here, the following suppliers could get you a cheaper deal than British Gas:
Clicking on the link above will take you straight to the supplier’s ‘Get a Quote’ page, so you can get a personalised quote.
As quotes will vary based on factors such as your usage and location, it is important to get a quote from each supplier yourself before deciding which one is cheaper for you.
It is also worth considering any early exit fees you may have to pay by leaving your existing deal. If you are on a variable tariff, you will likely not have an Exit Fee to pay, but if you are on a Fixed tariff, then you may.
Who is better than British Gas?
When switching suppliers, price is not the only factor to consider. Based on Trustpilot scores and scores from CitizensAdvice, we have put the table below showing which suppliers could be considered to be better than British Gas:
| Supplier Name | Which? Score | Trustpilot Score | CitizensAdvice |
|---|---|---|---|
| British Gas | 58% | 4.3 | 3.3 |
| Octopus Energy | 74% | 4.8 | 3.2 |
| OVO | 58% | 4.6 | 3.6 |
| E.ON Next | 62% | 4.5 | 3.1 |
| ScottishPower | 59% | 4.3 | 3.6 |
From this, you can see that Octopus Energy and ScottishPower are the top two picks that are better than British Gas based on customer scores. The other suppliers mentioned are better for customer reviews but not necessarily for customer service.
It is important to remember that there are other factors you can compare to, like the usability of each supplier’s apps, how green their energy is, customer service response times and their complaints record. Our site has various guides that look at this in more detail for each supplier
You can find some key ones below:
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it free to switch away from British Gas?
Yes – if you are on a variable tariff there is no exit fee, but British Gas charges £50 per fuel if you leave its current 12‑month fix.
How long does the energy‑switching process take?
Under the Energy Switch Guarantee, most UK switches complete within five working days, with no interruption to your gas or electricity supply.
Will my lights or heating go off during the switch?
No – the physical supply comes through the same pipes and wires, so you will not experience any downtime.
Do I need a smart meter to get these prices?
The comparison tables assume you pay by direct debit and have a smart meter; rates may be slightly higher for standard credit or pre‑payment customers.
Which supplier currently has the lowest standing charges?
For the average three‑bed home, British Gas posts the lowest standing charges, closely followed by Octopus Energy.
Are Octopus Energy’s tariffs always cheaper than British Gas?
At today’s rates (1 August 2025) Octopus is £1 a year cheaper on the typical 12‑month fix, but prices vary by region and usage, so always get a personalised quote.
What happens if the Ofgem price cap falls after I switch?
On a variable tariff your rates will drop automatically; on a fixed deal you can leave early but may need to pay the exit fee unless your new supplier covers it.
Does switching affect the Warm Home Discount or other support schemes?
No – eligibility is set by government criteria; simply re‑apply with your new supplier after the switch.
Can I switch again if prices keep falling?
Yes – Octopus, E.ON Next and other no‑exit‑fee tariffs let you move whenever you like, whereas fixed deals from British Gas or OVO lock you in for 12 months unless you pay the fee.
Hi, Harry, I am with British Gas. I use 2 kWh per day but I think I can get it lower than that. More than half my bill is the standing charge. I think it is 60p per day. Which company would give me a better deal?
hi harry.i am with eon next don’t know why my electric is an extra £40 a month i was paying £150 monthly hust put it up to £170.just my wife and i in small 2 bedroom bungalow.can you help.thanks daniel fitzgerald.
sign me up please