Last updated: 8th March 2023
In this article, we will compare energy suppliers Octopus Energy and So Energy to see which could be the best supplier for you to switch to.
We look at customer reviews, their tariffs, their prices and much more to see how they compare against each other.
Our top rated supplier Octopus Energy is currently offering £50 credit to any new customer that uses our referral link. Click below to see why we rate them so highly and get your £50.
Who is So Energy?
So Energy started in 2015 and is one of the smaller energy suppliers in the UK. Despite the energy crisis in 2021, which caused many companies of its size to fail, So Energy is still going strong. It even teamed up with what used to be ESB Energy. Right now, the supplier has about 300,000 customers.
Its focus is on green energy and customer service, wanting to help people lessen their impact on the environment.
An interesting thing about So Energy is that customers can choose where their green energy comes from through voting. This is something special that we haven’t seen with any other company.
Who are Octopus Energy?
Octopus Energy, although not the biggest energy company in the UK, has managed to gain about 5 million customers since starting in 2016.
It invests heavily in green energy and claims to try to give its customers renewable energy at a good price.
Octopus has also helped out by taking in customers from other energy companies that have shut down recently, like Bulb and Avro Energy.
Octopus Energy vs So Energy: What’s the difference in price?
We compared Octopus Energy and So Energy with a head-to-head comparison to see which offers the best value for money across all tariffs.
For each comparison, we used the following details:
- Dual Fuel supply
- Standard Meter
- Medium usage (3-bedroom house with four occupants)
- 2,900 kWh of electricity and 12,000 kWh of gas
- Postcode in East Midlands
Let’s see if Octopus Energy is cheaper than So Energy or vice versa.
So Energy
So Energy offered us two tariffs on its website, one fixed tariff and one variable:
| Tariff Name | Tariff Description | Monthly Cost |
|---|---|---|
| So Flex | Prices can go up and down over time. No exit fees. | £164.90 |
| So Orange | This is a 12-month fixed tariff with 100% renewable electricity and £75 exit fees. | £146.47 |
Octopus
We used the same details to get a price from Octopus Energy.
Here are the prices it offers:
| Tariff Name | Tariff Description | Monthly Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Tracker Tariff | Smart tariff where prices change daily. No contract. No exit fees.* | £92.99 |
| Flexible Octopus | Flexible tariff where prices go up and down with the market. No contract. | £141.67 |
| Octopus 12M Fixed | 12-month, fixed rate contract. No exit fees. | £142.51 |
Want to find out who is the cheapest energy supplier right now? Try our latest guide.
What’s the difference in tariff options?
Here we compare the tariffs which Octopus and So Energy offer their new customers.
Firstly, let us look at So Energy’s options:
So Energy
So Flex
– Your prices could go up or down over time
– No tariff end date
So Orange
– 100% green electricity
– Exit fees of £75 per fuel
Octopus
At this time, Octopus is offering three tariffs:
Flexible Octopus
– Offers 100% renewable electricity
– No exit fees
Octopus 12M Fixed
– No exit fees
– 100% renewable electricity
Tracker Tariff
– No exit fees
– Only available with a smart meter
– Not available on signing up – see below for more details
– Unit rate is capped at 100p/kWh for electricity and 30p/kWh for gas (including VAT)
Other differences are that the Octopus variable tariff comes with renewable electricity, whereas So Energy does not, and the Octopus fixed tariff has no exit fees.
Who has better customer reviews?
We checked out customer reviews for Octopus Energy and So Energy on Trustpilot to see how these energy companies compare in terms of service and how they treat their customers.
We chose Trustpilot for our comparison because it has the most reviews for each that are written by real customers.
Here is what we found:
- So Energy scores 4.0 out of 5 based on over 16,000 reviews (source)
- Octopus score 4.8 out of 5 based on over 245,000 reviews (source)
14% of So Energy customers gave them a 1-star rating on Trustpilot, and 73% of reviewers gave them a 5-star rating.
Octopus come off much better when being reviewed by their customers. With 89% of their customers giving them a 5-star excellent rating. Most customers state they always receive friendly service, and their queries are quickly resolved.
Who has the better app?
Here we normally compare both suppliers’ apps to see if one is better than the other. So Energy does not have an app on either iOS or Android, so it is not possible to review their app!
Octopus Energy offers an app for both iOS and Google Play, and it has received widespread acclaim from users on both platforms. The iOS app boasts an impressive rating of 4.8 out of 5 from more than 88,000 reviews, while the Android version has a strong rating of 4.5 out of 5 from over 17,000 reviews.
These apps enable users to fully manage their accounts, including bill payments, usage monitoring, and submitting meter readings for those without smart meters.
A unique feature of the app is its support for ‘Savings Sessions.‘ Users can get notifications about when these sessions are set to occur, register to participate, and even track the amount of energy they save through the app.
Octopus vs So Energy: Who has the better customer service?
On the Citizens Advice website, you can see how energy suppliers perform in key areas when it comes to customer service. These stats are updated by Citizens Advice every quarter.
Below, we have picked out the key stats for these two suppliers:
| Octopus | So Energy | |
|---|---|---|
| Average call centre wait time | 04:50 | 04:12 |
| Emails responded to within 2 days | 66.1% | 36.3% |
| Fewer complaints received | 2/5 | 1/5 |
| Contact waiting time | 2/5 | 2/5 |
| Customer commitments | 5/5 | 5/5 |
| Opening hours | 9 am – 5 pm (4 pm Friday) | Mon to Fri 9 am – 5 pm |
| Contact via Phone | Yes | Yes |
| Contact via Email | Yes | Yes |
| Contact via Webchat | No | No |
The biggest difference is in the percentage of emails that are responded to within two days, with Octopus performing much better.
What are the main differences between the two?
We’ve looked in detail at how each supplier performs in the key areas you need to know when switching suppliers. Below is a summary of our findings:
| Area | Summary | Winner |
|---|---|---|
| Tariff Options | When it comes to tariff choices, this is close, but Octopus won with an additional tariff option, 100% renewable electricity and no exit fees. | Octopus |
| Price | When it comes to price, Octopus are the cheapest across all tariff options | Octopus |
| Customer Reviews | Octopus wins again here with much higher review scores | Octopus |
| App | With only Octopus having an app, they win this round. | Octopus |
| Customer Service | This was close, with neither supplier performing well, but Octopus came out slightly better. | Octopus |
Is Octopus Energy better than So Energy?
In our opinion, Octopus Energy is likely to be the better option for most people looking to switch energy suppliers. It offers better tariff options and cheaper prices, has an app and has better customer reviews and customer service.
Our top rated supplier Octopus Energy is currently offering £50 credit to any new customer that uses our referral link. Click below to see why we rate them so highly and get your £50.
interesting
I Cannot have a smart meter as I am in a private rented flat and I’m on Energy 7 all electric no gas for some reason unknown to me my landlord does not want a meter are there still deals out there were I don’t need a meter and still get Energy 7 Thanks