Octopus Energy Scottish Power (September 2026)
Overview
Octopus Energy wins with cheaper tariffs and significantly stronger customer service scores, though Scottish Power offers a higher-rated Android app.
Octopus Energy leads across the categories we measured. It provides cheaper fixed and variable tariffs, along with higher customer satisfaction scores on Trustpilot and Which?. Scottish Power, however, offers a higher-rated Android app.
About Octopus Energy and Scottish Power
Who are Octopus Energy?
Octopus Energy started in 2015. It is backed by Octopus Group, along with other investors such as Origin Energy and Tokyo Gas. It has grown quickly to become the UK's largest domestic energy supplier. The company runs its own technology platform, called Kraken, to manage customer accounts and billing. It offers a wide range of smart tariffs for homes with electric vehicles, heat pumps, and solar panels. It also runs a rewards scheme called Octoplus, which gives customers points for shifting their energy use to greener, off-peak times. It holds the Which? Recommended Provider award for 2026, marking its ninth year in a row winning this. It also won Best Value for Money, Best Customer Service, and Overall Customer Satisfaction at the 2026 Uswitch Energy Awards.
Products & services
Awards & recognition
Who is Scottish Power?
Scottish Power was formed in 1990 before the UK electricity industry was sold to private companies. It was bought by the Spanish utility group Iberdrola in 2007. Today, it is one of the UK's largest domestic energy suppliers. Scottish Power offers standard energy tariffs as well as home technology like solar panels, heat pumps, and electric vehicle chargers. A key feature is its long-running partnership with Cancer Research UK, which it supports through specific charity tariffs. It also runs a rewards club called My ScottishPower and a scheme called Power Saver, which rewards customers for using less electricity during busy times.
Products & services
Awards & recognition
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Tariffs and pricing
Octopus Energy currently provides the cheaper overall deal in this comparison. Its lowest-priced option is a variable tariff called Flexible Octopus, costing £1,598 a year. Scottish Power's cheapest equivalent is its Standard variable tariff at £1,611 a year. Neither of these variable tariffs carries an exit fee.
For households that prefer knowing their unit rates in advance, Octopus Energy also provides a cheaper fixed deal. The Octopus 12M Fixed August 2026 v6 tariff costs £1,642 a year and includes a 12-month term with a £100 exit fee. Scottish Power's cheapest fixed alternative costs £1,830 a year for a 12-month term, but it allows customers to leave without penalty.
| Metric | Octopus Energy | Scottish Power |
|---|---|---|
| Cheapest tariff exit fee | £0 | £0 |
| Cheapest fixed tariff exit fee | £100 | £0 |
Octopus Energy and Scottish Power: Tariff Options
Octopus Energy
Octopus Energy offers mainstream standard variable and fixed-rate deals with terms of 12 months. It also provides a wide range of specialist smart tariffs for households with electric vehicles, heat pumps, solar panels, and battery storage.
Scottish Power
Scottish Power offers a standard variable tariff alongside 12-month fixed deals, including options that support charity. It also provides specialist smart tariffs for electric vehicle owners and homes with heat pumps.
Customer reviews
Octopus Energy scores higher across independent review platforms. It holds a 4.8 out of 5 Trustpilot rating from over 857,000 reviews, with 90% of customers awarding it five stars. Scottish Power maintains a 4.4 out of 5 rating from over 203,000 reviews, featuring a 60% five-star share alongside 19% of reviewers giving it one star.
Feedback for Octopus Energy frequently points to helpful team members and efficient support, although some users note instances of delayed email responses. Scottish Power customers often mention polite staff and a straightforward online experience, while recurring complaints focus on unexpected costs and confusing billing details.
In the annual Which? survey, Octopus Energy achieves an overall score of 74, compared to Scottish Power's 56. Octopus Energy earns 4 out of 5 for overall customer service and 10 out of 10 for helping those who need it. Scottish Power scores 2 out of 5 and 7 out of 10 in those respective categories.
App experience
Both suppliers provide mobile apps with over a million installs each, sharing a 4.8 out of 5 rating on the iOS App Store. On the Google Play Store, Scottish Power holds a higher 4.7 out of 5 rating, while the Octopus Energy app scores 4.4 out of 5.
Both apps have received recent updates. Scottish Power's latest release notes indicate a new monthly breakdown feature for Direct Debit customers to track energy usage. A sample of iOS reviews for Scottish Power shows users finding the app useful, whereas some Octopus Energy customers report technical issues following smart meter installations.
Service and support
Average wait: 1.3 min
Hours: Mon–Thu 9am–5pm, Fri 9am–4pm, closed Saturday, closed Sunday
Average wait: 1.3 min
Hours: Weekdays 9am–5pm, closed Saturday, closed Sunday
Replies: 86% within 2 days
Hours: 24/7
Replies: 94% within 2 days
Hours: 24/7
Average response: ~2 min
Hours: Business hrs
Based on Citizens Advice data, Octopus Energy achieves an overall score of 3.67 out of 5, placing 4th. Scottish Power scores 2.94 out of 5, placing 10th. Both suppliers have registered formal vulnerability commitments with Citizens Advice to support their customers.
Phone wait times are similar for both providers: an average of 1 minute 17 seconds for Octopus Energy and 1 minute 16 seconds for Scottish Power. Scottish Power responds to emails faster, replying to 94.3% within two days, compared to 86.1% for Octopus Energy.
Scottish Power lists a social media response time of 2 minutes 25 seconds; this figure is not currently available for Octopus Energy. Octopus Energy's phone lines operate Monday to Thursday 9am to 5pm and Friday 9am to 4pm. Scottish Power is open on weekdays from 9am to 5pm. Both providers are closed at the weekend.
| Metric | Octopus Energy | Scottish Power |
|---|---|---|
| Complaints per 10,000 customers | 21.3 | 61.8 |
| Average social media response time | N/A | 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
Octopus Energy
Octopus Energy supplies 100% zero-carbon electricity. According to Citizens Advice data, the electricity it supplies to customers is a mostly renewable mix, with some nuclear power. The company invests heavily in renewable energy generation and builds its own wind and solar farms. It also offers specialist tariffs that encourage customers to use energy when renewable generation is high on the grid.
Scottish Power
Scottish Power's parent company, Iberdrola, generates a large amount of renewable energy. However, according to Citizens Advice data, the electricity Scottish Power supplies to its domestic customers is largely fossil fuels, with some renewable, nuclear, and other sources. The supplier offers a specific Green Fixed Sep 2027 tariff that is backed by 100% green electricity made by its own UK wind farms. It also sells and installs solar panels, home batteries, and electric vehicle chargers to help households lower their carbon footprint.
Our verdict
| If you care most about | Choose |
|---|---|
| The lowest annual cost on our assumptions | Octopus Energy |
| Overall customer service | Octopus Energy |
| A well-rated mobile app | Either |
| A greener fuel mix | Octopus Energy |
Octopus Energy wins with cheaper tariffs and significantly stronger customer service scores, though Scottish Power offers a higher-rated Android app.
Octopus Energy performs better across most of the metrics we reviewed. It currently offers cheaper fixed and variable tariffs, and its customer service scores are higher across Trustpilot, Which?, and Citizens Advice.
Scottish Power may suit households that prioritise app experience on Android devices, where it holds a higher rating, or those seeking a fixed deal without an exit fee. However, the price gap on fixed deals is substantial, and Octopus Energy's overall package is cheaper based on the available evidence.
- Cheaper overall and fixed tariffs
- Higher Trustpilot rating
- Higher overall Citizens Advice score
- Supplies 100% zero-carbon electricity
- Cheapest fixed tariff carries a £100 exit fee
- Lower Google Play Store rating
- Higher rating on the Google Play Store
- Cheapest fixed tariff has no exit fee
- Faster response times for emails
- More expensive fixed and variable tariffs
- Lower overall Which? score
- Higher proportion of one-star Trustpilot reviews
Frequently asked questions
Which supplier is better overall?
Based on our comparison, Octopus Energy is the stronger choice overall. It offers cheaper tariffs and scores significantly higher for customer satisfaction on Trustpilot, Which?, and Citizens Advice.
Which supplier has the cheapest fixed tariff?
Octopus Energy currently offers the cheaper fixed deal. Its Octopus 12M Fixed August 2026 v6 tariff costs £1,642 a year, compared to Scottish Power's cheapest fixed option at £1,830 a year.
How do their Trustpilot scores compare?
Octopus Energy has a much higher Trustpilot score, achieving 4.8 out of 5 with 90% of customers giving five stars. Scottish Power scores 4.4 out of 5, with 60% of reviewers giving five stars and a higher proportion of one-star ratings.
Which supplier offers a better app?
Both suppliers share a 4.8 out of 5 rating on the iOS App Store. However, Scottish Power takes the lead on Android, holding a 4.7 out of 5 rating on the Google Play Store compared to Octopus Energy's 4.4 out of 5.
Who provides better customer service according to Citizens Advice?
Octopus Energy ranks higher with Citizens Advice, scoring 3.67 out of 5 and placing 4th overall. Scottish Power scores 2.94 out of 5, placing 10th.
Should I switch to Octopus Energy or Scottish Power?
If price and customer service are your main priorities, Octopus Energy is the stronger option based on current data. Scottish Power may suit you if you want a fixed deal with no exit fee or prefer a highly rated Android app.
Do they charge exit fees on their cheapest tariffs?
Neither supplier charges an exit fee on their cheapest variable tariffs. However, Octopus Energy's cheapest fixed deal carries a £100 exit fee, while Scottish Power's cheapest fixed deal allows you to leave without penalty.
How quickly do they answer the phone?
Both suppliers answer calls in a similar amount of time. The average call centre wait time is 1 minute 17 seconds for Octopus Energy and 1 minute 16 seconds for Scottish Power.
Which supplier offers greener energy?
Octopus Energy supplies 100% zero-carbon electricity and has a fuel mix made up mostly of renewable sources. In contrast, Citizens Advice data shows Scottish Power's general fuel mix is largely made up of fossil fuels, though it does offer specific green and charity tariffs.
How do they score in the Which? survey?
Octopus Energy achieves an overall Which? score of 74 and is a Which? Recommended Provider for 2026. Scottish Power scores lower, achieving an overall score of 56.
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 23 other data changes this month — see the full changelog below for details.
Data changes this month (32)
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
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.